I'm 17 and trying to decide between nursing and mortuary science. This book gave me the actual facts — like what a 10-hour shift really looks like, and the fact that I'd need around 2 years of school and an apprenticeship. The chapter on pay was worth the price alone. I feel like I can actually make a list of pros and cons now instead of just guessing. My mom read it too and she's less freaked out about my choice.

I've been a firefighter for 12 years and I'm looking for a change. This guide is the first thing that made embalming seem real and not mysterious. I appreciated the straight talk about the physical toll — the standing, the lifting, the masks — and the section on how to get hired with no experience. The salary table by region was exactly what I needed to talk to my wife about the move. Solid, practical, no fluff.

Good guide overall. I liked the day-in-the-life chapter — it made the job feel tangible, and the honest bit about on-call hours was important to hear. I docked one star because the chapter on education felt a little rushed; I would have liked more specific examples of what to look for in a mortuary school vs. a general biology degree. But the checklist in chapter two did help me realize I might not have the stomach for it, which saved me a lot of money.

This covers the basics well, but it reads a bit too much like a brochure at times. The author clearly wants you to take the job seriously, which is fair, but I wanted more about the emotional strain on relationships and family. The salary numbers are real, so that was helpful. If you know absolutely nothing about the industry, this is a decent starting point, but don't expect it to tell you everything about what it's like to handle your first body alone.