Life Events and Rites of Passage: The Customs and Symbols of Major Life-Cycle Milestones, Including Cultural, Secular, and Religious Traditions Observed in the United States

Life Events and Rites of Passage: The Customs and Symbols of Major Life-Cycle Milestones, Including Cultural, Secular, and Religious Traditions Observed in the United States. By Jeff Hill and Peggy Daniels. Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 2008. 520p. alkaline $71 (ISBN 978-0-7808-0735-8).

Taking a broad approach to lifes rites of passage, this volume describes making the transitions from infancy to death and how the rituals are carried out in the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Formal ceremonies, beliefs, or rituals, many based on specific religions or cultures, are covered...