Grave Undertakings: Mortician by Day, Model by Night

Rating:
Summary: buy this book
Review: Charming, informative and highly readable, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. "Grave Undertakings" details Ms. Mosca's fascinating life story from humble beginnings as an unloved child of adoption to the top of her profession. Along the way, her autobiography is peppered with amusing anecdotes, fun facts and behind the scenes information. Her tireless dedication to the betterment of funeral service is one constant that runs throughout the book. However, this is not just a book for those interested in funeral servive. This is a book about one woman's unshakeable willpower and her struggle against all odds to live life to the fullest.

Rating:
Summary: buy this book
Review: Charming, informative and highly readable, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. "Grave Undertakings" details Ms. Mosca's fascinating life story from humble beginnings as an unloved child of adoption to the top of her profession. Along the way, her autobiography is peppered with amusing anecdotes, fun facts and behind the scenes information. Her tireless dedication to the betterment of funeral service is one constant that runs throughout the book. However, this is not just a book for those interested in funeral servive. This is a book about one woman's unshakeable willpower and her struggle against all odds to live life to the fullest.

Rating:
Summary: An absorbing and revealing tell-all
Review: Grave Undertakings: Mortician By Day, Model By Night - One Woman's True-Life Adventures is the engaging story of Alexandra K. Mosca, America's first and only funeral director/model who has also posed for Playboy magazine! Offering a unique perspective into the mortician's trade (a male dominated profession with only 13 percent women morticians), Grave Undertakings is alternately humorous, sensual, revealing, dramatic, and at times heartbreaking. An absorbing and revealing tell-all, Grave Undertakings is an unusual, exceptionally well written, and highly recommended autobiography.

Rating:
Summary: I laughed, I cried
Review: Having worked in the funeral industry, I found Ms. Mosca's book extremely interesting. Many of the insider stories were fascinating and funny at the same time. Ms. Mosca writes with an ease of an established, seasoned author. She makes the reader feel comfortable, much like an old friend. I sometimes laughed so hard at some of her stories, I cried.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would want an insider's view to the funeral industry. Contrary to what one might believe, there are so many bizarre and amusing stories. The interactions, customs and odd requests are amazing. I would encourage anyone to get a copy (or two or three) so that they too might experience Ms. Mosca's journey as a pioneer in the industry. Not only is she a gifted writer and professional career woman, but she is extremely attractive.
If you buy the book, you can see for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Don't leave your day job, Alexandra
Review: I can see why Alexandra didn't make it in Journalism...this book is more of a month-by-month documentation of her life from abused child, to mortuary student, to model and back to mortician. The book drags in many parts, repeating already known facts. On the upside, Alexandra knows how determination can meet a career goal. I was impressed by her "go and get 'em" attitude. She has met some interesting people along the way that makes for an interesting life. It's not the best written book, but it is great bathroom material that left me with red toilet rings and tingling feet. Alexandra, you're a great gal !!

Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous Funeral director Also Caring & Intelligent
Review: REVIEWS:

Grave Undertakings:

"Mortician by Day, Model by Night-One Woman's True Life Adventures"

Alexandra Kathryn Mosca, New Horizon Press

Far Hills, New Jersey, 295 ppg, ...

A Review by Mac Mc McCormick

"Grave Undertakings" might suggest a "Tell-All" offering of scintillating, bizarre or macabre tales. Instead, readers who complete the book will find Alexandra Mosca to be a talented, sensitive and seasoned writer who has the ability to evoke emotion from the most hardened of souls. Mosca, a licensed and practicing funeral director, gives us a mesmerizing glimpse into the inimitable world of funeral service in New York City. The early portions of her spellbinding autobiography include admirable insights into the hardships and indignities she endured some years ago as a female apprentice and young funeral director. Mosca clearly understands how difficult it truly is for an "outsider"- someone who doesn't originate in a wealthy funeral service family- to enter and survive in the funeral service profession. She decidedly has a flair for describing her years of difficulty and adversity. Blended with her extraordinary adventures as a Playboy model, the second half of Alexandra Mosca's tale clearly uses striking philosophy and allegory as she describes how she matures into a caring, thoughtful and professional funeral director.

Final analysis: This is a "must read" for anyone interested in, or currently working within the funeral service or allied professions. Do not dismiss this fine effort because some of the truths about greed and malice in funeral service surface in its pages. Mosca realizes, as many of us do, that serving as a funeral director is a true gift. "Grave Undertakings" shows us all that Alexandra Kathryn Mosca was blessed with other gifts. She has the ability to be a stunning model who is inherently more attractive inwardly. Mosca also displays a tremendous talent to describe her life experiences in a book that you absolutely will not be able to stop reading once you begin. An "A plus" effort by the Gotham City funeral director...

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating read
Review: This book makes one glad that there are strong, independent-thinking women in the funeral industry who aren't afraid to care about the people they serve and the people they work with. Alexandra's all the more credible for showing the down-side as well as the up-side of her work. This is a lady I want to meet someday.

Rating:
Summary: An American story of hard work, resilience & good fortune
Review: When I saw the cover of this book I knew I had to read it right away!

How many gorgeous-looking ladies you know who are both funeral house directors and also have posed naked for the Playboy? Alexandra K. Mosca did it all and wrote about it with a flowing prose for the benefit of the rest of us.

From very humble beginnings and an unhappy childhood, Mosca worked hard to build an unusual life for herself first as an embalmer and then as a funeral director while posing as a model for painter friend of hers and then ending up getting the exposure (literally) of her life by posing for Playboy.

This book is full of bitter-sweet memories of her "trials and tribulations," plus really fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the funeral business.

If you are curious about the funeral ceremony of John Gotti, again, this is the book to read because she was there to write an article about it for a funeral industry magazine.

A heart-warming easy read on a dreaded subject, written with a sparkling English and compassion by a beautiful lady that has much to tell.

Her job is to bury the dead. But the kindness, energy and maturity with which she does that is nothing short of life affirming.

Hers sounds like a life lived well.