As someone who has worked in the health/medical industry for 20 years I really enjoyed this book.
This book is both informative and enlightening as the author takes us on a journey through his career performing autopsies in South Africa, which in itself was often times extremely challenging.

Chapter 17 titled 'Ten lessons for living from the dead' sums up this book perfectly.

Talk about compelling! Though the topic is not an easy one (these are real people and families), the book was difficult for me to put down as the anecdotes and science are remarkably fascinating. The author, a forensics pathologist from South Africa, explains the duties of forensics pathologists, what they do for society (such as justice, solving cases, bringing closure) and what they contend with there (climate and wild animals, for example). Psychological impacts on families and pathologists themselves are described, too. Performing thousands upon thousands of autopsies must be incredibly draining. Here we are glimpse ordinary and extraordinary causes of death, some we have thought and wondered about and some we may not have known about.

From the need for forensics pathologists to write their own notes and reports to the plane crash victim's "wire" to itch-free autopsies, this book is chock full of interesting information. And then there are numerous causes of death including suicide, lightning strikes, bacteria, murder and wild animals. Discover the importance and timing of insects and temperatures on bodies and errors which new pathologists make without the wisdom of experience. The author also details some questions he commonly gets asked as well as his most chilling moments.

This book is gruesome and graphic as you would expect. There are touches of humanity throughout and some stories are particularly heartbreaking. Medically-minded and curious people will definitely find something to learn.

My sincere thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers and NetGalely for the privilege of reading the early e-ARC of this important book.

Did not finish.

Author came off as pretentious. He made a comment about how his patients weren’t always innocent. Like okay? So some people eat to obesity. Some people drink to death. Some people have unprotected sex, drive dangerously, or pop pills. Ever thought that these may be comfort things or suicide attempts. I don’t agree with the dangerous driving, but god he sounded so high and mighty.

Could not, and will not finish.

I found this book extraordinary, and at some points beautiful, it is wonderfully written and very thought provoking. There have been many books written by forensic pathologists but Ive never read one like this: this book covers anecdotal and also factual scenarios, I learned so much about processes, unusual deaths, some truly gross and some fascinating and surprising!
The author writes with an almost spiritual desire to educate and inform, for example there are chapters on what the living can learn from the dead, Lindys Principal, musings on why one person dies and another survives an identical pathology, there are chapters about giving court evidence as an expert witness, there are even questions about resource management and Blockchaining.
I loved this book, it really made me think and was beautifully written, I recommend it highly and will buy a physical copy as I will reread and lend to others to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Jonathan Ball Publishers for the ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot

If you have a fleeting interest in autopsy or medicolegal investigation, this may be a good book to pick up. If you have a pretty good working knowledge of medical terminology and basic facts then this may be a little boring. While there are some interesting case studies included, he cites a lot of pretty typically deaths to explain typical processes that occur before and after. As someone that has a pretty significant interest in the subject and has already read a lot about it, this book repeated a lot of basic information I already knew. There wasn't enough "heart" in this book in my opinion. It was a lot of factual information but the human part of it seemed a little mechanical.

I greatly appreciate how Blumenthal respected the privacy of all the cases when describing them. It's rare to see that level of awareness.
The book as a whole was rather enjoyable, a pretty quick read. I was not quite as partial to the last 20%, but I understand why it was included. It leaned toward the "life lessons" side, but in a way that makes sense based on the things he has seen.
Overall, a nice addition to the already available material on this subject.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley.

If you've ever loved that part in a criminal detective show/book where the forensic pathologist looks at a body, checks the temperature and rigor mortis, and ascertains the time of death, this book is for you. Ryan Blumenthal busts popular misconceptions about the field (thermodynamics and rigor mortis are very complex things to ascertain within a 45-min TV show episode). The content is informative, precisely to the point and refreshing. How much ever so refreshing a book about death can be. Major themes include: the process of becoming a forensic pathologist, the procedures to be followed in an autopsy room, the story of how he was attracted to this grim field of science.

"Autopsy" by Ryan Blumenthal has a certain surgical precision to it. The author does not mince words. He writes about the most gruesome cases he has handled with a straight-faced, emotionless clarity. This book is certainly not something you should read at night. What this book lacks in poetic genius, it makes up with cold hard facts. Blumenthal explores the diversity of diseases that abound in Africa, and the various causes of death that he has come across in his career of thousands of autopsies. The chapters are labeled with exactly what is contained in them. For example, "African wildlife deaths" consists just that - and a few lions, crocodiles, black mambas and the seemingly unsuspicious hippopotami. There is no glossing over facts to make them palatable.

Deciding to read this book completely depends on your ability to read through very graphic descriptions of physical trauma. If you have a high tolerance for it, Autopsy is a good shot. (no pun intended)

This book was equal parts fascinating and frightening. The author is a forensic pathologist in South Africa where he sees unnatural deaths from everything from car accidents, wild animals and lightning strikes. He describes the intricate and complicated world of uncovering causes of death and tracking down criminals.

I am an RN and have seen many things in my short career but there were parts of this book that made me stop and go "eww." I am not sure how much the general public would be able to appreciate the wide world of weird and the gore in this book. The book is also heavy on medical terminology so someone outside the healthcare profession may struggle with this book.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, although I could have done without the author's four tips for knowing you found a good relationship partner, starting with getting them drunk to see how they behave. That was a little on the odd side.

Otherwise, if you are fascinated by the human body and weird medical science, this book is definitely for you.

An interesting book on the authors experiences of being a pathologist in South Africa. Contains an insight of what is required and what is involved in the profession.
There were some interesting details of some of the autopsy cases, from lightning strikes to snake bites.
Rather than a biography the book feels more like a series of his thoughts and feelings on pathology, all very interesting.
A good enjoyable book.

Having worked in the medical profession myself, I was looking forward to reading Autopsy. I thought it was pitched very well, well written and straight forward and clear descriptions. The differences in working in a modern city with every device to hand and in underfunded rural regions was brought out very well. The nature of the autopsy in Africa is different in many ways; tales of crocodiles, tigers, ostriches and lightning strikes, always portrayed with respect. Altogether an interesting read. The las portion of the book is musings on life and death and the lessons the author has learned throughout his career. A dedicated and thoughtful man.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

It's always a bit different in Africa, the good and the bad. It's a tough life being a forensic pathologist in South Africa, but it seems like it is also rewarding. The cases and stories in this book are intriguing, and even though I'm not sure I can stomach them in real life, it was eye-opening to read about different autopsies.

I have a huge respect for Pyan Blumenthal and his colleagues doing what they do in the different settings with expectations not always easy to fulfill. It is not a glamorous profession, and you don't do it for the money. It's easy to read between the lines that the author is doing the job he was meant to do.

Even though it is morbid, hot, the hours are long, the hands are few, it is still a rewarding job. I especially enjoyed the stories about different ways people have died (if you are allowed to say you enjoyed these stories), not because of the death themselves, but because it says a lot about South Africa, its people, and culture. Highly recommended book!

An interesting memoir - Blumenthal paints a vivid portrait of the commonplaces (flies) and curiosities of the medical examiner/pathologist in South Africa. It's specific to that experience; it does feel in places like it could use more depth / longer studies of his past cases, but Blumenthal is clear that this memoir is not designed to satisfy the grisly appetites of true crime afionciados, and to provide the overall portrait which it does.

What originally brought me to the memoir was the idea that we would read about the weird and strange, even the mundane, autopsies the author conducted. Unfortunately, the stories were more "140 character tweets" than in-depth accounts.

I would have encouraged the author to simplify his language to allow for a wider audience, more accessible to his mission of advancing pathology. Perhaps restructuring the chapters would have also allowed for a more cohesive account that limited certain areas' repetitive feel.

I thought this book was fascinating! I have a background in laboratory science which helped me get a better understanding of the cases presented, but the book is written in a way that a background in health or laboratory science is not necessary. If you have any interest at all in forensic pathology or what goes on behind the scenes in a hospital, I would highly recommend reading this book. The cases that he presents deal with death due to unnatural causes which can mean any number of things. Dr. Ryan Blumenthal explains the anatomy and physiology, but also all of the other science, math and deduction involved in finding the cause of death. This book is truly insightful!

Very good. Just what it says, everything you always wanted to know about autopsies. These take place in South Africa so aside from normal, average human deaths there are also deaths due to contact with the wild creatures out there. The writing quality is very good. The author/publisher has gone out of his way to make sure grammar is correct and no spelling errors. Very easy and engrossing to read. IF you have a tough stomach for the material.

There is so much helpful information about being a Forensic Pathologist from the type of equipment available in South Africa as apposed to say America to terminology. The author recounts some case information while leaving out personal (name, DOB, etc), his views of life and death.

I highly recommend this is you want to learn more about being a Forensic Pathologist.

Thank you Netgalley, Ryan Blumenthal and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book! All opinions are my own.

Rating 5 stars

Book Review for Autopsy by Ryan Blumenthal
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

As a medical detective of the modern world, forensic pathologist Ryan Blumenthal’s chief goal is to bring perpetrators to justice. He has performed thousands of autopsies, which have helped bring numerous criminals to book. In Autopsy he covers the hard lessons learnt as a rookie pathologist, as well as some of the most unusual cases he’s encountered.

As a nurse, these kinds of genres and books fascinate me and are always on the top of my to be read list. The book is informative and educational yet intimately personal. The author's knowledge of his subject is remarkable and obvious and you can tell how much time and effort has gone into writing this book.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! I'd say it's a bit like going out for dinner with a forensic pathologist, as some of what the author talks about are specific cases; what he did, what he discovered, and what the outcome was etc, whereas in other areas be discusses his general musings on life. I found it very interesting to read the difference that a doctor in South Africa has to face compared to a doctor in say America, not only in terms of cases, but also the equipment available to them. This is a fairly easy read, though there is quite a bit of medical terminology put in it, and is something you would quite likely pick up again to reread

I DNF this one at 30%

Expecting something of a similar vein to other books that I have enjoyed in this field; I admit to feeling a bit let down. The authors views were conflicting throughout what I read, and his tone was often flippant when discussing such a sensitive subject. The cases discussed were very minimally discussed, with most emphasis on what I felt were random tidbits of his life, which I really wasn't expecting to be reading - I have a fascination with the subject matter, but this one fell very short of the mark for me.

Massive thanks the publisher for granting me early access to 'Autopsy'.