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The Work of the Dead

The Work of the Dead

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Description
The Greek philosopher Diogenes said that when he died his body should be tossed over the city walls for beasts to scavenge. Why should he or anyone else care what became of his corpse? In The Work of the Dead, acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Laqueur examines why 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 of the Dead offers a compelling and richly detailed account of how and why the living have cared for the dead, from antiquity to the twentieth century. A fascinating chronicle of how we shape the dead and are in turn shaped by them, this is a landmark work of cultural history.
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
736
Release Date:
2015-10-13
Publication Date:
2015-10-13
Publisher:
Princeton University Press
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0691157782
ISBN13:
9780691157788
Weight:
1187 g
Height:
167 cm
Width:
246 cm
Thickness:
52 cm
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