The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries (P.S.)

"This is a great book for a lazy afternoon. It's amusing and amazing at the same time. Sort of like gossiping over the fence with the neighbors."
~ Written on 2008-05-29

"This book was good as a history, but did not hold my attention. I liked the book STIFF much better. The writers sound like they could be fun though."
~ Written on 2008-02-13

"This review focuses on just one obituary, that of Frank Zielony. First appearing in the OREGONIAN, it included the following: "Frank Zielony might have lived his entire life as a Polish farmer and brick maker like his father, in the plains of what is now the Ukraine. But in 1939, war came. Soviet troops showed up at 7 o'clock on a dark morning in early 1940 and told the entire village...that they had half an hour to prepare to leave the country. They were packed in cattle cars and deported to Siberia--among more than a million non-Jewish Poles forced into slave labor camps. That's how Frank...came to be cutting down trees and making railroad ties in sub-zero weather." (p. 122)

In commenting on the foregoing obituary, Johnson writes: "The story of Zielony's survival and immigration to the Pacific Northwest, and his life helping other Polish Catholics survive, was one of those great obituaries that are made to be reread. Dark and gritty, but suffused with spirit, it was written by someone inspired." (p. 123)
"
~ Written on 2007-10-01

"Brilliantly written, absorbing and full of incredible details, this book is one of the best non-fiction volumes I've ever read! "
~ Written on 2007-06-28

"It's difficult to imagine an entire book dedicated to telling the average reader about those folks who write obituaries for a living. This book, however, takes on that daunting task, and fully delivers, with information and humor. Those of us who don't do this kind of writing can't imagine that it is an intense experieance for the writer, especially those who sytrive to give the reader a close insight into the person who has died. We learn about the newspapers that contain the "best" obituaries, and also those writers who are considered at the top of this unusual pyramid. If you want to be informed, and entertained, about a very unusual subject, you can't go wrong with this book."
~ Written on 2007-03-26