1963 saw the publication of Jessica Mitford‘s book, The American Way of Death. Her charges of corruption and abuse in the funeral industry were not drowned out, as many funeral directors had hoped, by the unanimity of grief surrounding the ceremonies for President Kennedy later in the year. The book was full of social criticism, wit, satire, and exposure of scandal – enough writing skill to make it a bona fide cultural phenomenon. Long after its appearance, the book continued to incite public denouncements of the industry.
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