The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford
The American Way of Death was an exposé of abuses in the funeral home industry in the United States, written by Jessica Mitford and published in 1963. Feeling that death had become much too sentimentalized, highly commercialized, and, above all, excessively expensive, Mitford published her research showing the ways in which funeral directors take advantage of bereaved friends and relatives of loved ones, and sweet talk them into paying far more than necessary for the funeral and other costs, such as a grievance counselor, a title which they allowed themselves completely without merit.