Working Stiff Audiobook By Judy Melinek MD, T. J. Mitchell cover art

Working Stiff

Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner

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Working Stiff

By: Judy Melinek MD, T. J. Mitchell
Narrated by: Tanya Eby
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Just two months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Judy Melinek began her training as a New York City forensic pathologist. With her husband and their toddler holding down the home front, Judy threw herself into the fascinating world of death investigation-performing autopsies, investigating death scenes, and counseling grieving relatives. Working Stiff chronicles Judy's two years of training, taking listeners behind the police tape of some of the most harrowing deaths in the Big Apple. Lively, action-packed, and loaded with mordant wit, Working Stiff offers a firsthand account of daily life in one of America's most arduous professions. The body never lies - and through the murders, accidents, and suicides that land on her table, Dr. Melinek lays bare the truth behind the glamorized depictions of autopsy work to reveal the secret story of the real morgue.

©2014 Dr. Judy Melinek and Thomas J. Mitchell (P)2014 Tantor Medical Professionals & Academics Science & Technology Funny Witty Scary

Critic reviews

"Far from the magic we see on TV, Working Stiff describes forensic pathology in the real world. The book is a compelling and absorbing read." ---Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan 'Bones' series
Fascinating Forensic Details • Compelling Medical Cases • Clear Diction • Compassionate Portrayal • Educational Insights
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This book is very interesting but be forewarned. It is not for the faint of heart. There are in-depth descriptions of dead bodies, mangled and marred by accidents, suicides, criminal activity, or just plain old time. That is, they weren't found right away. Ever wondered what happened to a decaying body? No, I didn't either, but now I have an idea! Some of the author's depictions of autopsies come with an interesting story, others are just about the autopsy. It is interesting how cause of death is determined--or not determined. It was unsettling to learn of how often the NY law enforcement were uninterested in learning a death might be non-accidental because they were just too lazy to do a criminal investigation. Ugh.

I found the 9-11 story fascinating in a ghoulish way. Actually, most of the book was ghoulish, but that didn't make it bad. You just have to be prepared for what is being presented.

I was taken aback when I first started listening to the author's description of her autopsies, which were presented in great detail and with great glee. Then, I had to remind myself the glee was coming from the narrator, not the author. The author is a medical doctor and the narrator is versed in chick-lit books, for heaven sakes! How does that compute? And once again, there were those renditions of buffoonish male voices. I knew I would persevere and keep on listening but am left wondering who picked this narrator for a very serious topic and why? Does an author have any say in the matter? I can't believe Melinek was very happy when she listened to her own book.

(As to my review title, this has always stuck in my mind. A very rude co-worker once asked her cubicle neighbor, who brought in an apparently aromatic ethnic soup for lunch, "What are you eating? Dead body soup?" Ugh, again.)

Dead Body Soup!

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The voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I could not get through and I really wanted to.

Worst voice ever

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What made the experience of listening to Working Stiff the most enjoyable?

The narrator's voice worked very well with the material. She paced it wonderfully and injected sensitive topics -- and some of them really are difficult to bear without wincing -- with the right tone and delivery.

What did you like best about this story?

I appreciated that the author knew where and how to provide a break from the sometimes very emotionally intense subject. Having grown up with nurses and first responders, it seemed an appropriate treatment of the same. She does address child abuse and the attacks on 911, and these were toward the end of the book, despite the fact that her career in New York began just a few months prior. In this way, she was able to -- for lack of a better way of explaining it -- give a sensitive, yet wholly real explanation of the events as she experienced them.

Which scene was your favorite?

To say that any one of the scenes was a "favorite" is to perhaps be irreverent. These are dead people we're talking about, after all. Let's just say that some were especially fascinating, and some were downright sad, and others made me very angry... and none of it made me want to stop reading.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Death in the City That Never Sleeps"

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about the workings of the human body. You will learn things from this book. Also, if you've ever watched a crime show on TV and wanted to know how much of it was hokey, this book will set you straight.

Gory, Yes, But Clinically So

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This was an amazing story of a medical examiners experiences while living in new York city. the stories aren't for the squeemish. I'm pretty tough when it comes to gore, but there was one story that even made me cringe. the narrator spoke quickly but it worked for the tone that I assume the author was trying to portray (i.e. fast talking new yorker). overall excellent story and excellent narration. 5 stars

amazing story of a medical examiner!

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The reader does a males voice in a deep voice that is absolutely cringe worthy...and constant

Good book but bad reader

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I work in a profession in which I see death on a regular basis so I didn't find the gruesome details disturbing in any way. For those that may have less exposure to explicit medical descriptions of trauma to the body, this may be too much. I still feel that the narrative was tasteful and honors the dead rather than displaying them as a circus sideshow. Very interesting read.

To some, may be morbid- I found it tastefully done

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only a great read for those who enjoy the physiologically inclined thinkers. I personally ally loved it but it's descriptive readings of the human body is not for everyone.

not for the faint of heart! great medical standpoi

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This book was amazing. I loved the insight. Not a good book for faint of heart.

Amazing Insight

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What made the experience of listening to Working Stiff the most enjoyable?

ALL of it. This book was super interesting. It features a hyper-career surgeon who realizes she wants some work/life balance, a great husband who loves to take care of the kids, and landing a job at the NYC morgue. There's so many interesting stories about how people die, and some of the chapters are devoted to a single cause of death - homicides, suicides, overdoses (30% or more of cases are overdoses), as-seen-on-TV construction site accidents. The good news is that we're unlikely to die a gruesome death unless we shoot, or shoot up, for it.

The final chapters are about the NYC clean-up, as Judy's team processed all of the bodies from the World Trade Centers over the following weeks. The actual process, and the recounting of fire fighters and ordinary New Yorkers from the disaster, are worth the read. The final few chapters gave some insight into what investigating into an airplane crash wreckage must be like.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved T.J. and his reflections. Judy's husband (and co-writer) serves as a character for the audience, who doesn't know all the medical lingo. Judy seems immersed in cutting open chestplates and using Latin lingo as an expert, while T.J. asks the questions we would ask off the top of our heads about a case. Judy brings the crazy stories to the table, and T.J. writes them down in a witty prose. The kids come along for the ride (I want a sequel!)

What does Tanya Eby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She sounded a bit Valley-Girlish. Not unprofessional, just more the voice of a middle-aged friend at the mall telling you about their homemade organic cookies and taking their teenage daughter to soccer practice. I grew to enjoy the distinctive voice after a while, and it made the book better in the end because there was a juxtaposition between a female, gushy friendly voice reading a chapter all about internal organs. It worked though, because it was similar to Judy Melinek - a mother and doctor who happens to cut up dead people and find their secrets. Something about Tanya Eby's voice made the awkward scenes more hilarious.

I thoroughly recommend this audiobook. It's like if Tina Fey were a medical examiner, dealing with death on a daily basis.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were a lot of moments that I found myself relistening to, or that I had to retell to the people around me. I'm sure they thought I was a bit crazy as I talked of homicides and suicides for that week. I listened through the book pretty fast - I couldn't put it down.

Any additional comments?

This book is probably not for everyone. If you like watching CSI, don't mind a dead body on TV now and then, and are okay with life's farts and falls off of a twenty-story building, then you will LOVE this book. If that stuff makes you squeamish, don't listen. Personally, I'm hoping for a sequel or two or three. Please T.J., write more!

Great Book, like a real-life CSI memoir

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I very much enjoyed listening to this book about New York City medical examiner. Medical details about autopsy are very interesting as the author interweave them with the real life reasons for death. The part at the end talking about the 911 disaster response was fascinating and helped me feel like I was paying more tribute to those lost by understanding the work needed to be done by the medical support teams. This book will keep you engaged for its duration; if you have hard time keeping yourself involved in nonfiction audiobooks this is a great one to try.

Excellent, clinical book

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