Greg Melville

Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries

Over My Dead Body

Describes the cross-country odyssey of a freelance journalist and his college buddy in a dilapidated 1985 Mercedes diesel station wagon powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease and dumpsters along the way, detailing their visits to Google's solar-powered headquarters, the National Ethanol Council, wind turbines in Minnesota, and other alternative energy hotspots.

two dudes, one fry-oil-powered car, and a cross-country search for a greener future

Greasy rider

A lively tour through the history of US cemeteries that explores how, where, and why we bury our dead The summer before his senior year in college, Greg Melville worked at the cemetery in his hometown, and thanks to hour upon hour of pushing a mower over the grassy acres, he came to realize what a rich story the place told of his town and its history. Thus was born Melville’s lifelong curiosity with how, where, and why we bury and commemorate our dead. Melville’s Over My Dead Body is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but have also shaped it. Cemeteries have given birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They’ve inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors—Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They’ve been used as political tools to shift the country’s discourse and as important symbols of the United States' ambition and reach. But they are changing and fading. Embalming and burial is incredibly toxic, and while cremations have just recently surpassed burials in popularity, they’re not great for the environment either. Over My Dead Body explores everything—history, sustainability, land use, and more—and what it really means to memorialize. Locales visited in Over My Dead Body Shawsheen Cemetery – Bedford, Massachusetts The 1607 Burial Ground – Historic Jamestowne, Virginia Burial Hill – Plymouth, Massachusetts Colonial Jewish Burial Ground – Newport, Rhode Island Monticello’s African American Graveyard – Charlottesville, Virginia Mount Auburn Cemetery – Cambridge, Massachusetts Green-Wood Cemetery – Brooklyn, New York Laurel Grove Cemetery – Savannah, Georgia Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Concord, Massachusetts Central Park – New York, New York Gettysburg National Cemetery – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Arlington National Cemetery – Arlington, Virginia Woodlawn Cemetery – Bronx, New York Boothill Graveyard – Tombhill, Arizona Forest Lawn Memorial-Park – Glenwood, California The Chapel of the Chimes – Oakland, California Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, California Nature's Sanctuary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Is it possible to drive coast-to-coast without stopping at a single gas pump? Journalist Greg Melville is determined to try. With his college buddy Iggy riding shotgun, this green-thinking guy—who's in love with the idea of free fuel—sets out on an enlightening road trip. The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Will they make it from Vermont to California in a beat-up 1985 Mercedes diesel station wagon powered on vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease Dumpsters along the way? More important, can two guys survive 192 consecutive hours together? Their expedition on and off the road includes visits to the solar-powered Google headquarters; the National Ethanol Council; the wind turbines of southwestern Minnesota; the National Renewable Energy Lab; a visit to one of the first houses to receive platinum certification for leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED); an "eco-friendly" Wal-Mart; and the world's largest geothermal heating system. Part adventure and part investigation of what we're doing (or not doing) to preserve the planet, Greasy Rider is upbeat, funny, and full of surprising information about sustainable measures that are within our reach.

Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future

Greasy Rider

Sarah Tuff

Profiles top-recommended quick getaways to a variety of low-key, outdoor visitor spots that combine simpler lifestyles with scenic natural settings, in a detailed guide that features descriptions of such accommodations as microbreweries, family-run lodges, and comfort-food diners.

Greg Melville

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