And the Making of a Medical Examiner - 262 Bodies

I always wondered why someone might be interested in becoming a medical examiner. After reading Working Stiff, I can better understand why that field might be a medical endeavor that has its own set of professional satisfactions and rewards. So many of Dr. Melinek's stories were heart rending, some were quite amusing and others were emotionally exhausting. Until reading this book, I had never realized how overwhelmed physically and emotionally the entire medical community was in the aftermath of 9/11. This was especially true for the New York City's Medical Examiner's Office. They were unsung heroes who deserve recognition for the role they played in a very daunting and almost logistically impossible situation. There is so much interesting information in this book, I was so glad my curiosity was piqued enough to buy it and read it.

This book was a fascinating glimpse into the taboo and rarely discussed medical examiner’s profession. I appreciated the author’s candor, even when it seemed harsh or inappropriate because it was true to her journey and experiences. The concise storytelling makes it impossible to put this down!

As someone who loves health, medicine, and science, I love this book. This is fascinating stuff, and I learned so much about the aftermath of 9/11 (I had read about the recovery process before, but truly had NO idea how it worked). The author lived it, and her passion for what she does shines through, as does her sense of humor and intelligence. I recommend it.

The authors convey immense amount of medical and scientific content that would usually be beyond the layperson’s immediate understanding through easily absorbed, compelling story-telling. Remarkably, they do this without oversimplifying or assuming low aptitude in their readers. Brilliantly written!

This is a factual ("nothing but the facts, mam', just the facts") telling of how one woman came to be a Medical examiner. There is not much feeling in it, but lots of gory details. All the same, it is interesting if you've never seen an autopsy or even if you have (the one I saw wouldn't have even rated a note in here because it was so ordinary). I'm glad she likes her job ... I'd hate to have gone to medical school for this!!

An interesting story of the New York City Medical Examiner's office. Caution to anyone who lived near NYC on 9/11: the author's stories about dealing with the victims' remains may prove too tough to read. I had to skip that section, because it brought my memories of that time back too vividly. But I would still recommend this book.

A great insight into the lives of Medical Examiners and what they go through on a daily basis. Her story was well written and after I finished the book, I was sad that it was over. I enjoyed her personal stories!

This is a well written and interesting book. The doctor takes us on her one year journey into the office of the NYC Medical Examiner. It's real life with all the raw edges exposed. I particularly found the information given on the 9-11 event to be interesting as the information was unknown to most people. All in all this was a very worthwhile book.

I enjoyed the content of this book (I love gruesome) but did have some issues with it. I think the most obvious area for improvement is that the author writes with very little emotional connection to the stories and not only that, but to her own life. The way she describes her father's suicide is troubling, particularly when we consider that she is a MEDICAL professional and that depression which leads to suicide is a MEDICAL condition. The way she speaks of her father's illness is unfortunate, and misunderstood. I walk away from the bits she writes about her father feeling angry with her, and disappointed. She is incapable of understanding his pain. These moments make it clear how little the author self-reflects, and may describe the general lack of emotion in her writing. I also have a family member who committed suicide, and her perspective almost killed the book for me.

That being said, I enjoyed the content and the inside-scoop into some very serious moments in this country's history that she has a front row seat for. The details of these stories are fascinating. The disjointed nature of the book didn't bother me too much. Kept me on my toes.

I loved this book. Melinek is a straight forward and interesting writer and she has some great stories. She doesn't hold back from any details, either. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was when she wrote about working in the medical examiner's office in New York right after the 9/11 attacks. I hope she writes another book!

If you are into Medicine, Science and the guts of what it takes to become a Medical Examiner than this is the book for you. She describes in good detail of such amazing stories in her line of work, she talks about the hardships & achievements there is in life & death. I really cannot recommend this book enough.

This book provides fascinating and insightful information of the forensic pathology industry! The author is so kind and empathetic… I would hope she will be looking after me and my family at the morgue.
The book includes quite a bit of graphic detail. I would not recommend it for those who don't like watching medical shows or surgeries in film.
A few chapters are so poignant that the writing brought tears to my eyes. I didn't realize until I finished the book that the author's ghost writer is her husband. Wow!

If you are into Medicine, Science and the guts of what it takes to become a Medical Examiner than this is the book for you. She describes in good detail of such amazing stories in her line of work, she talks about the hardships & achievements there is in life & death. I really cannot recommend this book enough.

This book provides fascinating and insightful information of the forensic pathology industry! The author is so kind and empathetic… I would hope she will be looking after me and my family at the morgue.
The book includes quite a bit of graphic detail. I would not recommend it for those who don't like watching medical shows or surgeries in film.
A few chapters are so poignant that the writing brought tears to my eyes. I didn't realize until I finished the book that the author's ghost writer is her husband. Wow!

Interesting and informative inside look at the work of coroners and medical examiners. Dr. Melinek gives the non-TV version of how causes of death are determined and what it is really like to do autopsies on a regular basis in a large city.

Nothing is held back or hidden in this compelling peek behind death's curtain. I was so disappointed when the book ended--I wanted more! As an RN, I have sent many bodies to our hospital's "cold storage" unit, but for me that was always the end of the line. I finally have "the rest of the story"! Hoping for a sequel . . .

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, extremely interesting and had the added touch of an obviously caring and loving ME in training. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's very real and actually comforting. The part about 9/11 makes this a must-read book...that was amazing! Love it very much.

A truly intriguing account of a profession that I personally believe is under-rated and often overlooked in our busy lives. I have volumes of respect for pathologists and medical investigators. Not just anyone can perform the tasks associated with these professions. Melinek paints a picture of the cynical, often morbid side of ones personality that is essential to survive in this line of work. With that said, Working Stiff also shows the human side of this profession and how we view death.

I found the book to be fascinating, and well written. I'm an an average person, no medical background, and understood her descriptions. They are detailed and at times overwhelming, so had to walk away and take a break occasionally. Not sure how anyone can do her job, but we are fortunate she can. I read the book in September and her descriptions of her work around 9/11 was heartbreaking. I recommend the book for anyone interested in medical stories, but be prepared for some hard to read detail.

The description about the aftermath of 9/11 was especially poignant and reminds us that aside from the first responders there is a whole other group of people who aid in the investigation and provide closure for the surviving family. Whenever I read about a victim's body being found by the authorities I think back to some of the details in the book.

Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Dr. Melinek's narrative is incredibly well-written. She shares her experiences and emotions so clearly that I felt as if I was inside her head all the way through. Further, I work in the field of anatomic pathology, and I could easily envision the world she described--it was refreshing to read a book aimed at the general public that is also scientifically accurate.

A doctor describes in all the gruesome detail the gaieties of corpses she handled at the NYC morgue in a year. Surprisingly humane and fascinating. If you can handle gruesome but accurate info, try this.

Very interesting information on diagnosing the body when it passes away. I have always been interested in stories such as this where one is trying to solve a case...and I only read non-fiction. The book gave very interesting information on the doctor working on cases from 9/11, the New York City area airplane crash the month following as well as on the bodies of those that passed from the anthrax mailings.One has compassion for the families of the loved ones passing, but knowing that the doctor is there to help solve the death so that it can bring some bit of comfort to the families, is nice to read about. I have recommened this book to my niece Ashley who is looking to study mortuary sciences. Thank you Dr. M for writing this book and helping us to understand how you go about the job of determining how and why the particular human body you are working on passed.

A highly entertaining and engaging book that was hard to put down. The author did a wonderful job of letting us know the insights from the world of forensic pathology. Her description of the work required on 9/11 was poignant and not overly sensational. My only regret is she didn't address the controversy over bite mark identification. Maybe in her next book?

What a very different perspective of the happenings of Sept. 11, 2001...what the public did not see or "feel" as those that had to identify
the remains of TRAILERS of parts and bodies....a very well written book. I highly recommend this to any American to read.

I enjoyed the book at first because of how different it is from what I usually read. About half way through it started to feel redundant. Then it got interesting again when dealing with 9/11. The cases Dr. Melinek described were fascinating but lost something in the telling style.

The book is written from the perspective of the author which works overall. There are some rather descriptive areas in the book not for those who aren't in the business or who don't want to know the reality of people, death and crime.

Fascinating book. I initially bought it because I'd actually worked on one of the cases she details in the book, so it was cool to see further information on one of the most interesting cases I'd seen. I recommend it to anyone with even a casual interest in public medicine and interesting cases.

This book was a fascinating and human look into the world of a medical examiner. It offers the chance to see the person performing the duty of telling the stories of this who can no longer speak for themselves.

If you are interested in Forensic Medicine this is THE BOOK for you! It is inspiring and thrilling to read at the same time. You will want to read it and then re-read it. Post mortem heaven (and hell but in a good way!.)

Short but engaging book that sticks very close to the title with just enough personal details to make a good story line. I have to admit had I read this at the beginning of medical career I might have given forensic pathology a more serious look. I'm also envious of her mentor. The description of the work she and her coworkers did during the 9/11 disaster was intensely interesting.

Engrossing page-turner for anyone who is interested in the work of pathologists, stripped of the frills and fantasy of the television series that have popularized this field. This book is not for the squeamish, but Dr. Melinek provides a real-life (and quite graphic) look at the work of doctors whose job it is to answer the questions about people, after they have died. I found her perspectives toward her work, as a woman and a mother, were interesting and unexpected. Unlike most doctors, as a medical examiner she is able to relate to bereaved family members, offering consolation and answers in a way that helps them understand a tragedy, grieve, and begin to heal.

The last several chapters focus on the role of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City during the days and weeks following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Dr. Melinek's account provides a grim and moving account of how the victims' remains, which were often limited to a tooth, a foot, or less, were identified through the dedication of the pathologists, forensic specialists, and countless others. Her account provides an entirely different perspective on this terrible event.

Truly an excellent book. The stories of the autopsies and the horror of 9/11 hit home. In terms of writing, it was a bit run on. One story directly leading into another but aside from that a great non-fiction account into this world

As a retired homicide investigator who has had the pleasure of working with Dr. Judy Melinek in San Francisco, I already expected 'Working Stiff" would be a interesting journey into the world of forensic pathology. I did not, however, have any idea how much I would love Judy's book, and how fascinating her career has been. Dr. Melinek began her fellowship in the New York City Medical Examiner's office just a weeks before the September 11th tragedy, and found herself, along with dozens of colleagues, tasked with identifying the victims from, "The Pile." To learn the story of how New York City handled this mass casualty case from the point of view of a pathologist, by itself, would have no doubt given readers reason enough to pick up "Working Stiff," but the writer offers us so much more.
A defining event of Judy's adolescence was her father's suicide. Judy considers how this event shaped her and how it gave her a unique empathy for the families of the deceased.She shares the sometimes painful details of many of her cases, while grounding us with the backstory of her happy marriage and her role as a mother. The book is both humorous and poignant, without ever being maudlin.
If you've ever had any curiosity about what really goes on in an autopsy, you will not be able to put this book down. Dr. Melinek gives us new insight into what the body can tell a forensic pathologist, as well as the sort of training that is required to become a "working stiff." I did not want this book to end. Brava, Dr. Melinek!

One of the most interesting books I have ever read... though at times heart-wrenching and terribly frightening (the brains of sick, evil people are demoralizing)! It's the authors' investigative work, love for people and dedication to the work at hand that create an excellent read. I highly recommend it!

I love forensics and all things medical. This is an awesome and in your face look at real autopsies and the determination of type of death. This includes stories from 9/11 which is not only eye opening ,but so emotional.