When We Die

About this book

Death is the last great taboo and is then thing none of us has first-hand knowledge of. In this book Cedric Mims takes an extraordinary look at what happens when we die: the decomposition of the dead funerary rites and rituals in art and religion the uses and abuses of the dead and the often astounding ways in which we dispose of them. Subjects covered: - What is death; the biological breakdown of the body - The causes of death including suicide euthanasia and homicide - The definition of death and near-death experiences - Disposal of corpses; burial and cremation from around the world - Embalming mummification and freezing - Corpses can be useful; spare parts for surgery the magic of DNA and the pathologists skills -Whose body? Aspects of criminal investigation including the cause of death fingerprinting and identifying a corpse from teeth bones and blood - Death the afterlife from around the world to death and the prospects for immortality