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nobonesnicole's review against another edition
informative
3.75
Lots of good info, unfortunately forgot most of it instantly. Her lighthearted/goofy approach to the subject matter was grating at times. I had to fast forward through the cannibalism chapter, felt like a laundry list of gross-out facts with little introspection. I hope human composting is more widely available by the time I die.
shortpancake's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A beautiful read about life after death for cadavers. Not for the faint of heart but if your stubborn, you'll enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
themorbidlycuriousbookclub's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
sam_k_'s review against another edition
5.0
I did not expect this to be the first 5 star review of the year, but this book was really excellent.
It exemplifies what, to me, is an ideal nonfiction novel. It’s well-researched yet the language is not too dense to the average reader, making it both a compelling and informative read. This is also one of the nonfiction books that doesn’t make sense to be told chronologically, so I enjoyed how each chapter detailed a different facet and exploration of cadavers.
The most interesting chapters to me were the ones exploring the history of dissection, the section on embalming, and the chapter exploring the different ways people choose to dispose of their bodies after death (though the exploration of where the “soul” has thought to lie anatomically over the years and throughout cultures was also fascinating).
Although I am not a science-y person, I found the book really fascinating. I’ve always thought that death was one of those things looked down upon by society that shouldn’t be, and it was nice to see that someone cared enough to look into what happens to bodies that are donated to science (and, for part of the book, if they’re not). The author put a lot of research and time into it (she interviewed an impressive number of people) and I also really enjoyed her footnotes, made more convenient by my kindle.
(Chapters 9 and 10 were about attaching heads and cannibalism respectively, which while interesting, made me really squeamish so just be advised if you want to read this.)
It exemplifies what, to me, is an ideal nonfiction novel. It’s well-researched yet the language is not too dense to the average reader, making it both a compelling and informative read. This is also one of the nonfiction books that doesn’t make sense to be told chronologically, so I enjoyed how each chapter detailed a different facet and exploration of cadavers.
The most interesting chapters to me were the ones exploring the history of dissection, the section on embalming, and the chapter exploring the different ways people choose to dispose of their bodies after death (though the exploration of where the “soul” has thought to lie anatomically over the years and throughout cultures was also fascinating).
Although I am not a science-y person, I found the book really fascinating. I’ve always thought that death was one of those things looked down upon by society that shouldn’t be, and it was nice to see that someone cared enough to look into what happens to bodies that are donated to science (and, for part of the book, if they’re not). The author put a lot of research and time into it (she interviewed an impressive number of people) and I also really enjoyed her footnotes, made more convenient by my kindle.
(Chapters 9 and 10 were about attaching heads and cannibalism respectively, which while interesting, made me really squeamish so just be advised if you want to read this.)
mizusensei's review against another edition
4.0
It's an okay read. This book is written in an autobiographical manner which is a style not to my liking at times. There is a balance of technical writing and humor which is adequately creative.
alexandramann99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
This book is dearly beloved to me, and I imagine I will be thinking about it for many years. It’s a bit of a gruesome read and not for the faint-hearted, but I strongly recommend it if you have any interest. It may serve best as an audiobook, given the conversational nature. At times it was difficult to get through, purely out of personal squeamishness (do not read while eating!). I have a new appreciation for all the work surrounding the dead. 5/5 - fascinating read!