For Immediate Release: April 8, 2019

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has released an e-book version of the ninth edition of “The History of American Funeral Directing” by Robert Habenstein and William Lamers. The print version of the ninth edition of the history book was released last year.

“We are extremely pleased to offer a new way to access ‘The History of American Funeral Directing,’” said NFDA Director of Education Carmella Hansen. “This book has helped generations of funeral professionals understand and appreciate the remarkable history of funeral service. Now, both funeral directors and mortuary students alike can have convenient access via their Kindle device.”

The ninth edition has been fully-edited, updated and newly organized and provides a comprehensive look at the history of funeral service in the United States. The new edition includes:

• Updated chapters: Institutional Growth and Modern Associational Developments, and The Panorama of Modern Funeral Practice
• Up-to-date industry statistics using the latest research and data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Board of Funeral Service Education
• An updated “Future – Overview” section using the most recent data projections

In his preface, Chris Raymond, editor of the ninth edition, writes, “Since its initial publication more than 60 years ago, ‘The History of American Funeral Directing’ by Robert Habenstein and William Lamers has proven indispensable to funeral service professionals, mortuary science students and scholars alike … [It] continues the mission established long ago by the National Funeral Directors Association of chronicling and sharing the crucial role played by the select group of men and women who care for both the living and the dead – then, now and always.”

The e-book version of “The History of American Funeral Directing” is available via Amazon.com (Kindle devices) for $55.

A print edition of “The History of American Funeral Directing” is $70 (ISBN# 978-0-692-12056-9). The book can be purchased online through the NFDA Resource Store, www.nfda.org/store (NFDA product code BK583), or by calling the association at 800-228-6332.

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

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Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org