2.5 rounded up. This is another book I thought would be fitting to read in October. And as it approaches the sixth-month mark of the death of my dad I wanted to read more about people who deal with different aspects of death as their profession.

Each chapter is about a different occupation, most of which I found interesting. I learned some things. I became more curious about things. I also wish the author would have injected less of her opinion into the writing. As a journalist, I had hoped she would stick to sharing the facts without the work becoming a personal book length blog or even part editorial.

I read the book wanting to know what those who were interviewed thought about being a funeral director, a worker at a crematory, prepping bodies for scientific research, etc. While I did get a glimpse of what these people do every day, their thoughts often felt choppy due to the author's personal monologues.

This was more 4.5/5, but I rounded up because I really enjoyed it. There was some really impactful parts of this book, and a lot of great thoughts and interviews. It did take me a weirdly long time to read because it was a bit heavy, but I overall did find it engaging when I did read it. I just had to take frequent breaks because I wasn't in the best headspace to be reading it, but I still wanted to. So that counts for something, I think!

This was such a fascinating book! I felt like I learned so much, but it definitely didn't feel like a textbook. I liked her working with various experts in the field. I listened to the audio book and really liked it. The pacing and voice was great! Thank you NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Une lecture pas toujours facile, mais tellement intéressante!!

I will never cease to be amazed and disgusted by the death industry. This is a thorough exploration of the the workers behind the scenes: morticians, crime scene cleaners, executioners, and more. Equal parts fascinating and disheartening. Certainly not for the squeamish. Pairs well with any Caitlin Doughty book; of which I highly recommend all. She’s fantastic!

PS. Please, for the love of Pete, do not embalm me.

As a hospice social worker, I’m no stranger to death. I ushered many people through death and have seen my fair share of dead bodies. However, this book was too much for me. I found myself getting squeamish over dissection, and the author doesn’t spare us the extremely graphic details of autopsy, or the processes of body decay. I guess my interests lie in the emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of death, not the biological part.

This book was difficult to read in another way. The author had strange ways of wording things, so I had to read and re-read sentences to gain understanding. Sometimes the words never did make sense. My husband read the book just before me, and he had the same experience.

So, although I appreciate the author’s intent of bringing to light the people who handle the less-seen nitty gritty parts of death, I just can’t recommend this book.

Wow, this book is so poetic and poignant. It’s written with great description of the different senses, thoughts and feelings about a very misunderstood topic and the people involved in providing the various layers. I absolutely loved this book. A definite reread for me. Hearing the author’s inflection and delivery in the audio book was an extra special treat too.