Former columnist for the New York Times and author of 13 books, Rosen (criminal justice, Ulster County Community College) offers what he is pretty sure is the first popular history of cremation in the US. He delves into such issues as why so many people engage in the practice now, where the idea of burning a body came from, why it was illegal until the 1870s, and how much it costs. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)