“Throw back more than you catch and, why, there’s always going to be something there tomorrow.”
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional foot stylist, a forensic cleaner or even a dinosaur fossil hunter? Most of us know about the routines of doctors, teachers and cashiers through countless books; however, the literary world also offers us a peek behind the curtain at some truly unique occupations. Books that delve into unusual careers don’t just entertain – they expand our understanding of the world, bringing to life the jobs we rarely get to hear about. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would celebrate the quirky and the bizarre with a collection of stories that bring new perspectives and highlight both the challenges and rewards of careers you might never expect. Whether you’re curious about niche industries or looking for your next career prospect, get ready to explore some of the most unusual careers ever put to page!
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit – Jeanette Winterson
First up on our list of books featuring unusual careers comes from Jeanette Winterson in her 1985 work, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. The story centres around Jeanette’s life as she is adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God’s chosen elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems destined for a devoted career as a missionary, until she falls for one of her converts.
At sixteen years old, Jeanette chooses to leave the church, her home and her family all for the young woman she has fallen in love with. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a punchy and candid ride into the bizarre communities of excessive religious communities and a tale of human obsession that readers are sure to find fascinating.
The Stranger In The Woods: The Extraordinary Story Of The Last True Hermit – Michael Finkel
In 1986, an introverted and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and vanished into the forest. He would not speak to another human for nearly thirty years before he was arrested for stealing some food. Living in a tent even through the brutal winters, he had survived alone in the wilderness purely through his own wit and courage, engineering ingenious ways of storing edibles and water to avoid freezing to death.
He would break into nearby cottages for food and clothes, terrifying the local community but never taking more than he needed. Featuring exclusive interviews with Knight himself, Michael Finkel’s The Stranger in the Woods lifts the lid on what led to him venturing into the unknown, what he learned out there, and the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. One of the most gripping books about unusual lives, it is a story of survival and a portrait of a man determined to forge his own existence.
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I Can Get Paid For That?: 99 Creative Careers To Live A Life Less Ordinary – Jo Stewart
Jo Stewart’s I Can Get Paid For That? is an inspirational and practical guidebook that takes readers on a tour across ninety-nine of the most unusual and relatively unexplored creative career options – be it smokejumpers, fortune cookie writers, food stylists, golf ball divers to perfumers.
Whilst not all of the career prospects covered in Stewarts work are for everyone, others may just prove to be the ideal fit for a reader’s skill set, interests, talents and curiosities. Uplifting, positive and a handy guide for those who like to think outside of the box, this is an alternative career guide that your counsellors at school were far too afraid to talk about.
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons From The Crematory – Caitlin Doughty
Claire Doughtery – a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a fascination with the macabre – found herself working at a crematory where her morbid curiosity suddenly became her life’s work. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and unforgettable scenes. Caring for the deceased of every colour, shape and affliction, Caitlin soon finds herself as a skilled explorer of the world of the dead.
Through her insights, experiences and reflections, readers are offered one of the most candid and at times hilarious journeys into the strange history of cremation, undertaking and funeral practices around the world. Honest and heartfelt, this unusual career book demystifies death and broaches an otherwise taboo subject in both an approachable and engrossing manner.
The Secret Life Of Lobsters: How Fishermen And Scientists Are Unraveling The Mysteries Of Our Favourite Crustacean – Trevor Corson
In The Secret Life of Lobsters, journalist Trevor Corson offers an intimate picture of an island lobstering community and an eccentric cast of renegade biologists. Following them on board the slippery decks of fishing boats, through danger-filled scuba dives and deep into the churning currents of the Gulf of Maine, he offers the most comprehensive guide about the secret undersea lives of lobsters, the science behind the act of fishing them, as well as one of the most unusual career paths available on the seven seas.
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly – Anthony Bourdain
Over twenty years ago, then-little-known chef Anthony Bourdain took readers behind the doors and into what life was really like working in the culinary world in his infamous New Yorker article: ‘Don’t Eat Before Reading This’.
Now, in Kitchen Confidential, readers are treated to another one of the most addictive, confessional and unsparing accounts about Bourdain’s years in the restaurant industry. Laying out over a quarter of a century’s worth of drugs, sex and haute cuisine, this banquet of tales comes complete with previously unpublished photos as well as some of the most jaw-dropping tales that will completely upend your assumptions about the foodie world.
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, And The Making Of A Medical Examiner – Judy Melinek And T.J. Mitchell
Just two months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dr Judy Melinek set out on her training as a forensic pathologist in New York City. Diving headlong into the world of death scenes and investigations, performing autopsies, and counselling grieving loved ones, Working Stiff is Dr Melinek’s fearless memoir about some of the most harrowing deaths the Big Apple has ever witnessed.
Gripping, energetic and action-packed, Working Stiff offers an insight into daily life working in one of the most arduous and unusual careers in America. Dr Melinek chronicles the suicides, murders and accidents that all landed on her table, dispelling the glamorous preconceptions so many of us have on the back of high-production television shows and showing us the real realities inside the morgue.
Garbage Land: On The Secret Trail Of Trash – Elizabeth Royte
Elizabeth Royte offers readers one of the most oddly fascinating books about unusual jobs in her work, Garbage Land, a comprehensive exploration into the heart of the humble American trash can.
Whether it’s dead batteries, unfinished burritos, broken toys, scratched cassettes or gone-bad banana skins, Royte investigates the world of waste management by following the rubbish from our homes to landfills and recycling centres. Along the way, she asks: in a society that consumes and then casts off more excessively than ever before, what actually happens to the things we throw away?
The Soul Of An Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into The Wonder Of Consciousness – Sy Montgomery
In her quest to understand all there is to know about octopuses, naturalist Sy Montgomery takes readers on an epic journey from New England aquariums to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico in her book, The Soul of an Octopus. Befriending octopuses of all shapes and sizes from gentle Athena, and assertive Octavia to curious Kali, Montgomery demonstrates the intelligence and personalities on show with these animals in ways like never before.
From their problem-solving capabilities to the mysterious ways in which they change their colour, Montgomery’s joyful passion shines through throughout her investigation, documenting our growing appreciation for this mollusc. The Soul of an Octopus is also a touching and profound exploration of what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two altogether different minds.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
