SKU: 10937330580

The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains

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The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal RemainsThe meaning of our concern for mortal remains from antiquity through the twentieth century The Greek philosopher Diogenes said that when he died his body should be tossed over the city walls for beasts to scavenge. Why should he or anyone else care what became of his corpse? In The Work of the Dead, acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Laqueur examines why humanity has universally rejected Diogenes's argument. No culture has been indifferent to mortal

The meaning of our concern for mortal remains--from antiquity through the twentieth century

The Greek philosopher Diogenes said that when he died his body should be tossed over the city walls for beasts to scavenge. Why should he or anyone else care what became of his corpse? In The Work of the Dead, acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Laqueur examines why humanity has universally rejected Diogenes's argument. No culture has been indifferent to mortal remains. Even in our supposedly disenchanted scientific age, the dead body still matters--for individuals, communities, and nations. A remarkably ambitious history, The Work of the Dead offers a compelling and richly detailed account of how and why the living have cared for the dead, from antiquity to the twentieth century.

The book draws on a vast range of sources--from mortuary archaeology, medical tracts, letters, songs, poems, and novels to painting and landscapes in order to recover the work that the dead do for the living: making human communities that connect the past and the future. Laqueur shows how the churchyard became the dominant resting place of the dead during the Middle Ages and why the cemetery largely supplanted it during the modern period. He traces how and why since the nineteenth century we have come to gather the names of the dead on great lists and memorials and why being buried without a name has become so disturbing. And finally, he tells how modern cremation, begun as a fantasy of stripping death of its history, ultimately failed--and how even the ashes of the victims of the Holocaust have been preserved in culture.

A fascinating chronicle of how we shape the dead and are in turn shaped by them, this is a landmark work of cultural history.-- "Library Journal"

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 05/08/2018
ISBN: 9780691180939
Pages: 744
Weight: 2.00lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.10w x 2.20d
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SKU: 10937330580

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Big B
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Does the trick well.
Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger, Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger
It's about 3D printer feel, so be sure to locate it where you won't bump it. It comes with everything you need to mount in a couple different configurations, which is a nice touch. The DAC fits perfectly and sets up nicely. Recommended for a polished look to keep your desk clear.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2026
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Keith Christman
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
This item is exactly what you expect by description.
Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger
Magnetic is plenty strong enough to hold headphone up. Works exactly as you would hope. Permanent mounting options included.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026
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Daniel L. Harvey
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 4
It works and the magnet is strong.
Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger
Strong magnet, looser fit than I like. Once I hang my headphones on the hanger it weighs it down enough to make the tab in the back not do it's job of keeping the base station from slipping out. I squeezed/pinched/bent the plastic together and it is working for now, but the plastic is flexible and I have a feeling I will be doing this again or needing to put some sort of support on the back. It came with a prybar, so I assumed it would be a tighter fit. Not so much.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2026
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Marshall
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Great pickup
Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger
Works perfectly. Original magnet was a little weak but I got it to worm
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2026
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Miguel Wright
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Magnet and double sided tape
Style: Base Station Mount + Headphone Hanger
Double sided tape on a metal plate with the magnet works perfect for a non metal desk.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2026

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