In the early 1900s, Americans almost universally condemned cremation. Today, nearly one-quarter of Americans choose to be cremated. The practice has gained wide acceptance as a funeral rite, in both our private and public lives, as the cremations of icons such as John Lennon and John F. Kennedy Jr. show. This book tells the fascinating story of cremation's rise from notoriety to legitimacy and takes a provocative new look at important transformations in the American cultural landscape since the 1850s. The author synthesises a wide array of previously untapped source material, including newspapers, consumer guides, mortician trade journals, and popular magazines such as "Reader's Digest" to provide this historical study of cremation in the United States. He describes many noteworthy events - from the much-criticised first American cremation in 1876 to the death and cremation of Jerry Garcia in the late 20th century. From Gilded Age to the Progressive Era to the baby boomers of today, this book takes us on a tour through American culture and traces our changing attitudes toward death, religion, public health, the body, and the environment.