Past Mortems, From Here To Eternity, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 3 Books Collection Set - Non Fiction - Paperback

Titles in This Set:
Past Mortems
From Here To Eternity
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Format: Paperback

Overview:
Three eye-opening explorations of death, ritual, and the human stories that surround both. Past Mortems, by Carla Valentine, offers an intimate, candid look at life behind the mortuary doors, weaving personal experience with the science of post-mortem work and the broader attitudes we hold toward death. From Here To Eternity, by Caitlin Doughty, travels the world to examine death-care practices beyond the Western fear of mortality—from a glowing Buddha columbarium in Japan to candlelit Mexican cemeteries—deliberately widening the conversation about how cultures mourn and commemorate. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, also by Doughty, is a fearless memoir about starting a career at a crematorium, where humor and honesty collide with difficult questions about grief, rituals, and what it means to let go. Together, this paperback collection offers a compelling, accessible suite of non-fiction that invites readers to confront mortality with empathy, curiosity, and intelligence. It’s a must-read pairing for anyone curious about death, dying, and the evolving practices of care around the world.

What Makes This Collection Worth Owning:
This three-book set brings three distinct voices into a cohesive reading journey, each building on the last to illuminate how humans confront mortality. Past Mortems grounds the conversation in a real-world mortuary setting—medicine, history, and emotional labor—all told with warmth and precision. From Here To Eternity broadens the lens to global death-care traditions, offering vivid, transportive portraits of how different societies honor the final journey. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes returns to the personal, offering a memoir that humanizes the grieving process while challenging readers to rethink what “death care” can be. Owning the set means seamless access to these complementary viewpoints in one convenient paperback package, ideal for gift-giving, classroom discussions, or a dedicated self-guided study of death, culture, and empathy. The collection also presents dependable, portable reading in a single purchase, perfect for travel, commutes, or weekend reading binges.

Books Included in This Collection:
Past Mortems
Past Mortems invites readers behind the curtain of the mortuary, where Carla Valentine—a pathology technician and death professional—shares first-hand experiences alongside the science of handling and studying the deceased. The narrative blends memoir with thoughtful insights into how society processes death, the rituals that surround it, and the toll such work can take on the living. Valentine’s careful storytelling balances candor with respect, making the often-taboo topics approachable for curious readers, students of anthropology or medicine, and anyone seeking a grounded, humane perspective on mortality.

From Here To Eternity
Caitlin Doughty takes readers on a global tour of death culture, insisting that Western avoidance of death is neither necessary nor healthy. The book surveys inspirational death-care innovators and practices unfamiliar in the West, from the open discussion of death to the spaces we’ve created to mourn. Expect a blend of investigative travelogue, cultural anthropology, and practical reflections on how communities choose to honor those who have passed. Doughty’s curiosity and accessible voice guide you through experiences such as a glowing-Buddha columbarium in Japan, candlelit Mexican cemeteries, and America’s open-air pyre, offering a provocative counterpoint to conventional funeral norms.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
This memoir follows Caitlin Doughty’s first day at Westwind Cremation & Burial and her early encounters with the realities of the cremation industry. It is a candid, often humorous account of confronting death, the families left behind, and the sometimes uncomfortable truths about grieving. The book blends personal anecdotes with broader questions about society’s relationship with death, inviting readers to rethink how we perceive mourning, remembrance, and the people who work in deathcare every day.

Who This Set Is Perfect For:
This set is ideal for adult readers who crave thoughtful, non-fiction explorations of mortality and culture. It suits fans of death-positive narratives, students in anthropology, sociology, or medical humanities, and anyone who enjoys immersive storytelling that educates as it entertains. It also makes an exceptional gift for book clubs, curious travelers, and readers seeking a compassionate, eye-opening approach to life’s final chapters. If you’ve ever wondered how different cultures handle death, or how a mortician’s day-to-day life unfolds, this collection provides a cohesive, enlightening entry point.

Key Benefits:

• Three complementary perspectives on death, dying, and cultural rituals
• Engaging, accessible writing that reads like immersive non-fiction
• Broad cultural scope—from medical settings to international traditions
• Great for educational use in classrooms or discussion groups
• Perfect gift for readers interested in anthropology, genealogy, or Macabre-curiosity topics
• Paperback editions for easy reading anywhere
• Compelling narrative arcs suitable for binge-reading or thoughtful pairing in a course

About the Author:
Carla Valentine is a pathology technician and death professional associated with Queen Mary University of London, where she has shared her experiences working with the dead and the living’s responses to mortality. Her book Past Mortems offers a rare, human behind-the-scenes look at mortuary life, grounded in years of professional practice and public engagement. Caitlin Doughty is a celebrated mortician, New York Times bestselling author, and a leading voice in the death-positivity movement. Her works—Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and From Here To Eternity—offer accessible, provocative explorations of death care and cultural practices across the globe, drawing on personal experience and extensive research. Together, these authors bring authority, empathy, and a clear, human-centered voice to the conversation about death and remembrance.

Why You’ll Love This Set:
You’ll gain a confident, well-rounded understanding of death—from the lab bench to the funeral rite to personal mourning—through three distinct, complementary voices. The set’s breadth makes it a standout gift for readers who value depth, context, and thoughtful storytelling. Whether you’re building a death studies reading list, seeking conversation-starting titles for a book club, or simply exploring mortality with curiosity and humor, this collection delivers a premium, cohesive reading experience in a portable paperback format.

Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.