Social Science : Death & Dying

Tombstones provide the largest single category of epigraphical evidence from the ancient world. However, epigraphy – the study of inscriptions – remains, for many students of history and archaeology, an abstruse subject. By marrying epigraphy and death, the contributors to this collection hope to encourage a wider audience to consider the importance of inscribed tombstones. more...

Price: $30.00

Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning story, Jim Sheeler’s unprecedented look at the way our country honors its dead; Final Salute Is a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them. They are the troops that nobody wants to see, carrying a message that no military family ever wants to hear. It begins with a knock at the door. “The curtains pull away. They come to the door. And they know. They always know,” said Major Steve Beck. Since the start of the war in Iraq, marines like Major Beck found themselves thrown into a different kind of mission: casualty notification. It is a job Major Beck never asked for and one for which he received no training. They are given no set rules, only impersonal guidelines. Marines are trained to kill, to break down doors, but casualty notification is a mission without weapons. For Beck, the mission meant learning each dead marine’s name and nickname, touching the toys they grew up with and reading the letters they wrote home. He held grieving mothers in long embraces, absorbing their muffled cries into the dark blue shoulder of his uniform. He stitched himself into the fabric of their lives, in the simple hope that his compassion might help alleviate at least the smallest piece of their pain. Sometimes he returned home to his own family unable to keep from crying in the dark. In Final Salute, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Jim Sheeler weaves together the stories of the fallen and of the broken homes they have left behind. It is also the story of Major Steve Beck and his unflagging efforts to help heal the wounds of those left grieving. Above all, it is a moving tribute to our troops, putting faces to the mostly anonymous names of our courageous heroes, and to the brave families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Final Salute is the achingly beautiful, devastatingly honest story of the true toll of war. A more...

Price: $16.00

Investigating why cremation replaced burial amongst the British families, this book examines the political, religious, economic, and social reasons behind personal choice and sets them in a European context. more...

Price: $90.50

Based on a survey in East London, provides a wide range of helpful and fascinating insights into all aspects of experiencing death and surviving grief. The experiences shared will be of comfort for those who are dying and their carers. more...

Price: $51.95

"[A] thorough, thoughtful, sensitive, and up-to-date contribution that may be the best book available today for teaching bereavement, grief, and mourning .[H]ighly recommended for experienced grief professionals as well as for students.". -Jeffrey Kauffman, MA, MS, LCSW, BD, CT, CAS, BCETS. Psychotherapist in private practice, Philadelphia, PA. "[Offers] valued sensitivities, knowledge, and insights, and most importantly, age-appropriate interventions for a range of significant losses.". -Kenneth J. Doka, PhD. Author, Counseling Individuals With Life-Threatening Illness. Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan is unique in its treatment of grieving patterns and intervention strategies for different age groups. With this book, students and practitioners will learn how grief is influenced by biological responses to stress, psychological responses to loss, as well as social norms and support networks. The authors utilize a developmental framework, as each level of development from infancy through old age is addressed in four ways:. Reviews normal developmental issues, abilities, and challenges for the age in question. Analyzes how individuals of each age cope with serious loss of a significant other, and how they may experience life-threatening illness themselves. Examines how significant others react to and mourn the death of someone in that age range. Identifies the normative losses a person is likely to experience, and addresses protective and risky ways of coping with those losses. The authors review classical grief theories, such as postmodern and Dual Process Theory, and discuss current topics in grief, including continuing bonds, meaning making, ambiguous loss, and disenfranchised loss. With the help of this book, practitioners and students of grief counseling can learn to help patients of all ages understand that loss is at the heart of life and growth. more...

Price: $70.00