The Seven Ages of Death: ‘Every chapter is like a detective story’ Telegraph

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From old to young, murder to misadventure, and illness to accidental death, each body has something to reveal - about its owner's life story, how we age, justice, society, the certainty of death. The experience of listening to this audiobook was a strange one. The first book by Richard Shepherd was released approx. 3 years ago. That first book was more of a biography threaded through strange or controversial cases worked on by this pathologist. This second book offers more in-depth discussion on other cases centered around accidents, murders, loneliness, suicide, and natural deaths across the young and more mature generations. This time, biographical aspects are more limited, while the coverage of poignant, peculiar, or baffling cases is more fluid and sometimes relentless. The heart-wrenchingly honest new book about life and death from forensic pathologist and best-selling author of Unnatural Causes , Dr Richard Shepherd. From the bestselling author of Unnatural Causes comes a powerful, moving and above all reassuring book about death as it touches our own lives - how to understand it, how best to postpone it, and, when our time comes (as it must), how to embrace it as the last great adventure.

From the bestselling author of Unnatural Causes comes a powerful, moving, endlessly fascinating and above all reassuring book about death as it touches our own lives - how to understand it, how best to postpone it, and, when our time comes (as it must come), how to embrace it, as the last great adventure on our journey through life. He is old and nothing like his former self – physically or mentally. He looks and behaves like an old man, dresses like one and he has a thin piping voice now. His influence slips away. He regards himself as wise and experienced and doesn’t mind sharing his views and ideas with anyone and likes making speeches. He’s made a name for himself and is prosperous and respected. As a result of his success, he’s become vain. He enjoys the finer things in life, like good food. Dr Shepherd’s narration and examination of thought-provoking cases creates a gloomy ambiance which is firmly buoyed by a detailed examination of the events that occur at cellular level in tissues, and major organs when the body ebbs with the stresses of age, disease or injury. It really can make one feel very vulnerable. The book will strike chords with those readers who become immersed in it. You will gain fascinating insights on aging and disease and human brutality.He has the ability to examine himself and other people with the same forensic eye that he applies to corpses - one of the reasons why his books feel so life-enhancing' Daily Telegraph Below is the complete ‘ages of man’ monologue from As You Like It – one of Shakespeare’s most famous and well liked passages: Well, Doc, It Seemed Like a Good Idea At The Time!: The Unexpected Adventures of a Trauma Surgeon - very good, review to come, Full of intriguing cases and interesting facts about the body in health and disease. Also reassuring that modern forensic techniques and the skills of pathologists can stop miscarriages of justice. The author is very frank about his own health troubles and honest over how he doesn't always follow health guidelines. Detective work is not just for criminal cases and it applies to medicine. Here Dr. Shephard shares twenty-four of his most clandestine cases telling us the lucid manner of how the patient lived, its movement and the subsequent demise. The body tells us its story if we have the patience to listen, observe and give it the focus needed. This book was recommended (not my usual genre).

From the bestselling author of Unnatural Causes comes a powerful, moving and above all reassuring book about death as it touches our own lives - how to understand it, and, when our time comes (as it must), how to embrace it as the last great adventure. I reached the mortuary and saw a couple of police cars were there already…a group of detectives and the coroner’s officer were hovering in their scrubs outside the post-mortem room…everyone hates that moment when they see the baby.” Richard Shepherd’s first book, Unnatural Causes, was a brilliant read. The follow-up book is just as good, maybe even better. The subtitle is A Forensic Pathologist’s Journey Through Life. From old to young, from murder to misadventure, and from illness to accidental death, each of these bodies has something to reveal: about human development, about mortality, about its owner's life story, about justice and even about Shepherd himself.

Through twenty-four of his most intriguing, enlightening and never-before-told cases, Dr Shepherd shares autopsies that span the seven ages of human existence, and have taught him as much about the marvels of life as the inevitability of death. The heart-wrenchingly honest new book about life and death from forensic pathologist and bestselling author of Unnatural Causes, Dr Richard Shepherd.