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Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living
The owner of the world's leading disaster management company chronicles the unseen world behind the yellow tape, and explores what it means to be human after a lifetime of caring for the dead.
You have seen Robert A. Jensen--you just never knew it. As the owner of the world's largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy. From the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, the Bali bombings, the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina to the 2010 Haitian Earthquake and the Grenfell Tower Fire, Jensen is at the practical level of international incidents, assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and repatriating and returning their personal effects to the surviving family members. He is also, crucially, involved in the emotional recovery that comes after a disaster: helping guide the families, governments, and companies involved, telling them what to expect and managing the unmanageable. As he puts it, "If journalists write the first rough draft of history, I put the punctuation on the past."
Personal Effects is an unsparing, up-close look at the difficult work Jensen does behind the yellow tape and the lessons he learned there. The chronicle of an almost impossible and grim job, Personal Effects also tells Jensen's own story, how he came to this line of work, how he manages the chaos that is his life, and the personal toll the repeated exposure to mass death brings, in becoming what GQ called "the best at the worst job in the world."
A rare glimpse into a world we all see but many know nothing about, Personal Effects is an inspiring and heartwarming story of survival and the importance of moving forward. Jensen allows his readers to see over his shoulder as he responds to disaster sites, uncovers the deceased, and cares for families to show how a strong will and desire to do good can become a path through the worst the world can throw at us.
You have seen Robert A. Jensen--you just never knew it. As the owner of the world's largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy. From the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, the Bali bombings, the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina to the 2010 Haitian Earthquake and the Grenfell Tower Fire, Jensen is at the practical level of international incidents, assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and repatriating and returning their personal effects to the surviving family members. He is also, crucially, involved in the emotional recovery that comes after a disaster: helping guide the families, governments, and companies involved, telling them what to expect and managing the unmanageable. As he puts it, "If journalists write the first rough draft of history, I put the punctuation on the past."
Personal Effects is an unsparing, up-close look at the difficult work Jensen does behind the yellow tape and the lessons he learned there. The chronicle of an almost impossible and grim job, Personal Effects also tells Jensen's own story, how he came to this line of work, how he manages the chaos that is his life, and the personal toll the repeated exposure to mass death brings, in becoming what GQ called "the best at the worst job in the world."
A rare glimpse into a world we all see but many know nothing about, Personal Effects is an inspiring and heartwarming story of survival and the importance of moving forward. Jensen allows his readers to see over his shoulder as he responds to disaster sites, uncovers the deceased, and cares for families to show how a strong will and desire to do good can become a path through the worst the world can throw at us.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
105 people are currently reading
7934 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
November 26, 2021
I decided to give this book a go on audio after hearing about it on a podcast I listen to. I am so glad I did. This book is incredibly eye opening and fascinating. We always here so much of the immediate happenings when it comes to major catastrophic events (bombings, plane crashes, earthquakes, etc). For the few days/weeks you hear a lot about total deaths, money amounts for damages, and you hear of some of the grief but you never hear about what happens in the months and years after these events where families are left trying to put together the pieces.
Robert explains in heartfelt detail how many of the processes work when it comes to retrieving personal property for those who have lost their lives, how it is accounted for a returned to loved ones, how he helps loved ones navigate grief when some of the pieces are left unknown, he also explains how the areas of effect themselves are cleaned up and returned to normal.
Though this book deals with some hard topics it also has so much love and compassion for the lives that are lost during these events and their loved ones they leave behind. I finished this book with so much respect for Robert and what he and this crew do. They pay attention to every detail and have such care for their jobs. He also gives a lot of information on how to be properly prepared for when disaster strikes.
I highly highly recommend this book!
Robert explains in heartfelt detail how many of the processes work when it comes to retrieving personal property for those who have lost their lives, how it is accounted for a returned to loved ones, how he helps loved ones navigate grief when some of the pieces are left unknown, he also explains how the areas of effect themselves are cleaned up and returned to normal.
Though this book deals with some hard topics it also has so much love and compassion for the lives that are lost during these events and their loved ones they leave behind. I finished this book with so much respect for Robert and what he and this crew do. They pay attention to every detail and have such care for their jobs. He also gives a lot of information on how to be properly prepared for when disaster strikes.
I highly highly recommend this book!
July 24, 2021
This is fascinating, and I really enjoyed the stories contained in the book. But it needs an enormous amount of better organization, with less repetition, and a little bit more sensitivity in the delivery. Organizing it by topic or by a linear timeline--wherein the author could refer to past and future events more coherently--would help readers considerably.
October 24, 2021
This book turned out to be not exactly what I had expected and it could have done with a bit more editing BUT I certainly found it informative if a little depressing.
It’s sort of a behind the scenes look at what happens to bodies and their ‘personal effects’ after mass disasters such as plane crashes, bombings, hurricanes and in many cases wars.
Robert A. Jensen is Chairman of Kenyon International Emergency Services an organization that handles the aftermath of mass fatalities. Their employees include forensic anthropologists, ex-police and medical examiners. I had no idea such an organization even existed.
It is a job that is more involved than one can imagine as Jensen explains “….recovering missing human remains has always been as much dependent on political and legal constraints as physical ones.” (Pg.148) and “I need to know if the goal is to account for every missing person, or to identify every bit of human remains that are recovered.” (Pg.178)
Having done this job for several years Jensen portrays a particularly sensitive and caring attitude towards the deceased and the deceased’s family members.
I respectfully offer kudos to anyone involved in this gruesome line of work.
On page 99 -100 I was reminded of the number of incredibly courageous innocent people on United Flight 93 on November 11, 2001 who stormed the cockpit to prevent the terrorist from crashing the plane into the US Capitol Building. All lost their lives for their brave efforts and the Capitol Building was saved from harm.
2021 – January 6 – a mob of angry ‘protesters’ converged on the very same US Capitol Building decimating it therefore insulting the memory and sacrifice of those brave souls on United Flight 93.
It’s sort of a behind the scenes look at what happens to bodies and their ‘personal effects’ after mass disasters such as plane crashes, bombings, hurricanes and in many cases wars.
Robert A. Jensen is Chairman of Kenyon International Emergency Services an organization that handles the aftermath of mass fatalities. Their employees include forensic anthropologists, ex-police and medical examiners. I had no idea such an organization even existed.
It is a job that is more involved than one can imagine as Jensen explains “….recovering missing human remains has always been as much dependent on political and legal constraints as physical ones.” (Pg.148) and “I need to know if the goal is to account for every missing person, or to identify every bit of human remains that are recovered.” (Pg.178)
Having done this job for several years Jensen portrays a particularly sensitive and caring attitude towards the deceased and the deceased’s family members.
I respectfully offer kudos to anyone involved in this gruesome line of work.
On page 99 -100 I was reminded of the number of incredibly courageous innocent people on United Flight 93 on November 11, 2001 who stormed the cockpit to prevent the terrorist from crashing the plane into the US Capitol Building. All lost their lives for their brave efforts and the Capitol Building was saved from harm.
2021 – January 6 – a mob of angry ‘protesters’ converged on the very same US Capitol Building decimating it therefore insulting the memory and sacrifice of those brave souls on United Flight 93.
January 16, 2022
This has become difficult to rate. My gut tells me to give it a 2 star. But there is enough experience here stated in specifics for me to NOT do just that. It's, for me, a 2.5 star rounded up for the massive life series of jobs and authorities he exhibits. Not only for the forensics or detail skills of so many factors of bodily example that he evaluates either.
His exact progression from all the work paths he followed from 18 years old on! That's exactly the kind of tale for knowledge and context that happened in my own lifetime. One that is just about impossible or highly improbable by strictures of present authority to occur. He left home very young and between military services and policing- he had more hands on complexity of process and law dictates before he was 22 than most have now at 40. And with all the energy of a 23 or 26 year old too. Mighty.
There are two reasons I would not suggest a high recommendation for this book. One is that it is poorly written and does not contain sense of order either chronologically or within "types" or categories. Or even within geographic placements. Nor does it fully designate the path of decision except in some roundabout ways. I did learn that states within the USA have full dictate except if it is within a Federal building/ National owned plot etc. His is now a company that performs professional tragedy aftermath management.
It's graphic. You will learn a whole lot about body parts. Having extra legs that don't match to anyone etc. And also events in which 225,000 people were killed. Weather catastrophes etc.
But what lost this one entire star was his objective sensibilities in tone and in opinion. Some bordered on politico disgusting and others on "these are my standards" and that's the way it goes.
Not that I believe he is harmful purposely to survivors at all. But this man has enough of his own voids and quirks- not to become in ANY way a lens for counseling or some aspects of evaluations upon emotive sensibilities (as he certainly believes he does.)
Regardless, his is a job that few will or could do. If you have a thick skin in several different tone or context equivocations, you may like to read this for the forensics and physical reality it describes.
But could this have used a logical or practiced editor. The editor failed to do the job here.
His exact progression from all the work paths he followed from 18 years old on! That's exactly the kind of tale for knowledge and context that happened in my own lifetime. One that is just about impossible or highly improbable by strictures of present authority to occur. He left home very young and between military services and policing- he had more hands on complexity of process and law dictates before he was 22 than most have now at 40. And with all the energy of a 23 or 26 year old too. Mighty.
There are two reasons I would not suggest a high recommendation for this book. One is that it is poorly written and does not contain sense of order either chronologically or within "types" or categories. Or even within geographic placements. Nor does it fully designate the path of decision except in some roundabout ways. I did learn that states within the USA have full dictate except if it is within a Federal building/ National owned plot etc. His is now a company that performs professional tragedy aftermath management.
It's graphic. You will learn a whole lot about body parts. Having extra legs that don't match to anyone etc. And also events in which 225,000 people were killed. Weather catastrophes etc.
But what lost this one entire star was his objective sensibilities in tone and in opinion. Some bordered on politico disgusting and others on "these are my standards" and that's the way it goes.
Not that I believe he is harmful purposely to survivors at all. But this man has enough of his own voids and quirks- not to become in ANY way a lens for counseling or some aspects of evaluations upon emotive sensibilities (as he certainly believes he does.)
Regardless, his is a job that few will or could do. If you have a thick skin in several different tone or context equivocations, you may like to read this for the forensics and physical reality it describes.
But could this have used a logical or practiced editor. The editor failed to do the job here.
September 25, 2025
Wolałabym żeby mniej było samozadowolenia autora, a więcej o katastrofach oraz żeby był bardziej informatywny, a mniej chaotyczny, bo chociaż z tego chaosu wyłania się jakiś obraz, to ciężko się to czyta.
September 24, 2021
This was a biography memoir about Robert A. Jensen and mass death. I wondered what exactly was involved and was blown away. And had no idea that investigations can painstaking often take days, weeks or more.
I had chills listening to much of this and what went behind trying to uncover the destruction of these tragic events. And I commend him for staying in his field a lot longer than many. It sounded like he was an excellent person for the job.
I learned a lot about where I want to sit on a plane and what often can happen during a crash. I learned about the many ways bombs can kill you. Furthermore, how remains and personal effects are handled and received. It was fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. I highly recommend this and really enjoyed it.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator was good.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.
#netgalley #audiobook #Memoir
I had chills listening to much of this and what went behind trying to uncover the destruction of these tragic events. And I commend him for staying in his field a lot longer than many. It sounded like he was an excellent person for the job.
I learned a lot about where I want to sit on a plane and what often can happen during a crash. I learned about the many ways bombs can kill you. Furthermore, how remains and personal effects are handled and received. It was fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. I highly recommend this and really enjoyed it.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator was good.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.
#netgalley #audiobook #Memoir
May 11, 2021
I am a "First Reads" winner.
Too much and, certainly, a lot to "unpack."
'Personal Effects' began with so much promise but, for me, quickly disintegrated with anecdote after anecdote that seemed to blend together with no distinguish. Perhaps the book took on too much? Perhaps 'Personal Effects' would have been better served by paring down the events Jensen recounted to focus on fewer that would leave this reader with a more memorable read?
The "personal" became less so and the "effect" was underwhelming.
Too much and, certainly, a lot to "unpack."
'Personal Effects' began with so much promise but, for me, quickly disintegrated with anecdote after anecdote that seemed to blend together with no distinguish. Perhaps the book took on too much? Perhaps 'Personal Effects' would have been better served by paring down the events Jensen recounted to focus on fewer that would leave this reader with a more memorable read?
The "personal" became less so and the "effect" was underwhelming.
August 13, 2021
Robert Jensen is unusual in the sense that he deals with disaster almost every day. There are many, many more people in the world who are in the situation where they will have responsibility in case of a disaster, but a disaster is extremely unlikely to occur. This latter type of people are the people who could benefit from reading and thinking about this book. If you read it but never need its wisdom, you have lived a fortunate life. If a moment arrives when you need the lessons within and you have not read it, it will be too late to start.
Several years ago, when the US diplomatic service showed even worse judgment than usual by allowing me to briefly join its ranks, I found myself in this (i.e., person of responsibility in case of the death of others) situation for a few years in a remote location. I could have used this book at that time. Instead, I formulated various plans and strategies in my head, all of which probably would have fallen apart upon contact with the reality of a disaster. As it turned out, during this period I had to deal with only one dead person (natural causes, more or less), which was traumatic enough – the details of the incident are still seared into my brain decades later.
In fact, I'd love to contact someone in the instructional arm of the US diplomatic service and recommend that they make people in training today read this book, but it's been a long time since I knew anyone there and I fear being treated like some sort of a crank.
That said, let me say that this book sometimes reads like promotional marketing for the author's business, probably because it is, in part, promotional marketing for the author's business. This is not meant as criticism. Most people are lucky enough never to be in a position of responsibility in a zone where a disaster has occurred. If you find yourself in one, it would not be your least productive thought to think: “Hmm, I wonder if I can hire someone with experience – didn't I read a book about that a while ago?”
However, this book indicates that, having had the above thought, the next step is likely to end in frustration, since Jensen's business is not a charitable organization and someone will object to having them on the payroll until it's essential to have them on the payroll. Jensen catalogs the damage, lawsuits, stress, and unnecessary extra work caused by the inexperienced trying to do disaster cleanup on the cheap to please bean counters back in the home office, at least until the bereaved families set up a howling which changes the priorities.
“If truth is the first victim of war, then efficient organization is the first casualty of any natural disaster,” writes Jansen (Kindle location 1467).
As a book (not marketing), the author's tendency to set himself up as one of the smartest, sensitive, and culturally aware people in the room is a drawback – people's mistakes often make better reading (and more memorable lessons) than their successes.
Sometimes, the book reads a little like the unedited transcript of somebody's dictation. (Example: “One of the worst hit companies was Cantor Fitzgerald, not a company we worked for though” (location 1305)). The book may have improved in this sense as it went along, or perhaps I just got used to the authorial voice and didn't find it as jarring.
There is some plain-spoken common sense:
Several years ago, when the US diplomatic service showed even worse judgment than usual by allowing me to briefly join its ranks, I found myself in this (i.e., person of responsibility in case of the death of others) situation for a few years in a remote location. I could have used this book at that time. Instead, I formulated various plans and strategies in my head, all of which probably would have fallen apart upon contact with the reality of a disaster. As it turned out, during this period I had to deal with only one dead person (natural causes, more or less), which was traumatic enough – the details of the incident are still seared into my brain decades later.
In fact, I'd love to contact someone in the instructional arm of the US diplomatic service and recommend that they make people in training today read this book, but it's been a long time since I knew anyone there and I fear being treated like some sort of a crank.
That said, let me say that this book sometimes reads like promotional marketing for the author's business, probably because it is, in part, promotional marketing for the author's business. This is not meant as criticism. Most people are lucky enough never to be in a position of responsibility in a zone where a disaster has occurred. If you find yourself in one, it would not be your least productive thought to think: “Hmm, I wonder if I can hire someone with experience – didn't I read a book about that a while ago?”
However, this book indicates that, having had the above thought, the next step is likely to end in frustration, since Jensen's business is not a charitable organization and someone will object to having them on the payroll until it's essential to have them on the payroll. Jensen catalogs the damage, lawsuits, stress, and unnecessary extra work caused by the inexperienced trying to do disaster cleanup on the cheap to please bean counters back in the home office, at least until the bereaved families set up a howling which changes the priorities.
“If truth is the first victim of war, then efficient organization is the first casualty of any natural disaster,” writes Jansen (Kindle location 1467).
As a book (not marketing), the author's tendency to set himself up as one of the smartest, sensitive, and culturally aware people in the room is a drawback – people's mistakes often make better reading (and more memorable lessons) than their successes.
Sometimes, the book reads a little like the unedited transcript of somebody's dictation. (Example: “One of the worst hit companies was Cantor Fitzgerald, not a company we worked for though” (location 1305)). The book may have improved in this sense as it went along, or perhaps I just got used to the authorial voice and didn't find it as jarring.
There is some plain-spoken common sense:
Our cultural norms right now tell us to forget bad things, to move on. Dust yourself off and get back to normal life. If we don't honestly acknowledge our mistakes from the past, or bother to understand the lessons, not just noting that the events occurred, we will just repeat them (location 3270).Not only did I receive a free electronic advance copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley, but I also got an email inviting me to download it. It's always pleasant to be asked one's opinion.
November 23, 2021
This was a bit of a bait and switch since the content didn't match the title or description in a way that I felt that the book matched though the topic is something I would be interested in. Jensen is a professional recovery expert having amassed experiences in the military and before that provided him the ability and opportunity to travel around the world and manage the recovery efforts of mass casualty events from terrorism to war to weather.
But there was too much-- it needed editing and a strategy and I say this because it felt like a recorded death-bed confession of all of the experiences that weren't strategically presented but meandered in and out of. I needed punctuation of a message, a topic, a thought, a reflection but didn't get that because he has seen so much and done so much for the health, safety, and welfare of mankind. I did want to know the story but didn't have the patience to wade through it all. I think a story like The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster did this better. Jensen has a story to tell but it's hard to tell through it all.
But there was too much-- it needed editing and a strategy and I say this because it felt like a recorded death-bed confession of all of the experiences that weren't strategically presented but meandered in and out of. I needed punctuation of a message, a topic, a thought, a reflection but didn't get that because he has seen so much and done so much for the health, safety, and welfare of mankind. I did want to know the story but didn't have the patience to wade through it all. I think a story like The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster did this better. Jensen has a story to tell but it's hard to tell through it all.
February 23, 2024
Poległam na 299 stronie. Myślałam, że dam radę dociągnąć ostatnie 70 stron, ale nie ma szans.
Początek zapowiadał się nieźle. Sęk w tym, że interesujących kwestii wystarczyło właśnie tylko na sam początek. Potem to już tylko powtarzanie w kółko tego samego. Lepiej wypadłoby kilka artykułów na ten temat, a nie cała książka.
Niestety rzadko której książce służy to że bohaterem jest jej autor. Pan Jensen szybko uderzył w opowiadanie o sobie zamiast o tym czym się zajmuje i co jest tematem książki. Z całym szacunkiem - wszystko to co miał do powiedzenia poza tym jak wygląda procedura ogarniania sytuacji po katastrofie - była nudna. Jak zeszło na historie i politykę, które ani mnie nie interesują ani nie miały wielkiego związku z daną katastrofą, to całkiem zwątpiłam. Niestety im dalej tym gorzej w tym zakresie.
Obok tego ogromną wadą tej książki jest chaos. Niby jest podzielona na rozdziały, ale w ramach każdego jest groch z kapustą. Na 20 stronach przeskakujemy po 5 różnych zdarzeniach, które nie bardzo się ze sobą łączą, i do tego każde potraktowane jest bardzo pobieżnie. Te naprawdę interesujące fragmenty nie zajmują nawet 1/3 książki. Takie mam wrażenie po lekturze.
Sposób pisania, choć poprawny, to nie przyciąga do wracania do tej książki. Dla mnie autor poszedł bokiem i książka nie jest o tym o czym powinna być, a to najgorsze co może być przy literaturze faktu.
Daję drugą gwiazdkę za te naprawdę interesujące i wzruszające strzępki informacji z początku książki. Szkoda, że autor nie potrafił utrzymać tego poziomu do końca. Jestem zaskoczona sporą ilością pozytywnych opinii.
Początek zapowiadał się nieźle. Sęk w tym, że interesujących kwestii wystarczyło właśnie tylko na sam początek. Potem to już tylko powtarzanie w kółko tego samego. Lepiej wypadłoby kilka artykułów na ten temat, a nie cała książka.
Niestety rzadko której książce służy to że bohaterem jest jej autor. Pan Jensen szybko uderzył w opowiadanie o sobie zamiast o tym czym się zajmuje i co jest tematem książki. Z całym szacunkiem - wszystko to co miał do powiedzenia poza tym jak wygląda procedura ogarniania sytuacji po katastrofie - była nudna. Jak zeszło na historie i politykę, które ani mnie nie interesują ani nie miały wielkiego związku z daną katastrofą, to całkiem zwątpiłam. Niestety im dalej tym gorzej w tym zakresie.
Obok tego ogromną wadą tej książki jest chaos. Niby jest podzielona na rozdziały, ale w ramach każdego jest groch z kapustą. Na 20 stronach przeskakujemy po 5 różnych zdarzeniach, które nie bardzo się ze sobą łączą, i do tego każde potraktowane jest bardzo pobieżnie. Te naprawdę interesujące fragmenty nie zajmują nawet 1/3 książki. Takie mam wrażenie po lekturze.
Sposób pisania, choć poprawny, to nie przyciąga do wracania do tej książki. Dla mnie autor poszedł bokiem i książka nie jest o tym o czym powinna być, a to najgorsze co może być przy literaturze faktu.
Daję drugą gwiazdkę za te naprawdę interesujące i wzruszające strzępki informacji z początku książki. Szkoda, że autor nie potrafił utrzymać tego poziomu do końca. Jestem zaskoczona sporą ilością pozytywnych opinii.
October 6, 2021
This book would have benefited hugely with a good editor. Interesting subject but ruined by bad writing. The author is not a writer, that was very obvious. Tedious and very boring in parts, a lot of circumlocution
September 30, 2021
Oh my goodness I read this so quickly I just devoured what Robert A Jensen wrote about his life, his company, and his shocking accounts handling the aftermath of disasters all over the world - like 9/11, airplane crashes, bombings, fires, and natural disasters in Haiti, Japan and in Louisiana.
Robert A. Jensen owns the world’s largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy, and assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and finding and returning personal effects to the surviving family members.
Jensen wrote a transparent recount of what happens during the recovery phase to help surviving families and loved ones find the courage to move forward and not necessarily closure as these families will never ever forget their loved ones.
Thought this story deals with death and disasters, I found the writing sensitive, insightful, and truly inspirational - laden with love and respect for the survivors who must go on despite tragic losses.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this non-fiction read - a mix of true crime, memoir, story of grief and loss, and a glimpse into history.
Robert A. Jensen owns the world’s largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy, and assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and finding and returning personal effects to the surviving family members.
Jensen wrote a transparent recount of what happens during the recovery phase to help surviving families and loved ones find the courage to move forward and not necessarily closure as these families will never ever forget their loved ones.
Thought this story deals with death and disasters, I found the writing sensitive, insightful, and truly inspirational - laden with love and respect for the survivors who must go on despite tragic losses.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this non-fiction read - a mix of true crime, memoir, story of grief and loss, and a glimpse into history.
June 7, 2021
Robert A. Jensen is a man you hopefully never have to meet, but if you do, there isn’t another person more suitable for his job. As Chairman of Kenyon International Emergency Services, Jensen has made a career out of responding to some of the worst disasters of the past twenty-five years – the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, the Haitian Earthquake of 2010, the fire in Grenfell Tower in 2017, the Thailand tsunami in 2004 and countless other plane crashes and terrorist attacks.
You would think that having to sort through the overwhelming amount of wreckage, personal effects and human remains would be bad enough, Robert is also tasked with meeting the families of those who have lost loved ones. There are others that are either afraid to be the bearer of bad news or will unintentionally mislead people in an effort to either soften the blow or offer up false hope, but Robert finds that being truthful and realistic is really the only course of action one can take. While Robert writes that this part of the job obviously isn’t something he enjoys, he knows that providing these families with as much information as possible will only allow them to begin their journey to processing their new reality.
Not only does Robert reminisce about his experiences in disasters both natural and man-made, he also discusses the advances in science over his career with regards to identifying human remains. He also shines a light on the political difficulties that come with repatriating those we’ve lost following a large-scale disaster. Robert’s work can be time sensitive and having to navigate the bureaucratic waters is frustrating to read about, especially the chapter focusing on Hurricane Katrina, an event that was not only a weather disaster, but also an organizational one.
The world we live in is not always an easy one and Robert has certainly seen the worst it has to offer. It is comforting to know that there is someone out there with empathy in his role. Robert could have easily grown numb or even jaded following disaster after disaster, but he never fails to put himself in the shoes of those who have suffered tremendous loss. PERSONAL EFFECTS is one of the most engaging and hopeful memoirs I have read in quite some time. It proves there are still good people out there in an age where every event is so divisive and politicized that we often forget our own humanity and capacity for good.
You would think that having to sort through the overwhelming amount of wreckage, personal effects and human remains would be bad enough, Robert is also tasked with meeting the families of those who have lost loved ones. There are others that are either afraid to be the bearer of bad news or will unintentionally mislead people in an effort to either soften the blow or offer up false hope, but Robert finds that being truthful and realistic is really the only course of action one can take. While Robert writes that this part of the job obviously isn’t something he enjoys, he knows that providing these families with as much information as possible will only allow them to begin their journey to processing their new reality.
Not only does Robert reminisce about his experiences in disasters both natural and man-made, he also discusses the advances in science over his career with regards to identifying human remains. He also shines a light on the political difficulties that come with repatriating those we’ve lost following a large-scale disaster. Robert’s work can be time sensitive and having to navigate the bureaucratic waters is frustrating to read about, especially the chapter focusing on Hurricane Katrina, an event that was not only a weather disaster, but also an organizational one.
The world we live in is not always an easy one and Robert has certainly seen the worst it has to offer. It is comforting to know that there is someone out there with empathy in his role. Robert could have easily grown numb or even jaded following disaster after disaster, but he never fails to put himself in the shoes of those who have suffered tremendous loss. PERSONAL EFFECTS is one of the most engaging and hopeful memoirs I have read in quite some time. It proves there are still good people out there in an age where every event is so divisive and politicized that we often forget our own humanity and capacity for good.
December 7, 2022
4.5 stars. *What an absolutely fascinating work of nonfiction. The author is the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company. I job/business I never knew existed. Simply put, he and they respond to tragedies. Hurricane Katrina? He was there. 9/11? He was there. The 2010 Hatian earthquake? He was there. He has one of the hardest jobs I can ever imagine (basically go read the synopsis below.)
*I found this book so interesting and learned so much I didn’t know about the process of responding to and recovery after major crisis. It is much more complicated and confusing than I ever imagined.
*Because of the subject matter, this book is extremely EXTREMELY heavy and if natural disasters, plane crashes or terrorism is too triggering for you to read, reader know thy self! But for anyone who is able, I think this book is really important. If nothing else ,so we can thank and acknowledge people like the author, who make it their life’s work to bring just a little bit of peace to the families and countries of those affected by these tragedies.
*I found this book so interesting and learned so much I didn’t know about the process of responding to and recovery after major crisis. It is much more complicated and confusing than I ever imagined.
*Because of the subject matter, this book is extremely EXTREMELY heavy and if natural disasters, plane crashes or terrorism is too triggering for you to read, reader know thy self! But for anyone who is able, I think this book is really important. If nothing else ,so we can thank and acknowledge people like the author, who make it their life’s work to bring just a little bit of peace to the families and countries of those affected by these tragedies.
February 12, 2023
Rating: 5 stars
Net Promoter Score: 10 (Promoter)
People can forget when times are easy that bad things sometimes just happen, or they start to believe that bad things only happen to bad people, people who somehow brought it upon themselves.
True to the title, this book is about the author's experiences handling the dead post terrorist attacks, plane crashes and natural disasters. The book entails the amount of effort that goes into identifying the dead, understanding the mental state of the victim's family, and consequently handing over the body of the victim to the next of kin.
It is a subtle yet harsh take on death, talks about the nuances of dealing with the various governments and the diplomacy involved when it comes to repatriation of the dead.
A great and eye opening read that talks about how caring for the dead helps the living to come in terms with their grief.
Net Promoter Score: 10 (Promoter)
People can forget when times are easy that bad things sometimes just happen, or they start to believe that bad things only happen to bad people, people who somehow brought it upon themselves.
True to the title, this book is about the author's experiences handling the dead post terrorist attacks, plane crashes and natural disasters. The book entails the amount of effort that goes into identifying the dead, understanding the mental state of the victim's family, and consequently handing over the body of the victim to the next of kin.
It is a subtle yet harsh take on death, talks about the nuances of dealing with the various governments and the diplomacy involved when it comes to repatriation of the dead.
A great and eye opening read that talks about how caring for the dead helps the living to come in terms with their grief.
March 26, 2025
I first read about Robert A. Jensen and the disaster management company he heads up in the book “All The Living and The Dead.” I was fascinated when I found out that the management of global disasters is a private company and not The Red Cross or any government groups. In fact,in the United States the government is prohibited by law from entering civilian private homes.
Robert A. Jensen takes the reader through what his company does and why. It astounded me all that goes into disaster management. I was also blown away by the organization and deep caring and thoughtfulness that Jensen brings to these events and the people involved. He is roughly my age so the disasters he describes are ones that I have been alive for. Fascinating reading.
Robert A. Jensen takes the reader through what his company does and why. It astounded me all that goes into disaster management. I was also blown away by the organization and deep caring and thoughtfulness that Jensen brings to these events and the people involved. He is roughly my age so the disasters he describes are ones that I have been alive for. Fascinating reading.
May 2, 2023
I'm a sucker for titles like this, and I was drawn to read Personal Effects - What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by Robert A. Jensen in order to find out what Jensen has learned in his time recovering the dead. Jensen has had a stand out career, beginning with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology - Law Enforcement and time spent at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office as Deputy Sheriff. He then served 10 years as a US Army Officer where - among other military postings - he worked as the Commander of Mortuary Affairs and responded to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
In 1998, Jensen joined Kenyon International Emergency Services, the leading disaster management company in the world. Jensen later became the CEO of Kenyon, eventual owner and Chairman; later selling the business and stepping down in 2021. He also served in the California Army National Guard. Does this guy ever stop? (Short answer: no).
Dealing with just one mass fatality in a lifetime would be more than most of us could process, but Jensen was involved in many major events during his career, including: September 11 attacks in 2001; the Bali bombings in 2002; Boxing Day tsunami of 2004; Hurricane Katrina in 2005; Haiti earthquake in 2010, Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017 and too many plane crashes in between to mention.
Jensen has led an incredibly impressive and demanding career, and his empathy is evident when describing his work. I spent much of the book being shocked and outraged by just how poorly and insensitively many emergency situations have been managed in the past. In some cases, the total disregard for the feelings of the families made me absolutely furious. In one instance, all personal belongings from a plane crash had been frozen together in one big block in order to preserve them. Ummm, WTF?
There were some quieter revelations when learning more about the delicate process of recovering human remains at a site:
"When you're starting out, you don't know if a fragment is just one of many pieces you might find of a deceased person, or if it is the only part of that person you'll find. DNA testing takes time and we don't want to delay the system unnecessarily. Before we even do this, I will usually meet the Medical Examiner who will ultimately be in charge and who will issue the death certificates and ask, 'people or pieces'? I need to know if the goal is to account for every missing person, or to identify every bit of human remains that are recovered. It's a question most people have never thought of or could even conceive asking." Chapter 14: The Science and Emotion of Identification
Add me to the 'most people' category immediately with the gratitude that I'll never have to be the person making those big decisions. Jensen's approach to recovering the dead and their belongings is filled with respect and his lessons about caring for the living aren't immediately applicable to the average reader.
The life lessons he's learned along the way are more about preserving and maintaining dignity for the deceased at all stages of the process and employing common sense. E.g. In one case, Jensen refused to cut a body trapped in rubble in half in order to shield the distressing sight from view, instead laying a blanket over the remains. In another case, the hands of the deceased were cut off to facilitate quicker mass fingerprinting which caused unknown distress to the relatives and quite rightly upset the author.
In my opinion, the target audience for Jensen's memoir should be first responders, search and rescue, medical and law enforcement agencies and those in risk management. If a loved one was ever involved in a mass casualty event, I'd want Jensen overseeing the recovery process, however I believe he's best placed educating businesses, corporations and insurance companies on how best to respond in a mass casualty situation. It seems we still have much to learn.
If one type of man-made or natural disaster dominates Jensen's memoir, it's plane crashes. As it happens, I listened to the majority of this audiobook while at an airport or - ironically - flying to my destination. It did occur to me at one point (about an hour into a 90 minute flight) that perhaps listening to all this talk about plane crashes was bad karma when you're 30,000 feet in the air.
Back on the ground, I was full of admiration for Jensen and we desperately need more people like him - or people taught by him - on hand to prepare businesses and organisations for future disasters. As a reader fortunate enough never to have lost a loved one in a mass casualty event, my heart aches for those who have and are still navigating through the grief.
A difficult read.
In 1998, Jensen joined Kenyon International Emergency Services, the leading disaster management company in the world. Jensen later became the CEO of Kenyon, eventual owner and Chairman; later selling the business and stepping down in 2021. He also served in the California Army National Guard. Does this guy ever stop? (Short answer: no).
Dealing with just one mass fatality in a lifetime would be more than most of us could process, but Jensen was involved in many major events during his career, including: September 11 attacks in 2001; the Bali bombings in 2002; Boxing Day tsunami of 2004; Hurricane Katrina in 2005; Haiti earthquake in 2010, Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017 and too many plane crashes in between to mention.
Jensen has led an incredibly impressive and demanding career, and his empathy is evident when describing his work. I spent much of the book being shocked and outraged by just how poorly and insensitively many emergency situations have been managed in the past. In some cases, the total disregard for the feelings of the families made me absolutely furious. In one instance, all personal belongings from a plane crash had been frozen together in one big block in order to preserve them. Ummm, WTF?
There were some quieter revelations when learning more about the delicate process of recovering human remains at a site:
"When you're starting out, you don't know if a fragment is just one of many pieces you might find of a deceased person, or if it is the only part of that person you'll find. DNA testing takes time and we don't want to delay the system unnecessarily. Before we even do this, I will usually meet the Medical Examiner who will ultimately be in charge and who will issue the death certificates and ask, 'people or pieces'? I need to know if the goal is to account for every missing person, or to identify every bit of human remains that are recovered. It's a question most people have never thought of or could even conceive asking." Chapter 14: The Science and Emotion of Identification
Add me to the 'most people' category immediately with the gratitude that I'll never have to be the person making those big decisions. Jensen's approach to recovering the dead and their belongings is filled with respect and his lessons about caring for the living aren't immediately applicable to the average reader.
The life lessons he's learned along the way are more about preserving and maintaining dignity for the deceased at all stages of the process and employing common sense. E.g. In one case, Jensen refused to cut a body trapped in rubble in half in order to shield the distressing sight from view, instead laying a blanket over the remains. In another case, the hands of the deceased were cut off to facilitate quicker mass fingerprinting which caused unknown distress to the relatives and quite rightly upset the author.
In my opinion, the target audience for Jensen's memoir should be first responders, search and rescue, medical and law enforcement agencies and those in risk management. If a loved one was ever involved in a mass casualty event, I'd want Jensen overseeing the recovery process, however I believe he's best placed educating businesses, corporations and insurance companies on how best to respond in a mass casualty situation. It seems we still have much to learn.
If one type of man-made or natural disaster dominates Jensen's memoir, it's plane crashes. As it happens, I listened to the majority of this audiobook while at an airport or - ironically - flying to my destination. It did occur to me at one point (about an hour into a 90 minute flight) that perhaps listening to all this talk about plane crashes was bad karma when you're 30,000 feet in the air.
Back on the ground, I was full of admiration for Jensen and we desperately need more people like him - or people taught by him - on hand to prepare businesses and organisations for future disasters. As a reader fortunate enough never to have lost a loved one in a mass casualty event, my heart aches for those who have and are still navigating through the grief.
A difficult read.
September 14, 2021
This is not an easy book to get through due to its subject matter. Robert Jensen is the Chairman of Kenyon International Emergency Services and an expert in crisis management. I was fascinated by the summary of this book and couldn't wait to read it. While I learned much from its contents, I wasn't really sure where it was going at times or what the author was trying to get at.
Have you ever wondered what happens to people's bodies and personal items when they die en masse? From airplane crashes to bombings to hurricanes, someone has to recover the bodies (or as much as they can), identify victims and their possessions, and inform the family members of their passing. Jensen's company are the professionals. In addition to being onsite at disasters, they also have warehouses catalogued with deceased persons' possessions, ready to be delivered to the next of kin upon request. This behind-the-scenes look into disaster management will captivate its curious readers.
Jensen's line of work is certainly an admirable profession, but his writing skills are lacking. The chapters themselves were divided into sections, but it jumped around and backtracked to already mentioned events so much that it was difficult to follow. It takes a special kind of person to be able to see death and destruction on such a massive scale and be able to come away not emotionally scarred. It also requires a high level of emotional self control, which Jensen seems to have. However in his writing, it seemed that he lauded himself, even over his peers for knowledge on crisis management and handling distraught people. Every situation he was directly a part of was somehow resolved because of the words he used or the directions he gave. This pattern was prevalent and I got annoyed with his stories about how great he was, but I'm hypercritical....
Fascinating, Personal, and Respectful, this is an interesting read, especially those who have lived through such disasters as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Goodreads for this ARC giveaway win!
Have you ever wondered what happens to people's bodies and personal items when they die en masse? From airplane crashes to bombings to hurricanes, someone has to recover the bodies (or as much as they can), identify victims and their possessions, and inform the family members of their passing. Jensen's company are the professionals. In addition to being onsite at disasters, they also have warehouses catalogued with deceased persons' possessions, ready to be delivered to the next of kin upon request. This behind-the-scenes look into disaster management will captivate its curious readers.
Jensen's line of work is certainly an admirable profession, but his writing skills are lacking. The chapters themselves were divided into sections, but it jumped around and backtracked to already mentioned events so much that it was difficult to follow. It takes a special kind of person to be able to see death and destruction on such a massive scale and be able to come away not emotionally scarred. It also requires a high level of emotional self control, which Jensen seems to have. However in his writing, it seemed that he lauded himself, even over his peers for knowledge on crisis management and handling distraught people. Every situation he was directly a part of was somehow resolved because of the words he used or the directions he gave. This pattern was prevalent and I got annoyed with his stories about how great he was, but I'm hypercritical....
Fascinating, Personal, and Respectful, this is an interesting read, especially those who have lived through such disasters as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Goodreads for this ARC giveaway win!
dnf
October 17, 2021DNF. I won't give this a star rating because I got an ARC, so theoretically, all the issues I had with the writing could be fixed, but realistically, I'm sure the book is basically the copy I got. This book really needed a strong editor (or a ghost writer) but appears to have instead gotten an editor who revered the subject matter, or the author, of the book so much that they never dared to make any substantive suggestions. The writing style is far too conversational, the contents of each chapter are unintuitive, there are numerous typographical errors, and there is no flow whatsoever to the story. Jensen sounds like a deeply interesting guy, but this is a perfect illustration of why having an interesting life doesn't make you a writer.
December 27, 2021
I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately found myself struggling to finish it. In fairness to the author, I think he tells his story with tremendous care and respect for the victims and the survivors of the tragedies he has been a part of. This books fell short for me as a result of the editing - not the content. The organization was all over the place, it was at times repetitive and I caught too many typos to count. Jensen is an expert in his field with a hell of a life’s work to recount, and the right editor could have easily turned this into a 5-star read.
October 17, 2021
Subject matter was interesting but the book itself was disorganized and read like a first draft. I found myself having to re-read passages multiple times because of poor wording and sentence structure. The organization wasn’t there either and each chapter seemed composed of haphazard unrelated anecdotes. I was interested in the subject matter so I did finish it but I was disappointed. Where was the editor for this book?!
Read
July 20, 2021I am not going to rate this book or write a review until it is published because it has very obviously not seen the pencil of an editor. However, if we are friends on GR and you happen to also have an ARC of this book, feel free to send me a message and I will share my thoughts with you directly.
dnf
December 10, 2021I loath books that rant about politics, makes it unreadable for me.
December 12, 2021
This was a really interesting read, but very depressing. Definitely recommend it to all my nonfiction lovers. Review coming soon!
May 3, 2021
Note: If GR gave half-stars, I'd give this 3.5.
"Personal Effects" is the career memoir of Robert Jensen, head of the world's largest private disaster management company. Kenyon, his company, steps in when the unthinkable has happened: they retrieve human remains and effects, work to sort out their ownership, work with families to return them to next of kin in a way that respects the family's wishes and the deceased's individual beliefs.
While Jensen's work is by nature grim, the book's interest is not in gore. As the author moves from one international tragedy to another, he describes the logistical challenges that made this work necessary and the important communication role he and his colleagues serve. Over and again, he emphasizes the human reason for the specific choices they make, the tremendous respect and care that dictates the level of hyper-organization with which they approach their work.
For those looking for morbid details, for the record--you won't find that here. While the author acknowledges situations in which the deceased's remains have been fragmented (an airplane crash, for example), he doesn't provide or dwell on these details. He notes facts of body condition as needed, but does so as tastefully as possible.
What's iffier: This isn't a critique but simply a matter of personal desire--I wish the author had spent more time on the different disasters and the responses to them. I grasp why the author didn't (his story is more about his entire career, speaking to the unique challenges and lessons of each disaster; wading into every detail wouldn't have served that overarching goal). That said, I would have liked more info on each of these, just for my personal curiosity.
Note: This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.
"Personal Effects" is the career memoir of Robert Jensen, head of the world's largest private disaster management company. Kenyon, his company, steps in when the unthinkable has happened: they retrieve human remains and effects, work to sort out their ownership, work with families to return them to next of kin in a way that respects the family's wishes and the deceased's individual beliefs.
While Jensen's work is by nature grim, the book's interest is not in gore. As the author moves from one international tragedy to another, he describes the logistical challenges that made this work necessary and the important communication role he and his colleagues serve. Over and again, he emphasizes the human reason for the specific choices they make, the tremendous respect and care that dictates the level of hyper-organization with which they approach their work.
For those looking for morbid details, for the record--you won't find that here. While the author acknowledges situations in which the deceased's remains have been fragmented (an airplane crash, for example), he doesn't provide or dwell on these details. He notes facts of body condition as needed, but does so as tastefully as possible.
What's iffier: This isn't a critique but simply a matter of personal desire--I wish the author had spent more time on the different disasters and the responses to them. I grasp why the author didn't (his story is more about his entire career, speaking to the unique challenges and lessons of each disaster; wading into every detail wouldn't have served that overarching goal). That said, I would have liked more info on each of these, just for my personal curiosity.
Note: This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.
July 29, 2021
Robert Jensen does an amazing job detailing how he helps people through the toughest times in their lives. He and his team go in after disasters, whether caused by man or mother nature and helps to identify the remains after these tragic events. He discusses how treating the dead with the utmost respect is the main priority for him. He is also the one called on many times to help the families who lost loved ones navigate the next steps. His compassion comes through on the page. He has helped after plane crashes, the Oklahoma City bombing, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, and more. The work he and his team does is so important. He brings calm to the storm and helps families and loved ones to start the process of healing after losing a loved one in a major disaster. I absolutely recommend this book.
November 5, 2021
Fascinating, held my interest and was the book I had to check in with every day, until it was done. But (and that's a big But) it is not a book for everyone - well, it is for everyone, But I'm pretty sure there are those who will give this a pass.
I'm rather morbid, and am interested in bodies after their spirits have parted. I ponder long about how we as the living, left behind humans, react to that puzzle, that unanswered question: the dead body. Robert A. Jensen has an absolutely, steady-freddy point of view on this topic. As he should. He's done this difficult job more than most, has been moved upon to write about it and share it with you and me. I, for one, am grateful.
Not only do we get an insider's view of what happens in large disaster events, the invisible is made visible for the time of reading the book, at least, of the service others carry on quietly doing while the rest of us look away, stare at the sunset or "think happy thoughts" rather than rush to lend a hand. After all, there are People to do that, right? This is the voice of one of those People. I am thankful for his service, and the service of all those like him who face daily trauma and still go home, fix dinner and help with homework.
I'm left with a wondering appreciation for the bravery, the years of doing hard things others don't and keeping a cool head in chaos, having respect for all others foremost, including the ones who've left behind their little bit of clay in this sweet place in the universe.
A Sincere Thanks to Robert A. Jensen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
I'm rather morbid, and am interested in bodies after their spirits have parted. I ponder long about how we as the living, left behind humans, react to that puzzle, that unanswered question: the dead body. Robert A. Jensen has an absolutely, steady-freddy point of view on this topic. As he should. He's done this difficult job more than most, has been moved upon to write about it and share it with you and me. I, for one, am grateful.
Not only do we get an insider's view of what happens in large disaster events, the invisible is made visible for the time of reading the book, at least, of the service others carry on quietly doing while the rest of us look away, stare at the sunset or "think happy thoughts" rather than rush to lend a hand. After all, there are People to do that, right? This is the voice of one of those People. I am thankful for his service, and the service of all those like him who face daily trauma and still go home, fix dinner and help with homework.
I'm left with a wondering appreciation for the bravery, the years of doing hard things others don't and keeping a cool head in chaos, having respect for all others foremost, including the ones who've left behind their little bit of clay in this sweet place in the universe.
A Sincere Thanks to Robert A. Jensen, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
May 25, 2024
Literally there were so many typos in this book wtf
November 9, 2021
This book is quite a heavy read. I learned so much more about crisis management and how to respond to mass fatalities. Prior to reading this, I knew handling a crisis isn’t easy but this book gave greater insights into the degree of that and how painstakingly long the process can be. It is also a stark reminder of the key role that leaders play in handling such events and if mishandled, politics can obstruct the necessary processes and provide even greater stress and heartbreaks to victims’ families.
So much respect for the work the author does and I hope he continues the great work he is doing for as long as he can.
So much respect for the work the author does and I hope he continues the great work he is doing for as long as he can.
September 22, 2022
Robert Jensen has a terribly important, horrific, and fascinating job - first with the military and then with a private service - sorting through all of the human and other physical remains after disasters both of the natural and man-made varieties. From Ground Zero to plane crashes to Haitian genocide to the Oklahoma City bombing, Jensen has been the guy in charge of inventorying and documenting the recovery efforts. Unfortunately, the book is poorly written, from wacky organization of information to all the repetition of some of the events. I don't have expectations of great literature from a non-author written memoir, but the writing keeps it from living up to the full title or blurb.
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