Coming to Rest: A Guide to Caring for Our Own Dead, an Alternative to the Commercial Funeral

This down-to-earth and groundbreaking manual provides simple instructions and encouragement for private family funerals. Families can bring their own loved ones for burial or cremation without a funeral director. The non-commercial funeral is a practical alternative, a profound family ritual, and a way to save thousands of dollars.

Julie Wiskind was educated at the University of Wisconsin and at Barnard College. The mother of three sons - Joey, Adam and Gabriel - she has made her home in New York, Cleveland and Oakland and now on the Big Island of Hawaii.

When she was eleven years old, Julie was sent away to the country for a few weeks to protect her from the trauma of her mother's death. She returned home only "after it was all over". This unceremonious and abrupt encounter with Death changed her life. Since then whenever Death has been near, which it has been all too often, Julie has tried to remain present. She makes every attempt to show up for Life, too, when possible.

Julie is President of Dovetail: Resources for a Family Funeral a company that supports families facing death by providing information and well designed reasonably priced funeral accessories. She is a Hospice volunteer. Contact her at Julie@funeralresources.com.

Richard Spiegel left his small "storefront" law practice in Washington, D.C. He arrived on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1974 where he became a beekeeper, started a community mediation center and, with Laura, raised their two daughters, Kristin and Shaina. After Laura died in 1993, Richard left his position as executive director of West Hawaii Mediation Services to get his feet back on the ground. He is now a full time beekeeper and owner of a small family apiary that supplies gourmet stores in Hawaii, California, New York and London with Rare Hawaiian White Honey.