All That Remains

A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes

By: Sue Black

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

For fans of Caitlin Doughty, Mary Roach, and CSI shows, a renowned forensic scientist on death and mortality.

Dame Sue Black is an internationally renowned forensic anthropologist and human anatomist. She has lived her life eye to eye with the Grim Reaper, and she writes vividly about it in this book, which is part primer on the basics of identifying human remains, part frank memoir of a woman whose first paying job as a schoolgirl was to apprentice in a butcher shop, and part no-nonsense but deeply humane introduction to the reality of death in our lives. It is a treat for CSI junkies, murder mystery and thriller fans, and anyone seeking a clear-eyed guide to a subject that touches us all.

Cutting through hype, romanticism, and cliché, she recounts her first dissection; her own first acquaintance with a loved one’s death; the mortal remains in her lab and at burial sites, as well as scenes of violence, murder, and criminal dismemberment; and about investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident, or natural disaster, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. She uses key cases to reveal how forensic science has developed and what her work has taught her about human nature.

Acclaimed by bestselling crime writers and fellow scientists alike, All That Remains is neither sad nor macabre. While Professor Black tells of tragedy, she also infuses her stories with a wicked sense of humor and much common sense.

©2018 Professor Dame Sue Black (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

I already gave a copy to two people!

Amazing!! So interesting, and so thoughtfully written, it vacillates easily and gracefully between the scientific and the emotional…If I LOVE an audiobook, I listen to it twice, back to back, and that’s exactly what I’m about to do next!

Informative and Storytelling

I enjoyed the directness and factual descriptions and retelling in the book while including personal experiences to avoid sounding like a textbook.

Bad narration

To be fair, the subject matter was great, but I couldn’t get over the pseudo-robotic voice.

Makes you think

This book is fantastic. It can be depressing for some. But helps to bring to light the work of a forensic anthropologist and why it’s important.

Fantastic book about death

This is not your average book talking about death and the fact that you are going to die. But rather, that in life by helping the dead you yourself can also become more connected to death.

Resembles a memoir

This book was not what I had hoped for. It’s like a memoir. I was hoping it was going to be about forensics and the sciences surrounding her work.

Did not want the story to end.

I learned so much. Her story filled in missing pieces of my understanding. Is there going to be a part 2?

Fascinating

"... Maybe death is not the demon we fear. She does not need to be lured, brutal, or rude. She can be silent, peaceful, and merciful. Perhaps the answer is that we don't trust her, because we don't choose to get to know her. To take the trouble in the course of our lives to understand her.."


Really enjoyed this one, lots of interesting information on forensic anthropology and also on the role they play in natural disasters and wars/civil unrest. Highly recommend!

Great Story - wrong narrator

I really enjoyed this book but found myself wishing it had been narrated by the author or anyone who sounds remotely like her. The book is great and the narrator is not bad, just not the best fit for a book with a Scottish heart.

Interesting by chapter, but overall arch is off

Very interesting, but each chapter feels like a separate essay. Maybe that was by design, but it felt a little off to me. Also, although the narrator was just fine, knowing the author is Scottish, I would have really enjoyed someone with at least a touch of a Scottish accent. Otherwise an interesting listen- worth the credit.