Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Rating:
Summary: Very good... but inconsistent
Review: "Stiff" is chock-full of information that you not only never knew, but is liable to thoroughly gross out the moderatly-squeamish reader.

So an initial warning to the very squeamish: If you throw down the newspaper and run out of the room in terror after seeing an ad for Orkin Pest Control services, then you might want to stay away from this book. Heck. You might want to stay away from this review.

Now, to those of you who find facts about death rather interesting, (and I'm guessing it's a pretty significant number, given the popularity of all of those forensics shows on A&E), this book is terrific.

Roach approaches what is very delicate subject matter with enough decorum to not seem as if she's making light of things, but she also has a very wry sense of humor, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion:

When referring to the ancient Egyptian practice of placing pearl onions into the empty eye sockets of the deceased, she states: "Speaking for myself, if I had to have a small round martini garnish inserted under my eyelids, I would go with olives."

Or, "Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as people across from you on subways or in airport lounges, there but not there. Your eyes keep going back to them, for lack of anything more interesting to look at, and then you feel bad for staring."

An interesting observation, to be sure.

The book is divided into chapters that discuss such death-related topics as body snatching (grave robbing, in the early days of anatomical investigation); the utilization of decapitated heads with which plastic surgeons hone their craft; how the victims of airline disasters help investigators figure out how planes crash; and there's even a chapter on crucifixion experiments that utilized cadavers to prove (or disprove) the crucifixion of Jesus.

I found the content of some chapters more interesting than others, and the final couple of chapters... for me, anyway... didn't live up to the first 4/5ths of the book. So by the end, I was a little disappointed, but only because my level of expectation was set so high earlier on.

One last thing. You'd better hope that Roach hasn't sold the movie rights for this book!

Rating:
Summary: Very informative, not at all boring
Review: This book takes a look at the many uses throughout the ages of human remains. It is cleverly written, with a blend of humor and science that makes it a quick yet educating read. Roach has a way of presenting the subject without sounding like a college lecture, and is very respectful to the dead. I was highly impressed, and my friends are all waiting to brrow the book from me.

Rating:
Summary: I never thought I'd be...
Review: reading a book about the...uh...life of cadavers. The reviews in Discover Magazine and Scientific American changed my mind, though. It's a hilarious book about a morbid topic that will make you think.

Rating:
Summary: Convincing
Review: I've been telling my family for years that I want my remains donated to science --- but, hopefully, in the very far future!
I certainly won't rehash the other reviews; I agree with most.
I only hope this book convinces more of us that there are more positive outcomes from our inevitable ends than cremation or moldering away in a casket. Who cares if research is "undignified"? We're dead!!!
I'm certain, however, the funeral industry disagrees....

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for any funeral types out there
Review: Being employed in the deathcare industry, when I stumbled across this book in my local Borders I just had to pick it up. The jacket reeled me in; my sense of humor is about as dark as the author's and of course it came home with me. And I didn't put it down until I'd finished it. It's thoroughly engrossing, as addicting as heroin, and probably the funniest thing I've read in years. Yet it manages to maintain the dignity of -- and even a reverence for -- the dead throughout. Mary Roach manages to show us that death isn't such a bad thing, really, and for me at least gives hope that I'll be able to contribute to the world even after my departure. There's only one downside to this book: if you lend it to someone, you can expect to have to fight for its return.

Rating:
Summary: wrong title for this book...
Review: I'm also the squeamish type and contorted my face during many passages in this book. However, Roach diffuses the grotesqueness of the topic with her humor, which is often LOL funny. I was disappointed that the title, "Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," only applied to about half the book. The rest should have been called: "The Curious Lives of Animal Carcasses and Live Animals about to be Animal Carcasses and other Research into 400-Year-Old Anatomists." I doubt Roach chose the title, but it is misleading. Still, the research is extensive; the book well-written. If you like CSI or Forensic Files or you plan to be a doctor or investigator or biomechanical engineer, you might appreciate all the research.

rdnewman.com

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: I was amazed at all I did not know that could occur to us after we died and donated our bodies to science. I am more determined than ever to do so to help science. I laughed at parts of this book without being ashamed and I am sure those folks whose bodies were used were laughing along with me.

Rating:
Summary: Macabre, gory, and funny.
Review: "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," by Mary Roach, is not for everyone. If you watch the two popular shows about crime scene investigation and keep your eyes glued to the screen when the corpses are examined minutely, you might like this book.

In "Stiff," Roach has decided to take an up close and personal look at cadavers throughout history, going back to ancient times. She examines such subjects as body snatching, human decay, brain transplants, cannibalism, and different ways to dispose of dead bodies. Roach does all this in excruciating detail and with much gallows humor.

Although I am not particularly squeamish, I admit to feeling a bit uncomfortable with Roach's jovial attitude towards her subject. She seems positively ecstatic to be in the room observing plastic surgeons practicing on forty heads laid out in roasting pans. Some readers may be put off by Roach's lighthearted tone while describing the many bizarre experiments carried out both on human beings and animals for the sake of "scientific inquiry."

Roach is a talented writer who has done her homework. Her chapters on how researchers investigate and try to prevent airplane and car crashes are informative and fascinating. The author does not rely on secondhand information when she can go straight to the source. For example, Roach spends several days with Susanne Wiigh-Masak, a Swedish biologist-entrepreneur who founded a company that seeks to replace cremation with organic composting for human bodies. The reader learns more about the disposal of cadavers than he will ever need to know.

Should you buy this book as a birthday present for your grandmother or maiden aunt? Probably not. Should you read this book before sitting down to a big meal? I wouldn't advise it. However, if you have a burning scientific interest in how cadavers have been treated throughout history and what may be in store for the dead in the future, you will find no more thorough and entertaining treatment of this unusual subject.

Rating:
Summary: A lovely, fun, witty, informative read!
Review: I heard about this book from some friends & practically ran out to buy it, it sounded so ... unique. I mean, how many nontechnical books on cadavers have you read lately? Happily, "Stiff" lived up to all of my expectations! Mary Roach has a cheerful, breezy style that effectively counterpoints the unsettling (to some) nature of her subject. (Her footnotes in particular were a welcome addition; sort of reminiscent of Will Cuppy.) I found myself frequently laughing out loud. I also found myself frequently reading parts of this book out loud to my wife and friends. My wife finally told me to shut up because I was spoiling the book for her.

Do yourself a favor and buy "Stiff". (Don't wonder about whether it's the sort of book you'd be interested in; you're reading this review, aren't you?) Trust me. You'll laugh, you'll occasionally feel tearful, and you'll painlessly learn quite a lot. It's a fine book!

Rating:
Summary: great cover to make others around you ask questions!!!
Review: I'm still in the middle of reading this book and I already agree with most if not all of the other good reviews made. I got it from the library (after having to wait forever to get it!) and found that I took it everywhere it seems. I love that whenever I am out in public, people that I don't know at all ask me "how in the world can you read a book about human cadavers" ?? I can say that I have do strong stomach but this book is what makes this topic amusing in general.

I have morbid interests (as I have been told) and the contents in this book gave me so many answers to the little questions I've had over the years. I would absolutely, most definitely recommend this to others, if not just to prove that this book will appeal to 'stiffs' of any age! :-)