199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die

"Once upon a time, we knew that cemeteries were meant for the living as much as for the dead. In 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die, Loren Rhoads does much to restore the cemetery to its proper place as a location worthy of a pilgrimage. From the colorful wooden graves of Romania's Merry Cemetery to the creative granite headstones in Vermont's Hope Cemetery, 199 Cemeteries is filled with beautiful examples of posthumous humor, astonishing artistry, and natural settings that rival the world's best parks. A much-needed book for the curious explorer and budding taphophile (cemetery-lover) alike."

"If you're like me and find cemeteries a fascinating way to view the real history of a place (or even just a nice, quiet place to eat your lunch), then Loren Rhoads's 199 Cemeteries To See Before You Die is likely to become a well-worn travel companion. The snappy descriptions and beautiful photographs are just enough to whet your appetite to pack your bags."

'In the end, that might be what lingers most about 199 Cemeteries. An individual grave is a biography. An individual cemetery is a slice of history. As a whole, though-as a record of so many people who have lived in a place and then gone from it-a cemetery becomes something more contemplative. We know who we mourn. 199 Cemeteries asks us: Where do we mourn, and why?"

"[199 Cemeteries] has snippets of history, photos of eye-catching monuments, tips about what to look for on a tombstone - altogether a fascinating reminder of a time when more people understood that cemeteries are at least as much for the living as the dead."