My Life With Death: Memoirs Of A Journeyman Medical Examiner

by Gary D. Cumberland

Can the medical examiner really glean all the information from a dead body that's portrayed on forensic television shows? In this book, Dr. Cumberland gives the reader a look into the life of a real working medical examiner and the types of death cases that routinely come through his morgue. The author uses actual cases from the hundreds of autopsies he has performed in Mobile, Al, and Pensacola, Fl, to explain basic principles and procedures used in death investigation in a way that is both entertaining and educational. Cumberland's gift for storytelling and his ability to explain complex issues in everyday language make this book not only readable but enjoyable for both teenagers and adults.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2015

Reviews

[Michelle Balog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reads like a text book

This is not a bad book, in fact it's very educational. But it lacks that personal narrative that draws you in. Took me a long time to read because there was no hook, nothing to draw me in, to keep me wanting to come back. If you don't know much about real world MEs this is a good primer. If you already enjoy books like those by Bill Bass or John Bateson you'll probably find this less enjoyable.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Cumberland came of age medically at a very different time. I was trying to place some of his career work, when I came to the chapter on HIV/AIDS and what was known at the time about the disease. An interesting read about a young man planning to become a family doctor ended up specializing in forensic pathology and served as the medical examiner in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida during the course of his career. Cumberland's writing was of the sort he was used to presenting throughout his career, lots of 'allegedly' and 'claimed' which made me think the outcomes would be different, but were often just as he described. A mix of notable cases (Judy Goodyear) and the John Q. Publics he came across during his work. Of personal interest at the time of this reading was the public health element--tuberculosis in his time, but left me thinking about COVID-19. While Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner was more engaging, this was also a good read.

[Bruce M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr C is a philosopher who denies that he is

Dr C spends many words dissing the study of philosophy yet his whole book is a value judgment (philosophy) on many things. God bless him and may he take a philosophy class someday.

[Diane V-R · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars