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odaniels's review against another edition
5.0
First and last halves I wanted to puke during but so so good!
xxscramblesxx's review against another edition
5.0
Very easy, interesting, and informative read. I enjoyed the personal perspective Mary Roach had in her writing style. It kept me engaged throughout.
elindseyr190's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Medical content
shailydc's review against another edition
2.0
It would have been a lot better without the author's constant opinions.
nujibuji's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting subject matter and very conversational way of explaining history and some dense material. The beginning and end are obviously the most captivating...the middle drags a bit.
tenderdispatches's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Some of the language is a little dated, given that it was published over 20 years ago, but it's still a fascinating and informative read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
katiescho741's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
A mostly enjoyable and fact-filled book about the life of cadavers. I love books like this that deal with the realities of death that we always try to forget.
There are some dud chapters but some were very interesting. I liked the one about the ways that human remains are/were used as medical cures, and the moral discussions in the chapter on ballistics and bomb testing. The chapters about aeroplane and car crashes were a little boring, and every now and then things got much more detailed and technically than was interesting. I found the most disturbing chapter was the one that talked about head transplants in live monkeys. Ironically, the book mentions animal involement in experiments a lot and i found this harder to stomach than the sections about cutting up bodies.
Overall a good book if you want to explore the topic of a body's life after death.
A mostly enjoyable and fact-filled book about the life of cadavers. I love books like this that deal with the realities of death that we always try to forget.
There are some dud chapters but some were very interesting. I liked the one about the ways that human remains are/were used as medical cures, and the moral discussions in the chapter on ballistics and bomb testing. The chapters about aeroplane and car crashes were a little boring, and every now and then things got much more detailed and technically than was interesting. I found the most disturbing chapter was the one that talked about head transplants in live monkeys. Ironically, the book mentions animal involement in experiments a lot and i found this harder to stomach than the sections about cutting up bodies.
Overall a good book if you want to explore the topic of a body's life after death.