8/10.

One of the more fascinating books that I can recall reading.

4.5 / 5

Campbell, a journalist, interviews various death-workers to learn more about how death can teach us about life. Her writing style is very readable, and descriptions vivid. I liked that the factual content was woven in with Campbell's life. Those personal features became another profile itself, as we followed how Campbell processed her interviews and site visits – the particularly jarring stories that stuck with her, the shock but eventual acceptance that came after pulling back the curtain on what happens to a body after death.

Full of powerful images and interesting fun facts learned . . .
* Gory descriptions of an autopsy (reading it alone made me woozy)
* Deep sorrow that a bereavement midwife (which I, gratefully, didn’t know was a thing until this book) leads a person through
* A strange ethical debate with an executioner-in-denial at a Red Lobster
* The man who, after medical students practice facial transplants on bodies donated to science, swaps back those faces so the remains of a patient can be returned all together.
* Did you know your bones don’t disintegrate when you’re cremated, but have to get ground up in a kind of blender? I didn’t.

There’s a lot I didn’t think about before reading this book. I come from a family that fears death and does not talk about it much. My mother can't ever talk about her will without grimacing.

Yet I did come into this understanding that death is a powerful influence on the living. That's why I wanted to read this book. Knowing that it all can end at any time can change your priorities and how you want to live your life. Campbell seems to agree; her exercise of researching and writing this book shows that facing death – exploring it, talking about it, seeing it, and understanding that it’s inevitable (save the folks at the Cryonics Institute) – shapes life.

I never gave much thought to the work needed to deal with the dead. Campbell provides a comprehensive overview of various professions from funeral home directors to autopsy performers to bereavement midwives to grave diggers to disaster response teams and more. While each vignette was fascinating in its own right, her conclusions was even better.

Why do people choose this industry? Why is it so fragmented? Folks choose this industry because they find meaning in helping those grief stricken. Sure, coffin salesmen may have a bad reputation, but as funeral become a less religious affair, women enter the industry even more as they are drawn to what is ultimately a position of care and comfort. And the industry is fragmented because if it weren't so, those in it would be overwhelmed with grief. Keeping each facet segmented is necessary to preserve objectivity.

What a fascinating read. My empathy for those who work with the dead has skyrocketed

I picked up this book while visiting my local library. I absolutely am obsessed with books that deal with mortuary science in some way or form. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm highly fascinated with something that has scared and continues to scare me, which is death. I will admit after losing my grandmother, I've become more intrigued about the roles of people who are involved in the business of death.
The best thing about this book was the fact that there's a person for every job listed here, and you get to hear the experiences they go through working in these fields. It really isn't easy and I truly admire what they do. I really enjoyed a few stories more than others, especially: 'The Executioner'. The fact that these people have to fear for their lives on a daily basis because of other people's beliefs is insane. However, a lot of the people who've taken the role of The Executioner have been known to also stop all together after being consumed by nightmares and death threats....most taking their own lives as well.
I think after reading about some of the cases and what these professionals do, I have even more respect for them.