It's a book about what folks do with bodies after death around the world. I'd read the author's previous book about how things go in the USA. Here she travels to far-off places (and some places in the USA where things aren't done in "the usual way"). Before, if you'd asked me what to do with the leftover bits after I donate my body to science, I would have said "Oh, I don't know; burn it I guess? That will keep it from taking up so much room, right?" But now I'd say "Is composting humans still illegal in this state? What is wrong with us? Oh well, I don't know; burn it I guess?" But some folks are researching composting, so maybe my best bet is still "give it to science." Anyhow, chapters here talk about Spanish viewings involving many panes of glass; a Japanese Columbarium with spiffy lighting design; the Ñatitas (heads attributed w/mystical powers) of Bolivia, Parsi vulture rituals… It's interesting reading but slow because my way of thinking about death involves a lot of denial so every so often I'd just put the book down, look out the window, and try not to think very much about what I was thinking about and just concentrate on leaves and sunlight and things.