Went to Chicago to visit family yesterday & finished From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty (& read by the author). She writes about visiting 8 different places with very different death rituals, looking at how communities support grieving families. 💙📚
There's an intro chapter about the rise of the industrial funeral with the concomitant decline of the family taking care of the body. The epilogue is about sky burials in India, which she did not go visit (& which are having difficulties due to accidentally poisoned vultures).
In between, she talks about open air pyres, mummified dead who are cleaned & dressed every few years, various Day of the Dead observations, funeral options in other industrialized countries (specifically Spain & Japan), & a mix of Catholicism & indigenous tradition.
The book is about a decade old so I went looking - If I don't want to be embalmed & buried in a concrete vault, what are my local options? There is a green burial facility in my county, with a green conservation cemetery hung up in legal fights a few hours away.
Water cremation isn't illegal but I couldn't find a facility for humans. Pets, yes. For humans, the closest was Chicago. (The equipment has a higher upfront cost but the energy use & airborne emissions are much lower.) & the "compost" option didn't even come up.
So the death industry landscape hasn't changed that much, yet. I've got a few decades to go (hopefully) so there's time. (Altho my first choice is a post-mortem science career but who knows if I'll qualify.)
My book group read that last year. Much discussion followed. We're in a retirement community so it's a topic much on our minds.
My husband loves her YouTube videos, which is how I found her. I've read 2 of her 3 books now. Honestly, this is a needed society-wide discussion. Did your book group change any plans based on their discussion?
Two are planning on green burials in a privately owned preserve in a nearby county. A death doula is one of our group, so good help comes from her.
That is a fantastic outcome. I'm glad you've got options available. (& now I'm thinking I should find me a death doula...)