The body never lies Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner Judy Melinek and T. J. Mitchell Scribner, 2014. 266 pp.

Abstract

![Figure][1] ![Figure][1] PHOTO: MEDIAPHOTOS/ISTOCKPHOTO With the advent of reality television and the popularity of science-themed shows and museum exhibits, it is becoming increasingly common for the general public to observe things that used to be reserved for trained members of specific professions: surgeries, crime scene investigations, and the like. However, even for people accustomed to the relatively gory images and seemingly realistic procedures they see on television, the new book by pathologist Judy Melinek and writer T. J. Mitchell may come as somewhat of a shock. This book, entitled Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner , purports to bring the audience into the real world of a medical examiner, as opposed to the polished and sanitized Hollywood version. This is not a story for the faint of heart, and the reader may find it gut-wrenching in some sections and heartbreaking in others. The book begins during Melinek's time as a surgery resident, overworked and terrified that she will make a fatal mistake in her sleep-deprived state. Ultimately, she switches career paths, leaving her surgery residency for one in pathology, where the work hours are more manageable and the patients will “still be dead tomorrow.” Melinek goes on to complete a fellowship in forensic pathology at the medical examiner's office in New York City. In a large urban setting such as New York City, there is never a shortage of work for a medical examiner, and every day there are autopsies to be done. Death by natural causes, accidents, suicide, and murder are each given a chapter in the book, gradually progressing from the relatively benign to the increasingly macabre. In addition to her role as a pathologist, we learn that Melinek also serves as part of the forensic investigation team and is often the first point of contact for bereaved relatives. The latter role becomes especially poignant when we learn of the tragic suicide of Melinek's father, a psychiatrist. At times, the reader feels as though the elder Melinek's ghost is watching over her as she counsels the families of the deceased. There is more to this book than the regular life of a medical examiner, however. As it happens, Melinek began her fellowship in New York City in the summer of 2001, so she was there to witness one of the darkest chapters in the city's history. The bodies of the almost 3000 people killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks all had to be processed by the medical examiner's office. Unsurprisingly, the chapter devoted to these events is the longest one in the book and also the most difficult to read. The authors talk about the challenge of identifying victims of whom only small fragments had been recovered. In these cases, Melinek recorded what little details were available—a rim of lavender toenail polish, a gold tooth, an engraved wedding ring—which, together with DNA analysis, would be used to determine each victim's identity. The most compelling part of this chapter is the palpable sense of horror and despair felt by those handling the victims' remains. Overall, this book admirably accomplishes its goal, showing the reader what it's really like to be a medical examiner. Whether this is something that you can handle is up to you to decide. [1]: pending:yes