Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
by Mary Roach
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Book Reviews of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Book Review: Death need not be the end....Its the start of a amazing, gross, and sometimes strange journey in the mortal world
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this book.
Can I say it any other way?
Yes, it can be gross and Mrs Roach does not mince the details...but hay, someone's got to tell it as it is! If your squeamish just don't eat before you read.
Personally as a deer hunter, vet for my own personal animals, and the fact I used to volunteer for the "road reclamation committee"(road kill clean up) I have a very strong stomach.
I also tend to be a tomboyish type of girl too sooooooooo.
This book takes you an an amazing journey that you will not experience personally when you die..but what your relatives (or you) could experience in your family.
This book helps you see
The pros and cons of scientific body donation
The history of the cadaver
What your dead decomposing body can tell the CSI folk
What happens when you die "all natural" in the woods
What you will experience in the undertakers office
Different types of burial practices, and new age ideas
and last but not least...(my favorite) how they will analyze your body in a plane (or car) crash.
Who said being dead was no fun?
You will never look at flies the same way again
(nor the maggot ridden dear on the side of the road, you can hear them<maggots> at work!)
So grab some Petroleum Jelly (smell), wear disposable book covers (slime and ick), and have a shower handy.
For after you read this book you will probably have family gathering on exactly how you want to go.....but have the lawyer present because once you go....they don't have to "listen or do" as you told them to any Review: Not for the weak of heart (or stomach)
Summary: 4 Stars Anatomy was the only part of my high school biology class that really interested me, so I thought I'd enjoy "Stiff." This book is basically a very detailed account of the various things that happen to dead bodies. Believe it or not, in addition to being incredibly well-researched and thorough, this book is actually humorous...which is truly an amazing accomplishment on the author's part, considering that we're talking about human corpses here!
"Stiff" explores various topics related to cadavers. The book includes information on early medical experimentation, grave robbers, modern day medical and forensic studies, and the process of human decay. There are also chapters devoted to cannibalism, traditional methods of body disposal (burial, cremation, etc.), and even decapitation. Author Mary Roach is very detailed in her descriptions of the ghastliest of processes, and she also happens to be wickedly funny. This is an excellent book...however, readers need to make sure that their "gross/morbidity tolerance levels" are up to par. As I said, I was always interested in anatomy, but after I got through the first few chapters of this book, I couldn't handle the incredibly graphic descriptions of very disgusting things that I can't bring myself to go into detail about here. (Let's just say that the words "larvae" and "body" don't mesh together very well in my book...and that's not even the yuckiest thing I read!)
Bottom line: "Stiff" is definitely a great book. I'm sure that anyone in the medical or forensic field will love it, as well as other people who have an exceptionally high tolerance for grossness!
Book Review: Satisfaction for the Curious
Summary: 4 Stars
After receiving the book, "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers", I immediately began to read it. My own mother recently donated her body to science after suffering with malignant melonoma cancer. She wanted to help in any way she could to improve the lives of others with whatever she could give of herself. Although I was a bit uneasy with the thought of discovering what lay beneath the cover of the book, I also had an overwhelming need to know what bodies like my mother's would go through on their journeys into science.
I didn't find the book as humorous as some; I'm sure it is because my grief is still so fresh. However, I was pleased with Mrs. Roach's attempt to lighten the morbid with a bit of humor. My mother always said if we can find a reason to laugh, we can get through almost any situation. So, I felt it appropriate that Mrs. Roach used humor throughout her story.
Thank you to Mary Roach for helping me understand my mom's final contribution to human-kind a bit more. It is oddly a strange sort of comfort even as it is a bit disturbing during my time of grief.
I would recommend this book only to those who are strong enough to accept reality and practical uses without having nightmares once they know the truth of the situation. Giving one's body to research is a natural and healthy acceptance of the inevitable. It is an honor to me that my mother could be of service in this way, and a gift that someone stepped up to the plate to be brave enough to write about the adventures a body can undergo once the spirit has parted.
Book Review: Hilarious and Fascinating
Summary: 5 Stars
"The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back."So begins "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," the hillarious, fascinating, and, yes, sometimes gross new book by Mary Roach.
As Ms. Roach wisely points out, "By and large, the dead aren't very talented. They can't play water polo, or lace up their boots, or maximize market share. They can't tell a joke, and they can't dance for beans." Fortunately dead bodies have many productive (though often quite bizarre) uses.
Always as respectful as she is informative, Ms. Roach takes readers through a riotously funny look at the many uses of dead bodies - including safety research ("Dead Man Driving"), medical experimentation, surgical practice (face-lifts on decapitated human heads), "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants, quantifying rates of decay, methods of disposal (okay, sure but composting?!), grave digging, and of course, that timeless favorite cannibalism.
You won't be able to put it down, even after reading about her trip to China to find a crematorium that allegedly fills dumplings with human remains.
Don't worry, "Stiff" is not a morbid book. As Roach explained to her former colleagues at Salon.com, "This isn't a book about death. It's a book about dead bodies. They're two very different things."
And the dumplings probably just taste like chicken.
Book Review: Fascinating!
Summary: 5 Stars
The cover certainly caught my eye! This book answers many questions regarding what happens to a body afterwards via embalming, burial, cremation, being left in a field, or by donating it to science. The book is written in an engaging manner which can be easily understood by a normal person. The author also makes you aware of how important cadavers are to society. I never gave much thought to how many safety items are a result of cadaver studies (airbags, seatbelts, body armor). I appreciate the author's respect for cadavers. She emphasizes many times that individuals donating their bodies to science are truly selfless people whose gift benefits society. There certainly are morbid sections (cannibalism) that may turn the reader off but each chapter heading tells you what the subject is. You can skip the chapters that may disturb/disgust you. I'm glad I read this book because I wasn't aware of the many choices I had. This book is very thought provoking especially if you choose to do something nonconventional. My friends think I'm weird for having read this (and enjoying it). They didn't appreciate my questions and comments. I had a talk with my husband regarding the choices. I wanted to know if I did "this" would he be ok with it? Apparently, this whole subject matter bothers him so much that he refuses to discuss it. Be prepared to face the same reaction with your loved ones. The author didn't convince me enough to donate my body however I did think about it.