Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

Caitlin Doughty recounts her experiences working at a California crematory in her mid-twenties. The memoir follows her path from inexperienced trainee to licensed mortician as she learns the technical and emotional aspects of caring for the dead. Through detailed observations of daily life at the crematory, Doughty documents the realities of death industry practices and American attitudes toward mortality. She incorporates research on death customs across cultures and throughout history, examining how different societies approach death and mourning. The book mixes dark humor with serious examination of Western death denial and its consequences. Through personal narrative and cultural analysis, Doughty makes a case for transforming how modern Americans engage with death, mortality, and the care of the deceased.

Readers describe this book as an honest, humorous look at death and the funeral industry. Many appreciate Doughty's blend of personal experience, cultural history, and advocacy for death acceptance, with one reader noting it "made me feel more at peace about mortality." Likes: - Clear explanations of cremation processes - Balance of serious topics with dark humor - Educational content about death customs - Accessible writing style for heavy subject matter Dislikes: - Some found the humor inappropriate - Several readers wanted more focus on funeral industry practices - A few noted repetitive anecdotes - Some felt the author's personal stories overshadowed the educational content Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (84,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (5,800+ ratings) "This book changed how I think about death," wrote one Amazon reviewer, while a Goodreads user called it "informative but sometimes tries too hard to be funny."

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🔥 Author Caitlin Doughty went on to found "The Order of the Good Death," a death acceptance collective promoting alternative death care and natural burial options. ⚰️ The book's title is inspired by the 1933 song "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," which became a hit for The Platters in 1958 and relates to the author's experiences with cremation smoke. 💀 Doughty attended mortuary school at Cypress College in California and worked at Westwind Cremation & Burial, where many of the book's stories take place. 🌿 The book helped spark a broader "death positive" movement, encouraging open discussions about mortality and challenging traditional funeral industry practices. 🎬 Following the success of her book, Doughty created the popular "Ask a Mortician" YouTube channel, which now has over 1.7 million subscribers and continues to educate about death-related topics.