Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist by Richard Shepherd

9 reviews

lapuce1006's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Alcohol, Child abuse, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Blood, Suicide, Self harm, Rape, Police brutality, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, Dementia, Sexual content, Racism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Alcoholism, and Addiction

nojerama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

A follow up from reading Beyond The Tape by Dr Marie Cassidy last year. A fascinating book that captivated me from the get go, and the more reflective tone and focus on Dr Shepherd's mental health was an interesting perspective to pair alongside the clinical case studies. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Hate crime, Self harm, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Abandonment, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Cursing, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Dementia, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Excrement

alisonannk's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Medical content, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, Death, Hate crime, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcoholism, Police brutality, and Racism

Minor: Cancer

_shonahenderson's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Police brutality, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Violence

emily_p1's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

jen_abrahall's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

5.0

I absolutely loved this book, despite the ‘big book fear’ i absolutely loved this one. i perhaps have an unhealthy interest in true crime but this left me satisfied that i’d understood the complexities of the cases from a pathological perspective. Admittedly a little graphic at times but i fear without this the enormity of Dr Shepard’s work and career would be lost on the reader. thoroughly interesting and enjoyable.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Child abuse, Car accident, Cancer, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

aliceloyallaleon's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Stalking, Self harm, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Car accident, Cancer, Blood, and Addiction

hereshereads's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Drug use, and Cancer

sheryl_macca's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Categorising this book is complicated for the best of reasons. It is more than just a memoir. Unnatural Causes is a blend of personal reflection on marriage, fatherhood, mental health and on achievement and career success. It is a blend of true crime, science and recent historical events. It's written with honesty, openness and admiration for colleagues and personal heroes. It's written with great respect for the dead, their families, his own family and for procedure and justice. Unnatural Causes is absolutely fascinating.

Dr Richard Shepherd was a/the pathologist in a variety of well known cases; Joy Gardner, Stephen Lawrence, Lady Diana, Dr Harold Shipman, Derrick Bird. He was also a/the pathologist in a variety of major incidents; 9/11, Hungerford, terrorist attacks by Osama Bin Laden.

Dr Richard Shepherd was also instrumental, pivotal even, in the development of life saving policy and procedures regarding London's major incident plans and the safe restraint of people in custody.

Dr Richard Shepherd is also a calming force, a courageous and quiet man with a great sense of responsibility. He'saa man who admits his mistakes. He's a man who lives with PTSD, panic attacks and who isn't afraid to let the reader in.

Unnatural Causes is gripping, emotional, interesting and informative. It is macabre in parts and there are challenging sections but it's thoroughly enjoyable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Hate crime

Minor: Infidelity