The High Cost of Dying: A Guide to Funeral Planning Book

This comprehensive overview of the funeral home business provides valuable inside information needed by thoughtful consumers, legal advisers, trust officers, and even clergy - all those who must confront the hard practical questions that surround one of life's most trying and emotion-filled experiences. Most of us try our best to be cost-conscious consumers. Yet when faced with the sad task of arranging a funeral, grief, sorrow, and guilt often make us vulnerable. The stress of heightened emotion prevents us from asking pertinent questions about our options and the costs involved. Perplexed by the mystery that surrounds funeral directors, survivors are left to struggle through this painful ordeal with little or no guidance. How does one select a funeral home? What obligations and functions are properly the family's and which should be expected of the funeral home? Who is financially responsible for the funeral? What funeral options are available and which are best? Is it possible to arrange a dignified yet affordable funeral? Is it crass to be concerned about costs at a time like this? These are some of the questions addressed by former funeral director Gregory W. Young in The High Cost of Dying. His easy-to-read reference guide aides consumers - those who are currently in need and those who just want to be prepared - to arrange a funeral while at the same time avoiding unnecessary charges. Young's compassion for the grief stricken and his in-depth understanding of funeral preparation combine to provide a unique perspective on the history and psychology of the American funeral. Unlike sensational media stories or muckraking books of the past, Young's valuable work offers an honest, straightforward view of this difficult and emotion-filled process. Readers will learn why a funeral can be so expensive and that, like any other business, funeral practitioners control only some of the costs involved. Surprisingly, he demonstrates how the funeral director can be a va

Library Journal

Families of the deceased face not only the grief that accompanies their loss but the prospect of arranging the funeral. Unfortunately, dishonest practices exist, and some funeral directors may take advantage of grief-stricken relatives. Young, who aims to provide ``a helpful consumer's guide to arranging a funeral while at the same time avoiding unnecessary charges,'' discussses working with the funeral director, working out a contract, avoiding ripoffs, and planning a prearranged funeral. Also provided are answers to frequently asked questions, a resource bibliography, and Federal Trade Commission Regulation Rules. Young, a former director of a funeral home chain, sensitively and clearly offers practical guidelines and presents an overview of the funeral service industry. Recommended for public library collections.-Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., New York