The humanity, delicacy and sheer grit exhibited here and elsewhere in the book would alone have me recommending this book. Though she always emphasises how imperative it is for those who work with the dead to show the proper respect, there's an added gravity in her tone when talking about the victims of atrocities in Kosovo. Black is a Forensic Anthropologist and a professor at Dundee University, and is obviously an expert in her work, and it is clear, that she holds a passion for what she does.

It was these chapters I found the most interesting, as it builds on knowledge the reader takes from earlier chapters.The harrowing stories of her involvement in identifying mountains of bones in charred buildings in Kosovo in the 90’s or in body identification after the Boxing Day Tsunami in Thailand are the most powerful and moving parts of the book, these have an emotional immediacy to them that other parts of the book lack. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. From 2003 to 2018 she was Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee.

In All that Remains she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and what her work has taught her. A bunch of notes on the author's personal life, private meetings with death, career and anthropology. I love that she talks about the cognitive and emotional difficulties of the job and the strategies she uses for her own mental health. She gives background on the profession and the day-to-day expectations in her various careers, combined with her roles as a mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and mentor. My favorite chapter was on Kosovo; elsewhere I found the mixture of science and memoir slightly off, and the voice never fully drew me in.I think there must be better books out there that could describe forensics and pathology in a more clinical, better written and interesting way without the philosophical meanderings. Sue talks about her early life in Inverness and Dundee and what sparked her interest in getting into the field of forensic anthropology and anatomy. Sue Black is a formidable woman with a singular personality, set of skills and knowledge to do everyday what would terrify most people.

In All That Remains she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed, and examining what her life and work has taught her. I loved that bit where the author works with a bunch of guys on the team and immediately fills in the maternal role. What surprises me, is that she can walk into an area where there are many fatalities, including women and children, who have been through needless suffering, but she is scared shitless of rats.Besides, many of us ordinary general readers probably couldn’t handle too much of graphic medical narratives, although she does get into general descriptions of rotting bodies, and of bodies having been torn apart or damaged, and the smells and appearances of a dead body. Having read 8 chapters, the majority of it is a glorified memoir of her work and serves solely to inflate her ego. I found that at times I had to step away from it, because although fascinating, I found myself becoming too attached to the cases. But when it comes down to it the book is split into two parts - memoir and philosophy in the first 100 pages, and your standard forensic nonfiction in the rest. I will say that I cannot agree with her when she justifies tearing up several thousand trees to hopefully find the remains of a woman and her child who had gone missing over thirty years ago.