Does This Mean You'll See Me Naked?: Field Notes from a Funeral Director

I thought this book was pretty interesting. Most people are probably like me and have no idea what the death business really is about. Yes we are all going to die, but what happens after that? This book has some frank answers.

This is possibly the most bizarre topic for a non-fiction book that I've read, and I loved it.

Robert Webster, a Funeral Director in middle America, has seen it all, from arranging funeral services for a man who wanted to be buried in his truck to two men who who bartered the cost of a funeral service for a pickup truck and conversion van. He's also a good story teller and the book was very readable.

This book is organized by theme, under which Webster shares stories of his long career and he has many stories from when he was working for others, as well as once he opened his own funeral home in 2001. You don't think about laughing when it comes to funerals-and this isn't even macabre humor in the face of death, it's truly giggle worthy moments that accompany the predicted sad stories that surround death.

This covers a lot of things that I'd venture most people don't think about when planning a service for a loved one, but he also touched on some of the news of the last two decades, including the scandals around funeral homes and their practices and looked at them in a fair light. As a family business, he had the expected look at "carpet bagging", when corporations, but I wouldn't say it was an unfair portrayal.

This book was written in 2006 so the pricing info seems shockingly low, even for middle America.

The title caught my attention and I found Mr. Webster's discussion of what goes on behind closed doors both revealing, informative and his manner of telling the story very warm and genuine. If you are interested in the undertaking of the business of undertaking while still keeping your civilian status, well this book is for you.

A fascinating look into a profession that is a dark mystery to most of us. Rather than continuing with my somewhat negative view of funeral directors, I learned an enormous amount about the pros and cons of this line of work, appreciated the tips I got on saving money when being the grieving family myself, and most importantly realized that these folks are nothing more than highly trained professionals performing a much needed service in our society. Webster's gentle sense of humor is tempered throughout the book by his profound respect for the dead and; he never once makes you feel as if you or a loved one would be in anything but the best of hands when that time comes.

No one likes to think about death. I have been a hospice nurse for years. I came from a small town in Tuscarawas Oh. with only a handful of funeral homes. I became friends with many funeral home workers. This book really opened my eyes to all they do from the time of death to the closing of the grave. I loved the true stories of the families served as well as the details involved in the preparation of a funeral. I learned so much. Thank you for the great book Mr. Webster!

This text gives you the usual side commentaries, but combines that with a lot of information that a non-funeral director would not know much less think about in life. There are tips on what to watch out for when dealing with a funeral home, as well as behind-the-scenes aspects other books on this topic never mention.

I have worked in the florist industry my whole adult life so I feel I know a little bit about the funeral industry as well. I feel Webster was right on the money when he wrote about the odd things people do, say and request in such a time. The story's that are more behind closed door info were very interesting although probably not for everybody. One thing I take exception with Webster on is his opinion that people should send money instead of flowers. I fully appreciate a funeral director wanting to get paid for the merchandise and services they provide. After all they are providing for their family. The florist is in the same boat. They work hard for their customers so they can provide for their families. All in all a super book.

As a student about to start mortuary school this is a must read. This book goes from embalming to how people are billed while still being extremely entertaining. Any time the book got serious it added in some humor. I highly recommend this to any of my friends who are even slightly curious how the funeral industry works.

Enjoyable in a morbid kind of way. The author has a sense of humor, which I am sure helps in this type of business. His descriptions are very distinct; I could picture what he was describing. Reading this has been an eye opener for becoming slightly more comfortable with death, but also for helping aid into the “do’s and don’ts” of preparing for funerals. This was a great addition to my curious need to learn more about death.

Kudos!

This book would have been so much better if the author weren't such an insufferable jerk. I really felt like I gave it a much better chance than it deserved, but in the middle of the chapter where he's clutching his pearls about 'welfare people' taking advantage of city-paid funerals in spite of owning TVs and having big families, I couldn't take anymore. None of this dude's breathless gossiping about his clients in the traditional funeral industry is worth it. Buy another book.