Roach, Mary - Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

[oyceter]

This is both more and less gruesome than the title implies. I am rather squeamish about the subject, but all the blurbs (and there are many of them) say that the book is surprisingly funny. It is. It's also still a little squeamish. Usually the two happen at the same time.

Roach isn't a scientist, and the book isn't even pop science. It's just an interesting look at the various things that happen to cadavers, from organ donation to anatomy class, cremation to "organic burial," and some things that I wouldn't have thought of, like research into crucifixion.

I personally didn't particularly ever feel a desire to know exactly how a dead body decomposes, but now that I do, it's strangely fascinating. All the topics tend to be fairly depressing, since most people who use cadavers in research tend to do so to find ways to save more lives, due to the somewhat problematic PR involved.

So I know about stages of decomposition and how it helps people pin down details of a murder, how different ways airplanes crash affect the way the people are strewn about, precisely how a car crash can kill people, and etc.

You'd think this would be morbid, but Roach is genuinely curious (and has some rather curious questions of her own), and she's a great narrator. Also, her rather matter-of-fact attitude contrasts with what her interviewees expect, leading to some hilarious exchanges ("If I said that I liked the smell of burning flesh, would that be disturbing?").

And yet, Roach never makes fun of the dead or of their families; the humor is largely in the situation. I also found the chapters on organ donation and composting particularly touching. And even though the families of people who wished to donate their bodies to science will object, Roach makes a good point in that the family should do what lets them live with themselves, not necessarily what the deceased wanted (with the exception of organ donation).

I suspect people who liked the parasite portions of Scott Westerfeld's Peeps will also like this book.

I ended up liking this book even more than I liked Spook. Highly recommended, and I'm going to try to dig up quotes as soon as I get home.

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

*makes note in "books to check out of library list"*

Thanks!

[oyceter]

Yup! Her other book was very good as well, though it doesn't quite reach the heights that this one does.