Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt

If you, like I, are looking for a true “behind the scenes” book on the funeral industry, this really isn’t it. This book is a series of essays by funeral directors and morticians recounting stories about the incidents during their careers. Some are fairly interesting. Some aren’t. The style is folksy and light. Although the stories come from a variety of people who are identified by their avocations beyond their jobs at the funeral home, the consistent and similar writing style makes it obvious that the authors have heavily edited their submissions. Would I recommend this book? If you’re looking for an upbeat, light quick read, sure. However, if you’re truly looking for a book about the inner workings of the industry that show more deals with us at the end, I would recommend “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach. That book is entertaining, funny, and, yes, a bit on the creepy side. show less

True death industry stories collected by the authors, who are both funeral directors. Topics range from the humorous, such as one guy who got locked out of his hearse, and then the hospital, when he went to pick up a body one night. Others stories are contemplative, such as the sadness of having to deal with the body of a loved one, and other stories are in the "crazy" category, like the huge family brawl during the funeral.

Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt by Todd Harra and Kenneth McKenzie, was a very interesting book. I’d gotten it from the library while looking for a humor book. It was more reflective than humorous, though there were some parts that were humorous. It was still an enjoyable read and I learned a lot about how funeral homes work and what undertakers do. The book is a compilation of stories from undertakers and the stories vary in tone. Some were dark and sad, some were lighter. There wasn’t one that made me want to skim through the chapter. All of the stories were captivating and the book is well worth the read.

This is a collection of stories from morticians all over the US - some funny, some scary, some heartfelt. It's a very interesting read, especially if you, like me, are a fan of Stiff or Six Feet Under or just generally interested in what happens to us after we die. I had hoped for a more cohesive collection and much more in-depth stories, but this reads mainly like anecdotes that I could imagine posted on a morticians' internet forum (surely there must be such a thing). Still, definitely worth a read if thanatology is of interest to you.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well organized and edited. Really inspiring and hilarious at times, thoughtful and spooky in others. A great read, overall. Even for the ones who aren't as morbid as I am ;]

I loved this book it is full of story that are gonna make you laugh cry and think twice about how you are living your life. It even gives you an insight to the life of a undertaker!! I'd recommend this book to anyone like me who wants to pursue a career in this field and anyone else so that you have a better understanding.

Not as good as other mortuary books I've read. Short 1-1.5 page stories about embarrassing things that have gone on in the business. Copyright 2010 but feels more dated than that. I would prefer a book all about the experience of one person, rather than this collection of short stories from many different people. For the non-mortuary layman, not recommended.