Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making Of A Medical Examiner By Judy Melinek, MD, and T.J. Mitchell

On average, five times a week I go to hot yoga for both the challenge and also the people watching. There is this older, possibly retired woman who comes in pretty regularly, and she always stands close to the door. What is most fascinating about her is the towel: a medium blue colored beach towel with the words "San Mateo Coroner's Office" and the outline of a dead body. Where did this towel come from? Was it an office Christmas gift, and everyone got one? Was it a retirement present? A going away gift? Swag from a supplier? Is this woman a former medical examiner or not? I do not know, but this beach towel, along with coroners and dead bodies, is noteworthy. "Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making Of A Medical Examiner" by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell is a memoir not for the squeamish reader. Up-close and un-filtered, the book chronicles Melinek's rookie season as a forensic pathologist in New York City two months before the World Trade Center collapsed. Opting out of the sleep deprived nights training at a hospital, Melinek chose to train as a medical examiner because, with a young son at home, the hours were better. She entered the world of death investigation which includes accidents, suicides, murders and drug overdoses. She is faced with the challenge of going between the land of the dead, and the land of the living in which she must answer questions from the loved ones left behind. Melinek's own father committed suicide, so whenever she does an autopsy on a suicide victim, she is haunted by the memory of her father's own senseless death. Another heartbreaking part of the book is hearing her stories of identifying bodies following the September 11 terrorist attacks. She and other coroners were overwhelmed with bodies of civilians as well as police officers and firefighters. Clear and compassionate, I learned a lot about the human body from this book which is told in a very matter-of-fact manner. I also like people with quirky jobs and Melinek's line of work is certainly fascinating. It is not exactly like you see on television, but it certainly explains why there has been more than one TV series made about a medical examiner. The body is complex and this narrative provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the after-life of a corpse. To buy this book on Amazon click here.