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Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner

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Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek and T. J. Mitchell is a memoir that delves into the early career of Dr. Melinek as a medical examiner in New York City. The book covers routine autopsies, interactions with the police and grieving families, and the intense experiences during the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack in 2001. Dr. Melinek writes with a keen eye for detail, providing an inside look into the world of forensic pathology without overwhelming the reader with medical jargon. The narrative is a balance of informative insights and personal anecdotes, offering a respectful yet informative perspective on the challenging and often gruesome aspects of the medical examiner profession.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is approachable and informative, with a blend of humor and professionalism, making complex subjects understandable.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative focuses on the author's experiences in forensic pathology, highlighting her investigations into numerous deaths, particularly during significant events like the 9/11 attacks.

Setting:

The story unfolds in New York City during pivotal historical moments, particularly the early 2000s during and after the 9/11 attacks.

Pacing:

The pacing is dynamic, fluctuating between routine and high-stakes situations, maintaining engagement throughout the narrative.
So. This carpenter is sitting on a sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan with his buddies, half a dozen subcontractors in hard hats sipping their coffees before the morning shift gets started. The remains of ...

Notes:

Judy Melinek is a forensic pathologist who trained in New York City.
She chose forensics over surgery for a more balanced family life.
The book details her experiences during 2001-2003, including the aftermath of 9/11.
Melinek performed autopsies on victims of various causes of death, including murder and accidents.
The narrative is based on two years of working as a medical examiner, covering 262 bodies.
Melinek discusses graphic and sensitive topics related to death and its investigation.
The writing style is accessible and conversational, avoiding heavy medical jargon.
She emphasizes respect for the deceased and compassion for their loved ones.
Melinek's father committed suicide, influencing her perspective on death.
The book provides insight into the emotional toll of working with traumatic deaths.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains high content warnings due to graphic descriptions of death, autopsy procedures, suicide, and traumatic events, particularly related to September 11.

From The Publisher:

"Fun…and full of smart science. Fans of CSI-the real kind-will want to read it" (The Washington Post): A young forensic pathologist's "rookie season" as a NYC medical examiner, and the hair-raising cases that shaped her as a physician and human being.

Just two months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Judy Melinek began her training as a New York City forensic pathologist. While her husband and their toddler held down the home front, Judy threw herself into the fascinating world of death investigation-performing autopsies, investigating death scenes, counseling grieving relatives. Working Stiff chronicles Judy's two years of training, taking readers behind the police tape of some of the most harrowing deaths in the Big Apple, including a firsthand account of the events of September 11, the subsequent anthrax bio-terrorism attack, and the disastrous crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

An unvarnished portrait of the daily life of medical examiners-complete with grisly anecdotes, chilling crime scenes, and a welcome dose of gallows humor-Working Stiff offers a glimpse into the daily life of one of America's most arduous professions, and the unexpected challenges of shuttling between the domains of the living and the dead. The body never lies-and through the murders, accidents, and suicides that land on her table, Dr. Melinek lays bare the truth behind the glamorized depictions of autopsy work on television to reveal the secret story of the real morgue. "Haunting and illuminating...the stories from her average workdays…transfix the reader with their demonstration that medical science can diagnose and console long after the heartbeat stops" (The New York Times).

Ratings (12)

Incredible (5)
Loved It (3)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (27):

Read It (12)
Want To Read (12)
Not Interested (3)

3 comment(s)

Incredible
3 days

Fascinating

 
Loved It
6 days

Being both an orphan in a young age and grown up with various of crime shows I'm ridiculously fascinated with death and what happens after, both spiritually and body handling/funeral options. This was an very interesting book to read and was utterly fascinating, but as some reviews have stated its not for the faint hearted.

 
Incredible
2 weeks

4.5 stars I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed it. Some parts were extremely hard to listen to [tw: abortion/911] like dead bodies with babies in them, her very detailed account of 911 deaths, etc. However I have always loved medial stories and found a lot of it "cool". Would reccomend the audio book.

 

About the Author:

Judy Melinek is a forensic pathologist and an associate clinical professor at UCSF Medical Center. She earned her college degree from Harvard and received her medical degree and pathology residency training at UCLA. She has worked and lived in San Francisco with her husband, T.J. Mitchell, and their children since 2004.

T.J. Mitchell graduated with an English degree from Harvard and worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad in 2000.

 
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