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How the Dead Can Give the Gift of Life

Physician and author Kenneth Iserson wanted to promote organ and tissue donation, so he wrote a book about what happens to dead bodies. It's called "Death to Dust." He believes that death is the pornography of our culture, because after-death activities are shrouded in secrecy. His book explores the mundane -- burial choices and advance directives -- and the arcane -- head shrinking, cannibalism and cryonic preservation. (Rebroadcast)

16:17
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Other segments from the episode on February 3, 1995

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, February 3, 1995: Interview with Ira Rutkow; Review of Kenneth Iserson; Review of the film "Boys on the Side."
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22:31

Dr. Ira Rutkow on the History of Surgery

Rutkow is a surgeon and the author of the book, "Surgery: An Illustrated History." The book has 386 illustrations related to surgery, including documents, photographs, cartoons, drawings and paintings taken from museums throughout the world. Rutkow is consulting editor for surgical history for the Archives of Surgery, founder and surgical director of The Hernia Center in Freehold, N.J., and clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. (Rebroadcast)

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22:49

Death and Bodies.

Physician and author Kenneth Iserson, M.D. Iserson wanted to promote organ and tissue donation. So he wrote a book about what happens to dead bodies. It's called "Death to Dust" (Galen Press). Iserson believes that death is the pornography of our culture. He says that after-death activities are shrouded in secrecy. His book explores the mundane--burial choices and advance directives--and the arcane--head shrinking, cannibalism and cryonic preservation.

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