Rating: 
Summary: Informative. Disturbing. Charming.
Review: The title is a good litmus test to weed out the weak stomachs out there, but it is merely a hint of what the book uncovers. Overall it is an informative, interesting look at a subject most people completely avoid. I was thrilled that Roach was able to successfully mix humor with the ugly truth, and still come across as respectful and somewhat sensitive. On the other hand, I did find the parts containing animal abuse/cruely inflicted on live animals hard to get through. Unlike most of the human subjects in the book, the animals never had the opportunity to make the choice on the fate of their bodies.
Rating:
Summary: Dead On!
Review: Once I heard Mary Roach on NPR, I knew I HAD to get this book. It exceeded my expectations. I found it ran the gamut from laugh out loud hilarious to deeply touching. The chapter about being a brain dead organ donor was very life affirming. Now one caveat, if youre a person who thinks your own scabs are 'icky', won't take the kishkas out of a roaster, or dosen't perk up your ears when you overhear a conversation about entomological forensics, then this book is not for you. For those among us who enjoy a good gross out if it dosen't involve people in pain-then youre in for a treat with this one. Mary Roach leaves no stone unturned (sorry) as she covers everything from head transplants to ancient mummy powder aphrodesiacs.
I was very curious about the evolution of the human relationship with the dead. One can read about elaborate tombs of the aristocrats to the lowly common pits of the plauge years, but the interesting question for me remains why people decided to do, or not do, things with the dead. For example, dissection was prohibited, but surgery could be performed for an audience without anesthetic. A lot of those inconsistancies had to do with the good old mediaeval church, and its committment to preserving docterine at the expense of scientific accuracy (for an even better account, check out Papal Sin, by Gary Wills). Before I got too smug about our modern enlightenment, I learned that every day, we let gallons of usable blood go to waste becasue we won't take it from those who die in hospitals.
Besides learning the history of what mankind did with dead bodies, you learn about all of the amazing things that can happen to your corpse if you donate it to science. I personally love the idea of being smashed in a big flaming car wreck (have you driven a Ford lately?), or getting a free posthumous nose job.
We all have the power to save lives after death, and Roach asks us to give the matter serious consideration. But besides the noble pursuit utilitarianism, Roach boldly investigates such burning human questions like: so what does human flesh taste like? Are corpses good compost? and can we possibly avoid rotting?
I liked Mary Roach's style very much, but I don't think its for everyone. Some might feel uncomfortable at her sharp humor with regards to the dead, but see if you can withhold judgement until at least the middle. I found that her heart is very much in the right place, but who knows where it might end up?
Rating:
Summary: A light-hearted review of a serious matter
Review: The tremendous variety of uses for human corpses astounded me! The text is light-hearted (some say hilarious, but I wouldn't)but remains respectful of the deceased. The attidues and psychology of those who use the corpses are also covered. The book makes for quick reading. The style is engaging and the information presented is, to me anyway, unusual to a large extent. The book leaves us with questions such as: Could I work with a corpse? Would I wish my corpse to be donated so that it could be used in ways that are perhaps difficult to imagine in the interest of the betterment of humanity? If so how would my loved ones feel? I'm sure that these very personal questions will be pondered by the book's readers - I know I sure did. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: History of Medicine also included as a tasty sidebar*
Review: I encourage all persons who are still alive to read this book right away but --- Don't read this book in a library or any other place that humans are expected to keep silent. WARNING: Contents of "STIFF" will be cause to giggle, chuckle and discourtesly LAUGH ALOUD --- so, read this book in loud and disruly places. It is a hoot and everything in it is true and accurate information. Ever since I read "STIFF," I can't stop thinking about cremation for my own remains. I can't get the maggots out of my head....it's sad. Until I read this book, I never considered my Roman Catholic burial and funeral. No rotting or gleeting for me, no siree! Cremation is the only way to go. I am such a tidy thing...
Before I exhaust my thousand word limit, I have to inform all the potential readers of this book that the author, Ms Mary Roach did a lot of painstaking research on the history of anatomical dissection and study. There's a bunch of great stuff on the historical perspective...the ancient grave robbers have a chapter dedicated to themselves and their naughty obsessions.
But how else will we have learned about all the stinky stuff our bodies house?
I now have a healthy respect for my life and while I am alive, I best communicate with my family what I want done with my remains after I die. Thanks to this book, I now know how to tell when I'm dead...I don't want to rot and putrefy. Nor do I wish to bloat...I guess rigor mortis is unavoidable though...
HEY -- Have a nice day!
Rating:
Summary: Laugh-out-loud funny?
Review: Yep. Mary Roach's writing style is wonderful. Anyone who has ever considered donating their remains after death should read this book. Ms. Roach maintains respect for the "stars" of her book and gets her laughs at the expense of the living. This is an incredibly unique read!
Rating:
Summary: Death Never Seemed So Fascinating or Funny Before
Review: I first heard of STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers from a friend of mine by email. I thought, "Hmmmm This is weird. Why would she think I'd be interested in a book about death and dead people?? BUT...I was curious. I bought the book and couldn't put it down. It is utterly fascinating and very funny. Mary Roach's sense of humor is terrific and her little asides enliven (no joke intended) each section even more. As much as I wanted to, I kept myself from reading passages aloud to my wife. I didn't want to ruin the fun for her by reading all the good parts. Unfortunately, she'll have a long wait before getting her hands on my copy. I told so many people about how great this book is that there's a waiting list. Even my doctor wants to borrow the book...and he WENT through Gross Anatomy Class. All I can say is, "Thank you, Mary Roach! I now know there really are worse things in life than death."
Rating:
Summary: Gee, Mommy, can I too be a STIFF when I grow up?
Review: Perhaps author Mary Roach thought the title of her book, STIFF, too ghoulish because she immediately begins in a festive mood:"... being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you." Carnival, Viking, and Holland America, take note. As a corpse, you can indeed, as on last summer's voyage to the Bahamas, veg out. Or, as the narrative reveals, be an integral part of other activities. Why, I didn't realize that being dead could be so lively. First and foremost, your cadaver could become the prize of body snatchers, and subsequently be sold to a medical school for the instruction and amusement of students. Or perhaps you aspire to become a crash test dummy, fodder for the military's munitions tests, or the subject of experiments in composting, freeze-drying or plastination. If you're unlucky enough to die in an airplane disaster of unknown cause, investigators may scrutinize your body, or its widely scattered pieces, for clues as to where in the aircraft the fuselage cracked open or the bomb exploded. Your dissected brain or heart could fuel arguments over the seat of the soul, while other body parts serve as the raw material for disease remedies. Or maybe just be eaten by cannibals. And, if you're the outdoorsy type, you can recline in a grove on a grassy hillside behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center where the various stages of human decomposition are studied and recorded. STIFF is one of the most fascinating books I've read recently, even after taking into account the "yuk" factor. (In ancient Rome, the blood of freshly slaughtered gladiators was thought to cure epilepsy, while modern day Web sites have recipes for Placenta Lasagna and Placenta Pizza for those who would consume the delicacy to stave off postpartum depression.) This is largely due to the author's chatty style and marvelous sense of humor, which is dry as a mummy. For example, when declaring the existence of a Central Park statue of a certain Dr. Sims, otherwise notable for describing a suitable patient position for gynecological exam, Roach writes in a footnote: "If you don't believe me, you can look it up yourself, on page 56 of THE ROMANCE OF PROCTOLOGY. (Sims was apparently something of a dilettante when it came to bodily orifices.) P.S.: I could not, from cursory skimming, ascertain what the romance was." I highly recommend STIFF for the not too squeamish adult, or as a scary Halloween gift for one who is. Or as a bedtime reader for precocious youngsters - they'll think it gross, but way cool, as children are wont to do. In case you're wondering, there's no photo section.
Rating: 
Summary: life after death never sounded so good...
Review: Salon columnist Mary Roach describes cadavers as "superheroes" and goes on to explain why in this fascinating look at life after death. She treats her subjects with tact and care, but is refreshingly unsentimental in disscussing their many uses. You'll be able to unnerve your dinner guests for years to come with the anecdotes you take from here. Covering everything from recycling programs to the supposed weight of the human soul, this book is a charming read... just try to ignore the odd looks you may get from anyone who sees you with it.
Rating:
Summary: this book rocks
Review: For anyone with the sick sense of humor of a pathologist, this book is absolutely hilarious, and very interesting at the same time - packed full of fun facts about cadavers and what crazy people like us have done to them throughout history. This book rocks.
Rating:
Summary: Our Morbid Fascination Continues
Review: Freudian analysists must be having a field day with our continuing fascination with the dead. Stiff! is fun reading on a pop-culture level. For those wanting a lively exploration of the "forensic ecology" of dead bodies, I suggest CORPSE (Perseus Books 2002). For more of a historical and sociological perspective, check out Iverson's classic: "Death to Dust."
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