I do believe I’ve mentioned more than once that one of my favorite non-fiction subjects is the dead (corpses, not Grateful). This fascination has led me down some interesting reading avenues, including employment. It turns out that there’s quite a few professions that involve the dead, some you may not know about. Or even want to know about.

Though I’ve been told that I have the temperament to work with the dead, I’m not sure I could do it. However, I can read about those professions all day long and never get bored.

What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher- True Crime non-fiction with a memoir twist, Barbara Butcher was in the early stages of alcoholism recovery when she lucked into a job at the Medical Examiner’s Office and became the second woman death investigator in New York City. She loved the work and it turned out she was really good at it. It could be grueling, gruesome, morbid, and sometimes dangerous. It’s the kind of work that can only be compartmentalized for so long before that box breaks down.

The author discusses some of her more memorable cases -she’s investigated more than 5,500 death scenes- and populates her stories with the colorful characters she’s worked with. However, she also describes the toll the job took on her and that despite loving the gig, it nearly broke her. It’s an unflinching look at an incredible job.

Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by Robert A. Jensen- Another book that’s part memoir, this one delves into the world of disaster recovery. Did you ever think about what happens after a major disaster like a tidal wave or airplane crash or building collapse? Someone has to go in there to retrieve the bodies and their possessions. Robert Jensen is the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company. He and his teams do the unthinkable: recover the dead after a mass casualty event. His team has responded to incidents all over the world, including 9/11, the Bali Bombings, the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, and the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, working to give the survivors what they can of the victims.

The book goes into the details of many of these incidents as well as just how a disaster management company works. It’s eye opening to see how much time and work goes into cleaning up after these incidents and how little they can sometimes offer the next of kin. The book also details the toll this kind of work takes on the author’s life and how it’s not a job for just anyone.

All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell- This book covers all of the death-related careers you could think of and a few that you never dreamed of. There are the traditional jobs like funeral directors, embalmers, and grave diggers. Then there are the jobs that you’d rather not think about like executioners and crime scene cleaners. There are jobs that are kind of far out there like in cryogenics. And then there are the gigs that you didn’t even know existed. Did you know people still make death masks?

What I really like about this book is that every job is treated with dignity and respect. The death industry is a difficult one and for a majority of the public, something no one wants to deal with until they absolutely have to. But there are certain people to whom these careers are a calling and they make their living doing what others couldn’t. After all, someone has to do it. Might as well be someone who loves their job.

If you give these books a try, I hope you find a job you like. If not, then I’m sure you’ll find something else in the want ads.