Books like Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner
12 books with a reading profile close to Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek. Clear-cut; a moderate read.
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1
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
Caitlin Doughty recounts her entry into the funeral industry, specifically her time spent operating the retorts at West Laurel Cemetery in Oakland.
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2
Orange Is the New Black
by Piper Kerman
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
Piper Kerman recounts the year she spent in a minimum-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, following a decade-old conviction for drug money laundering.
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3
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
Deborah Rodriguez, an American hairdresser from Michigan, traveled to Afghanistan in 2002 as part of a humanitarian aid mission following the fall of the Taliban.
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4
JUNGLEKEEPER
by Paul Rosolie
memoir, narrative
Paul Rosolie recounts his experiences living within the deep Amazon basin, focusing on the immediate realities of rainforest conservation.
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5
The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
Lawrence Anthony accepts a rogue herd of wild elephants onto his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, South Africa, to save them from being shot.
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6
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
by Ruth Reichl
memoir, narrative
In this memoir, Ruth Reichl details her tenure as the restaurant critic for the New York Times, where she utilized elaborate costumes and personas to avoid detection by staff.
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7
Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves
by Farley Mowat
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
In 1948, the Canadian Wildlife Service dispatched biologist Farley Mowat to the Keewatin Barrens to document the perceived slaughter of caribou herds by Arctic wolves.
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8
Permanent Record
memoir, narrative
Edward Snowden details his transition from a committed CIA and NSA technologist to a whistleblower who exposed the United States government’s system of mass digital surveillance.
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9
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
David Sedaris organizes this collection around his move from New York to Normandy and the resulting linguistic displacement.
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10
Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases
by Paul Holes
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
Paul Holes traces his twenty-four-year career as a cold case investigator, centered primarily on the decades-long pursuit of the Golden State Killer.
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11
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
memoir, narrative
In this collection of autobiographical essays, David Sedaris recounts the friction and absurdity inherent in his middle-class upbringing and adult life.
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12
107 Days
Also clear-cut · memoir, narrative
In 107 Days, Kamala Harris provides a chronological account of the compressed 2024 presidential campaign following the transition at the top of the Democratic ticket.
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