All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes

Sue Black is an amazingly gifted writer! I could not put this book down. It's written professionally, scientifically, with immense respect both for the wonders of life, and for the intricacies and changes that occur to our bodies after death. Sue Black advocates for how important it is to help medical students by pre-planning (if wished) one's own body as a donation to science, and she describes in introspective detail the gratitude felt by anatomy students who examine a deceased corpse, as they learn about the incredible intricacies of the human body. Sue Black vividly and humbly recalls her own experience as a medical student when she first learned how to dissect a donor cadaver, and learned about the human body, and the deep relationship of awe, humility, respect she developed with the cadaver she was assigned to. This whole book, even though it deals all the time with bodies and body parts (rotting, to a certain extent, most of the time), is never gross. The author is methodically descriptive, never offensive, and -- at least for me as her reader -- she really helped me think about my own mortality in realistic terms, as just one more fact of life, the terminal fact of life, in fact, and about how to cherish every living day on earth, and why. As she writes, we all eventually meet death, why not meet "her" (she engenders death as a female, several time in the book) prepared and serene for this extraordinary encounter which will happen only once for each one of us. Sue Black has a dry sense of humor permeating the pages. My thinking is that the best reader for this book is someone already relatively at peace with the concept of death, someone curious to know what happens biochemically to the human body once oxygen no longer flows to the cells, and someone interested in probing how each of us leaves a legacy when we die: a corporal one, and one of memories generated by all the various adventures we create when we meet other fellow human beings who cross our path on earth. I think a good subtitle for this book would be something along he lines of "How to Read a Dead Body Like a History Book about the Life of That Specific Person." While Sue Black stays in the background in most pages (she is professionally a forensic anthropologist -- I did not even know that such a thing existed before I read her book -- and most of what she writes is, in fact, about her job and its challenges), the last chapter is finally devoted to herself: a portrait of what she has learned about life and about death, having been for decades in her profession. The author comes across as a woman you would want to meet and take a peaceful walk with one quiet afternoon, just chatting about life and death. This has become easily one of my favorite books. I can't wait for Sue Black's next book to be published.

changed my view on death completely and made me feel more comfortable thinking about the people I've lost. Incredible book.

The author covered so many different aspects of death and the ability of the dead to teach forensic scientists, I was in awe. I was struck by my ignorance of the different processes the human body goes through after death and the ability of forensics to find answers for the living. I was especially moved by the respect and reverence given to those who have dedicated their bodies to science. A fascinating read.

Very insightful and well written.

The author's subtle humor helped lighten the reading matter as she imparts fascinating details about forensic anthropology. Her style of writing captured my attention all the way through to the end, which is saying something for me, who often flips around and or skips to the end of many books. Her participation in major historical world tragedies (genocide, tsunamis, etc) identifying human remains with compassion for loved ones and respect for the dead was/is admired. I also learned more about these events, in greater depth than one can learn from the evening news. Will I donate my body to medical science as she describes? Maybe, if I find a school similar to the university where she graduated from and taught.

For me, the book started out with way too much philosophizing about death. So for a while, I started to wonder if the book’s target audience was people (or their loved ones) who were faced with a medical diagnosis of just months left to live. That was not the kind of book I was expecting or looking for. I was more interested in reading about the author’s education and the subsequent application of her trade. And that is what the book eventually got around to. And as interesting and important as her work was, I learned that the field work of a forensic anthropologist is the kind of work many of us would want to avoid at all costs. Still, it is interesting to read about the lives of people who have jobs out of the ordinary. And to learn more about the human body from both a medical and anthropological viewpoint. Bottom line: The author’s life and work was interesting. Philosophizing probably goes with the job, but I thought there was a bit too much of it in the book.

Sue Black has a great sense of humor in her telling of great adventures in a world few can imagine. I have a greater appreciation for science and the stories our bodies tell after we die. Easy read and my attention was kept through the whole book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and Professor Black's insights into death, her training and professional career. I did find that she used more words and paragraphs than necessary in parts of the book and slipped into repetition in some chapters. The slower, repetitive parts of the book dealt with her thoughts on death and her experiences with the death of an uncle, grandparent and parents. These were good, but overly long and I think the doctor was using the remembrances as a way of chewing over what she could have done better or different in accommodating elderly loved ones as they passed. There was good writing and insightful parts in these chapters. I learned that there is scientific evidence that hearing is the last sense for a person to lose as they slip into non-responsiveness when death is close. Dr. Black and her daughters sang songs while holding her father's hand sure that even in his non-responsiveness he likely heard the lilt of loving and familiar voices. I told my wife I'd give her a play list from which she can sing should I proceed first to life's ultimate destination! For me, the chapters dealing with her experience as an anatomy student meeting and working with her first cadaver flowed with more interest. It is impressive how students treat those whose mortal remains come apart with their gift to science - the respect she and her students accorded their cadaver is impressive. I also enjoyed learning about some of the different ways the study of human anatomy has evolved and the relatively new technology used to keep cadaver flesh and organs pliable and well imitated to either the patients surgeons will meet after certification or the remains forensic scientists will examine while employed (except for discoveries of non-fresh victims). She has had a fascinating career and gives case studies well describing how those in her profession help identify and solve criminal and missing person cases. Professor Black did important and impressive work during several tours in and around Kosovo in the 1990s. She and a team of professionals spent time at the site of several massacres helping to identify remains as well as document war crimes. Her work helped provide answers to family members whose loved ones disappeared and or were murdered. She had to work with remains of mass burial or execution sites. The decomposition, burns, animal and insect processing as well as smell and body fluid accumulation underscored the professionalism and dedication she and her colleagues carry in carrying out their work. Her last chapter where she ruminates on what death means and how she thinks she wants to face the journey and moment was well written. It is good coda to her direct experience with death as a professional and as a grand daughter, niece and daughter who has experienced it as most of use do and will with the passing of loved ones.

Ho scelto di comprare quello usato, con un costo ridotto quasi il doppio del prezzo. La spedizione è stata molto puntuale e le condizioni del libro erano ottime...non saprei neanche distinguere uno nuovo. Grazie!

Sometimes a book with this amount of “science” is hard to read. Not this one. Professor Black writes as she talks. You can almost hear her soft brogue as you read. Grabs you by the hand and leads you through the science, no problem. I laughed as I recognised the Scotland we both grew up in, as we are contemporaries. We both went to Aberdeen university at the same time, she to Sciences and I went to Kings College for Arts. I WISH I had known her then. I actually cried through a few parts of this book, I knew of the conflicts she described - but found tears flowing as her words brought it back to life from the bones of the deceased. The court cases she describes are so interesting, as are her contributions. There are no embellishments, no extras. It is as if she is there, chatting to you. She is an amazing, yet terribly modest woman. Sue Black has written an extraordinary book, a memoir, a history, a social commentary, a call to arms of a sort, a woman’s tale of life,love, hard work & sheer bloody determination. I first “met” Professor Black on the BBC “Cold Case” series ( much loved & how I wish there were more) with her team of brilliant scientists in Dundee University. It was addictive viewing. Not for the slight gore, but for the history they brought alive of the everyday people they investigated, including wonderful facial reconstructions. The world is a far better place for this lovely lady, and thank you Sue for ALL your work and the love and care you put into everything you do. I’m sorry though, I still can’t help but smile at your Uncle and the Heinz Tomato soup. I, myself, am partial to it and when my time comes, would be quite happy to follow his example.. after half a bowl....

Fascinating biography of a very interesting career

Finished last night. Professor Dame Sue Black what an amazing work you have done! Just a BRILLIANT BOOK! Sue Black have changed my perspective about 'death and being dead' through this memoir about her journey as a forensic Anthropologist. For me, a memorable journey through reading ❤️❤️

I highly recommend anyone interested in this topic to buy this very informative and well written book.