Regina (virgosun) reviewed All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work on + 888 more book reviews
Absorbing vignettes into the people who work with death. I had no idea some of these jobs existed, that there would even be a need, because it all takes place after our loved ones die. Most know about the funeral directors and the embalmers and the gravediggers. But what about the crime scene cleaners? Or the executioners? Or those who identify disaster victims? Especially revealing is whether these individuals are compassionate or detached, how they deal with their work and what gets them through their days, whether they view their work as act of kindness or is money their motivation. I imagine readers will react differently to these professions (I've only listed a few; there are so many more), but I wouldn't recommend reading the autopsy technician's work while eating lunch. 4 stars.
Melissa B. (dragoneyes) -
If you take 3/4 of this book out, keeping only the facts, it would've been a great book. Instead it is heavily loaded with the author's opinions and rants. Even a little bit of that would've been okay but it was way too crammed with the unnecessary. There was a section on people who donate their body to science. At one point the author comments that your death is pointless unless you go this route. Then she is like just kidding but yeah, it is pointless. Death is very personal for people and it is irritating to see her pushing judgement on those who make other decisions. It goes on like this throughout the book and it really kept me from truly enjoying it.
