Gary Laderman received a B.A. in psychology from California State University, Northridge, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department, University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a professor of American religious history and cultures at Emory University. His works include The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883; Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America; Religion and American Cultures: An Encyclopedia of Traditions, Diversity, and Popular Expressions; and Science, Religion, Societies: Histories, Cultures, Controversies.