The Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start
For the best experience reading Caitlin Doughty’s books, the most rewarding path is to follow her publication order. Because her writing is deeply personal and mirrors her evolution from a hands-on crematory operator to a global death activist, reading her books chronologically by release allows you to follow her journey as it unfolded. Here is the recommended sequence:
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory (2014) – Start here to understand Doughty's personal background, her initial entry into the funeral industry, and the philosophical foundation of the death-positive movement.
- From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death (2017) – Move here next to expand your view. This book transitions from Doughty's personal experiences in America to an anthropological study of death rituals around the globe.
- Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death (2019) – Read this next for a lighter, highly entertaining, yet deeply educational collection of answers to the most common questions children ask about death.
- Dead in the Water: The Lost Passengers of the Titanic (Forthcoming, April 2027) – Finish with her highly anticipated investigation into the historical body recovery efforts and aftermath of the Titanic disaster.
Caitlin Doughty's Books in Publication Order
If you want a straightforward list of her works as they were published, here is the complete bibliography of her books:
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory (September 2014)
- From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death (October 2017)
- Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death (September 2019)
- Dead in the Water: The Lost Passengers of the Titanic (Scheduled for April 2027)
Deep Dive: Exploring Her Literary Works
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory (2014)
Doughty’s debut memoir is part personal history and part industry critique. It recounts her early twenties working at Westwind Crematory in San Francisco, where she faced the raw reality of decomposing bodies and the hands-on mechanics of cremation. The book serves as her manifesto against the modern American funeral industry, which she argues has sterilized, commercialized, and hidden the natural process of death from families. Written with self-deprecating humor and profound empathy, it outlines why embracing mortality can help us live more meaningful lives.
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death (2017)
After examining Western funeral practices, Doughty sets out on a global journey to observe how other cultures care for their dead. From the open-air funeral pyres of Crestone, Colorado, to the Ma’nene festival in Toraja, Indonesia (where families exhumed, clean, and dress their ancestors' mummified remains), Doughty highlights alternatives to the traditional American funeral model. Beautifully illustrated with cross-hatched drawings by artist Landis Blair, this book presents death rituals not as morbid curiosities, but as vital, loving practices that foster community healing.
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death (2019)
Unlike adults, who often avoid talking about death, children are intensely curious about it. Doughty compiled thirty-five of the best questions she received from kids during her book tours and YouTube shows. Questions range from the hilarious to the bizarre, such as whether a body can be preserved in amber, what happens when you die on an airplane, and the title's namesake: will your domestic cat eat your eyeballs after you pass? (The short answer is yes, sometimes). The book features whimsical illustrations by Dianné Ruz that complement Doughty's trademark blend of scientific facts and lighthearted tone.
Dead in the Water: The Lost Passengers of the Titanic (Upcoming, 2027)
Moving into historical non-fiction, Doughty's upcoming book shifts focus to one of the most famous maritime disasters in history: the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Rather than retelling the story of the iceberg, Doughty focuses on the complex and grim aftermath of recovering, identifying, and managing the bodies of the victims. The book details the class divisions that influenced which bodies were brought back to land and how the disaster reshaped the modern funeral and bereavement landscape.
What to Know Before You Start: Tone and Companion Media
Before diving into Caitlin Doughty's books, it is helpful to understand the wider context of her work. Doughty is not just an author; she is a licensed mortician and the founder of The Order of the Good Death, a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to death acceptance, natural burial methods, and eco-friendly end-of-life options.
Additionally, her writing is closely tied to her popular YouTube channel, Ask a Mortician, which she launched in 2011. The channel explores historical tragedies, bizarre funeral practices, and answers viewer questions using the same mix of humor and rigor found in her books. If you enjoy her writing, watching her video essays provides excellent supplementary content. Finally, her books are highly visual experiences: the illustrations by Landis Blair in From Here to Eternity and Dianné Ruz in Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? are central to the books' formatting and help make the heavy subject matter visually accessible.