This memoir of one of the most famous medical examiners is a decent showing. It is immediately clear that Dr. Baden's strength is science, rather than writing -- many of his cases lack a proper setup, climax and/or conclusion and he could stand to add some excitement to his descriptions of his findings.

The two major flaws of this book are length and audience. At approximately 250 pages for a narrative that covers Kennedy, Belushi, Marilyn Monroe, three serial killers, a prison riot, Baden's sundry employment history and several other chapters, each section can only be granted 2-3 pages, which really undermines the richness of the narrative. In terms of Dr. Baden's intended audience, it is simply unclear. He states in his conclusions that one of his intentions is to encourage more medical students to enter the field; however, as a senior medical student, I was untouched by his accounts. The clinical discussion did not occur at a high enough scientific level to intrigue me. At the other extreme, I am doubtful of how interesting this book would be to a purely lay audience -- there are several pages dedicated to the politics of the office of medical examiner, untold descriptions of hyoid bone fractures and petechiae and vitreous fluid, much of which with little explanation. A third drawback is that Unnatural Death is beginning to show its age -- Baden's discussion of the pathophysiology of cirrhosis is outdated and his account of how to prevent SIDS makes no mention of sleeping position, which is now the standard of care.

Nevertheless, Unnatural Death is a quick read and a rare first hand account of the myriad of roles taken on by a medical examiner, from autopsy to crime scene investigation to courtroom. If you can overcome the awkward pacing and uncanny valley between medical text and popular science book, it is certainly worth a read. ( )

a Medical Examiner's prime cases

Like many others that have read this book, I first encountered Dr. Michael Baden as the host of HBO's Autopsy documentary series in the early 90's. As someone that at the time aspired to become a forensic pathologist, I was deeply fascinated by the show and I was absolutely delighted when I happened upon a copy of Dr. Baden’s book Unnatural Death.

Having spent a large part of my youth combing through every true crime magazine I could get my hands on, this book was the next evolution for me being written by one of the leading forensic pathologists in the world! I have to say I was certainly not disappointed!

The stories are clear and concise and narrated in a manner similar to the way Dr. Baden told the stories he shared on the Autopsy program. He details a wide range of elements relating to the training and duty of a medical examiner and cites a several examples to illustrate his points. The cases in this book range from investigations of celebrity deaths, including those of Elvis Presley and John Belushi, to the outcome of famous events like the riots at Attica Prison, to lesser known, but equally fascinating tales involving unique cases most have probably never heard of.

The downside of the book, looking back in retrospect, is that it is relatively small and does not delve into the details to any of the cases much beyond the scope of those old true crime magazines. In my youth, I would have naturally overlooked this failing and been excited for the many details of these cases that were new and fresh to me, but as an older adult, this work falls short. Also I must point out that while this book is an excellent window into the view of these cases during the period in which it was written, it is woefully outdated as the field of forensic pathology has progressed exponentially since the books was written over a quarter century ago!

In all, still a good read and something I could easily recommend to anyone with a passion for tales of true crime! Though I have cited the books shortcomings, I am giving the book 4 Stars because of the impact it one had on me when I encountered it years ago. Not sure I would be as generous if it were a more recent read! ( )

Graphically accurate descriptions of autopsies and decaying bodies are the based for Baden’s most interesting recollections of forensic medicine. Follow the details as Doctor Baden revisits bodies, trace evidence, and tangled relationships. Science contrasted with against scientific as case after case in examined to find the real cause of death. ( )

Recommended by Pancha