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: VERY fascinating, but cheesy attempts at humor
Summary: 4 Stars
I think the book is extremely fascinating, and thought provoking (i.e. I now feel like I owe it to the world to donate my body to research when I die). She tactfully describes some very gory and grotesque scenes in a way that helps the reader cope just as much as she had to make herself cope being in front of the action. Even as the reader, you feel you have to respect the cadavers you are reading about as previously living beings, but at the same time, realize they are now nothing more than lifeless masses that offer a lot of valuable knowledge to the living.
She was able to respectfully describe the humor in certain situations in the book (such as the serious, but comical, mishaps of the people trying to prep the cadaver for the shoulder impact test for the auto crash study). But I thought her attempts to try to be comical (not describing something that was comical, but using plays on words, puns, one-liners, etc.) were forced, used too liberally, and rarely funny. Maybe it was an attempt to add additional levity to a very serious matter, or maybe it was just her simply trying to be funny. Either way, I thought the book could have just as easily done without.
But overall, I would highly recommend the book. I don't know how accurate a lot of the 100+ year old historical references are, but they are very interesting and add greatly to the book nonetheless.
Book Review: Useful (or not) Knowledge
Summary: 5 Stars
My daughter Vicki recommended this book to me. She works in the medical community and thought it was great. I agree whole-heartedly.
One of the Amazon reviews I read had mentioned the word "boring". I would sure like to meet this person as they must be one strange dude. Every single page was fascinating and informative. I consider myself a well rounded autodidact. Well...Mary Roach just took me to school again!
At around 300 pages and 12 compelling chapters I was sad to see it end. While the writing was first rate - the humor top drawer and the selection of topics spot on, I was mostly impressed with the huge amount of knowledge that can be gleamed from these pages. While it may not be useful knowledge nevertheless it is so interesting that I can virtually guarantee that a reader will be pleasantly surprised if they happen to pick up this book.
I also enjoyed the book by Dr. Bill Bass - Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales and the fiction work Body of Lies (Eve Duncan)
I hope you find my opinion helpful.
Michael L. Gooch
Author of Wingtips with Spurs
Book Review: Stiff
Summary: 5 Stars
Mary Roach has written about a difficult topic (the "life" of a human cadaver) with humor, in an interesting style which keeps the reader engaged, not wanting to put the book down. If one is curious, and likes learning new facts, plenty in this book to satisfy this need. If you seek knowledge about how research on cadavers can help to save lives for the living--this is your book. Personally, for me, these two factors were the strongest reasons for my liking the book--it will be one of my favorites for 2011.
If I were contemplating this book, I would think about how I felt about death, and the process of dying first. If the idea horrifies, don't read it. If you can't bear to read about autopsy, dissection or decomposition, don't read this. Although I am 73, so statistically closer to death than many reading this, in multiple ways, I thought it a comforting book about the process, strangely enough, and perhaps other readers would agree. May want to make the reader contemplate anatomical donation as a choice, which is a good thing. Thousands of lives have been saved, for instance, though research with motor vehicle crashes, using cadavers, to institute safety devices, or build safer cars. Surgeon's skills are improved through use of cadavers for new techniques. And, so many other ways that our bodies can be successfully utilized, that Mary Roach tells us about.
Book Review: Great reading!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got a lot of strange looks when people saw me reading this book, but I've got to tell you, it was so captivating that I could not put it down and I wanted everyone I knew to read it. Death is not something to fear, and this book really opened my eyes and showed me that it is selfish in death not to give something back to the living. To allow for your body to teach lessons and to prolong life for others, that is truly the greatest thing that one can do. The body really is just a shell, and once we don't need it, why waste it?
I had two relatives who both donated their cadavers to medical science, because in life they had been medical doctors and realized the importance of medical research and the gift of anatomical donation. I respected their decision. I currently have two terminally ill relatives, one of whom is suffering from a very rare neurological disease called supranuclear palsy, and because of STIFF, my family members have all agreed to donating her brain in hopes that her brain and the research that they will conduct upon it can save lives and broaden medical knowledge.
This book is excellently written, it's entertaining, and it's also incredibly earnest. Life is a terminal illness, and we're all headed the same way, and you can either fear death, or welcome the inevitable with open arms and leave behind some lessons for the living.
Book Review: Secrets Beyond The Grave
Summary: 4 Stars
Stiff is an awesome book! When I first discovered this book I thought it would just be about how people die, and what happens to them. But let me tell you, this book is NOT like that at all, it is incredible! This book is all about how scientists and doctors use cadavers to study diseases, and practice procedures on them. For many years, cadavers (willingly, some unwittingly) have been involved in science's strides and weirdest procedures. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their own quiet way. In this fascinating book, Mary Roach talks about the good of cadavers over the years. From the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe, to a human decay research facility to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a funeral directors' conference on human composting. The author truly gives life to the cadavers, and gives them a voice. She structures the text so well, there is a definite pattern where she previews the history and explains it so well. She also gives a lot of information. Lastly, she uses plot. I liked how the whole book was of facts. I also liked how she went back and forth through history, and her own experiences. There was nothing I didn't like about this book.