Rating: 
Summary: Morbid, but fun!
Review: For those who find cemeteries a fascinating study in history, for those interested in the lives and (more importantly) deaths of the famous and infamous and for those who enjoy the occasional mini-exploration, "Where are They Buried?" is a wonderful read. Biographies can tell you about a life and death and may even tell you where the subject is laid to rest. Few, however, will give the reader step-by-step (literally) directions to the subject's resting place. I can't wait for volume two! A great companion on your next vacation, you may be surprised who you meet along the way. Buy the book and enjoy the trip.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Informative, and Fun! Highly Recommended!
Review: I came across this wonderful book while 'googling' on a name of a newly met acquaintance. I enjoy books very much, though generally read novels/fiction/literature from Booker, Pulitzer, or National Book Award lists. I was captivated by the praise for this one book, so much so that the original google search was lost while reading through accolades for _Where Are They Buried?_ After surrendering to the advice of others to read this one, I now encourage others to pick this book up. Well worth the praise it is! While I don't feign an interest in cemeteries or resting places, this book is much more than that. The synopses of the hundreds (literally 450+) of people included in this book are fascinating, educational, and remarkable. Thus far, I've not found the book to lack any noteworthy soul I've looked up. It is truly as enlightening as it is engaging. It's an education in famous folk: I had no idea I knew so little about so many commonly known personalities until I read this book. The author, Tod Benoit, doesn't just focus on where the person is buried and how they died (though these particulars too are included in detail), but provides witty and insightful summaries of their lives (e.g., why they are included in the book in the first place). Mr. Benoit has not only done his research but he is clever, has style, and writes with a sometimes droll/sometimes dry humor that is very appealing. The writing is erudite; Mr. Benoit writes as eloquently about artists and authors such as Michelangelo, Truman Capote, Robert Frost, Salvador Dali, Margaret Mitchell, and Charles Schultz as he does about famous sportsmen, rock /music stars, and movie greats like Humphrey Bogart, Carole Lombard, Elvis, Duane Allman, John Coltrane, River Phoenix and Bette Davis. (There are so many people included in this one book; I'm surprised that the publisher didn't separate this out into multiple volumes.) In many of the synopses, I felt I was treated to a candid, perceptive discourse on what it was about these personalities that made them famous. Mr. Benoit also shares with the reader tips on finding and visiting those to whom you'd like to pay your respects. (The preface and closing remarks emphasize the genuine compassion and dedication to the subject that the author feels toward his subject and that he willingly shares his knowledge with the reader.) I have learned so much from just flipping through the book and reading wherever the page opens; though it should be noted that the book is indexed by both name and geography so that you can find all the famous people buried in your own backyard! I highly recommend this book. It's fun, interesting, and full of things you won't learn from reading the Booker or Pulitzer Prize winners (or even from reading People magazine). It makes a great gift too - it can hold the attention of all sorts and from all walks of life. Everyone has a little curiosity about the famous and infamous!
Rating:
Summary: Grave Thoughts
Review: I have never, ever written a review before, but this book was such a terrific read that I just had to say something. Tod Benoit has found a unique subject and presented it in a fascinating format. The title caught my eye immediately and from the first page, I was hooked. The biographies were interesting and the grave directions were so precise that I may just spend my next free afternoon checking out the cemeteries in my own neighborhood. Who needs Beverly Hills? I can now claim several celebrities within a 4 mile radius of my home(of course, they're all dead, but what the heck). I would definitely recommend this book not only for the subject matter, but for the easy-going style in which it was written. I did find one huge biographical mistake, but I'll let future readers find it. Get this book...you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book...
Review: I picked up this book a few months ago... If your interested in the grave sites of celebrities, or famous people in general... I highly recommend this book... Has very interesting bio's on some of Hollywood's most famous entertainers and in some cases grave site pics too... Also has bio's on famous criminals, sports athletes, writers, etc etc etc... Also lists if the person was cremated, or buried which is very helpful... And in most cases offers detailed directions to the cemetery where the notable is buried... There are two thing's I'd like to see more of in future editions of this book... And that is more grave site pics and more photo's of the people in the book... But all and all its a very good book and well put together too...
Rating:
Summary: Vital info is perfect
Review: I've been interested in the gravesites of the famous and infaamous for a long time and I've often been disappointed that I've not been able to find such sites. But, what Tod Benoit has compiled is absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure how he did it, but he provides exact step-by-step instructions to going to the cemeteries, and then the actual gravesites, of these folks. It may be true, as other reviewers have pointed out that there is an occasional lapse when Tod discusses the biographical info of each person, but I think that's to be expected when you're talking about the bio's of 500+ people. Anyway, I certainly found no alarming errors in that regard. Besides, I bought the book so that I could find famous graves and, in the regard, the book is without equal. I can't say enough about it. It's really cool, he's done a great job in a subject that should've been covered many years ago. You will dig it too, I'm sure.
Rating: 
Summary: Benoit Digs up the Dirt
Review: If you don't have any serious plans, I'd suggest this book.
I was unable to put this book down once I started reading about the famous (and infamous) folks listed in this book. You might find yourself surprised at the ways many of these people checked out. It is NOT a morbid book. There is plenty of information about people that you may or may not have known before. It is thick and enjoyable...And yes, I did note a few errors in Benoit's information, but it didn't take away from my total enjoyment of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay but there are better books out there
Review: Just received the book from Amazon today, and while I enjoyed the Intro section, I was very disappointed after reading the first entry, Kurt Cobain. I then started to skip around and found more errors in other entries. I also find it hard to believe it left out Layne Staley, who died in 2002. I can kind of overlook the book being too narrow and a hardcover (which translates as pretty heavy to hold while reading and impossible to take along on trips) but easily verifiable mistakes on well-known people concern me as to how accurate the info is on the rest of the people. Also, as someone who spends a lot of time photographing cemetery statuary, I was pretty disappointed there weren't more pictures in the book. The book was reasonably priced, especially for a hardcover, but I'd have been happy to have paid more for it if it had contained more pictures. I hope if the author compiles the other several hundred sites he mentions he's researched that he include pictures and make it a paperback; that would be enough to entice me to take a chance on purchasing it, after reading the current book. Just a few of the mistakes noted: Major mistakes in Kurt Cobain's entry: 1) he did not have 50 Rohypnol's in his system during the Rome incident; the report from the Italian doctor and the news reports containing his comments clearly show the doctor stating that there was no evidence to show he took that many and that it was clearly an accident; 2) Courtney did not check Kurt into Exodus rehab; she left for CA several days before Kurt did and he checked himself in; 3) the Vanity Fair article didn't accuse Courtney of taking heroin, Courtney admitted it during the interview with VF; 4) Kurt wasn't depressed prior to his death; he gave numerous interviews stating he was the happiest he'd ever been, that his chronic stomach pain had been taken care of, and his own lawyer (who also said on tape that Kurt was not depressed) and Courtney both admit Kurt was filling for divorce; 5) when Kurt's body was discovered he was easily recognizable as his face was not destroyed; they fingerprinted him as part of routine procedure, not to identify him. Major mistake in Errol Flynn's entry: Flynn died of a heart attack, brought on by his excessive lifestyle wearing his body down, while in Canada. He was selling his boat, the Zaca, and had just completed the sale, said he didn't feel well and went to lie down. That's in no way a dubious circumstance and it's well documented how and where he died. Mistake in James Dean's entry: 1) Dean bought the Porsche he died in the day before he shot his last scene for Giant (see Bio/Timeline at http://www.jamesdean.com/index2.php).
Rating:
Summary: Incorrect information!
Review: The book is interesting, and therefore I gave it three stars. However, under the section on Frank Lloyd Wright, the author mentions Mamah Borthwick as FLW's first wife. She was not his first wife, and in fact was never his wife (although he had three). She was his mistress. This is a well known, easy to find fact. If the author didn't get this right, I have to question what else in this book is incorrect. Reading material that can't be trusted for accuracy makes me feel uneasy, no matter how interesting it may be.
Rating:
Summary: Incorrect information!
Review: The book is interesting, and therefore I gave it three stars. However, under the section on Frank Lloyd Wright, the author mentions Mamah Borthwick as FLW's first wife. She was not his first wife, and in fact was never his wife (although he had three). She was his mistress. This is a well known, easy to find fact. If the author didn't get this right, I have to question what else in this book is incorrect. Reading material that can't be trusted for accuracy makes me feel uneasy, no matter how interesting it may be.
Rating:
Summary: Whatta Deal/A BIG BANG FOR AN INEXPENSIVE BOOK
Review: This book attempts to go where many others have gone before and manages to do a very good job... for a good quality hardcover book. It contains the locations of approximately 500 celebrity graves and is just a lot of fun.
The book is arranged by type of celebrity (sports figures, singers, authors, etc.). For each personality the author Tod Benoit provides a date of birth and death, a lengthy biography which summarizes pertinent facts concerning his subject's life, the manner in which his subject died, the burial location and/or the method of disposal, instructions as to how to find the cemetery using main highways and local streets, and explicit instructions for finding gravesites.
Aside from being just packed with good info, Tod Benoit has a wonderfully wry sense of humor which is good because it takes a lot of the sting out of a grim subject like death. I particularly enjoyed his take on finding grave locations at Forest Lawn in Glendale CA and his not-too-subtle suggestions for averting cemetery security. This man is hysterical!
Another very enjoyable section could have been subtitled "Tod's Practical And Sometimes Whacky Methods Used To Get Information". Odd as my subtitle sounds, the author's suggestions are quite inventive and I applaud him for his overall creativity. In truth, I can really see them being quite effective. This is probably because I've tried some, and will try the ones I haven't.
At the date of publication, all the information provided regarding grave locations was correct with the exception of Lucille Ball who was recently moved to a cemetery in Jamestown NY. There were a few biographical errors which I caught, but nothing that would interfer with the general pleasure I derived from this book.
Now please buy this book, so he'll write another one. It is that good.
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