So, You Want to Work with the Ancient and Recent Dead?: Unearthing Careers from Paleontology to Forensic Science

Gr 6–10—Hooking readers with references to the macabre, this title offers glimpses into a wide spectrum of fields. Profiles of different individuals (a mortician, a taxidermist, a federal government archaeologist) provide perspective on training and other requirements, job expectations, and related points of interest. A funeral director who blogs about her work and speaks frankly about her battle with depression is particularly insightful. Some of the profiles examine students with a passion for a given field, such as a 12-year-old bug collector, offering both an entry point for readers and a view of hobbies that may lead to a career choice later on. Frequent sidebars break up the text and add context about, for example, cremation and burial customs. The variety of subjects tends to the quirky; there's a profile of an actor who portrays dead characters, a look at "interesting animals of taxidermy," and a lengthy discussion of various methods for radiocarbon dating. Career profiles are presented in a formal questionnaire format, and some are unfocused and overly long. Though there are some ink drawings, there are no photographs. The volume concludes with nearly 30 pages of resources, including web addresses for professional organizations, an extensive glossary, and listings of books and journal articles outlining many of the professions.