THE WORK OF THE DEAD

The Greek philosopher Diogenes said that when he died his body should be tossed over the city walls for beasts to scavenge. Why shou ld he or anyone else care what became of his corpse? In The Work of the Dead, acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Laqueur examines w hy humanity has universally rejected Diogenes's argument. No culture has been indifferent to mortal remains. Even in our supposedly disenchanted scientific age, the dead body still matters--for individuals, communities, and nations. A remarkably ambitious history, The Work...[Read more]