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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
another bland read from Mary Roach. Maybe her books just receive too much hype and i am inevitably let down when i read them. Some chapters are great, some not so great, and all too often do her humorous, witty comments land in the non-so-humorous section.
With a special interest in death, this book was an obvious choice. With a bit of a squeamish disposition, this was at times a difficult choice of book. In Stiff, Mary Roach dives into the mysterious world of the life our bodies may experience after death. What does it mean to donate your body to science, what processes make up natural and assisted decomposition, what ways have the ethics of working with human corpses evolved throughout recent history.
While it might be expected that reading a book about human cadavers would bring the reader a certain existential dread about their corporeality, I found much peace. Taken together, Roach's exploration of human remains reveals that perhaps dealing with the body of the dead is best left to the living. I like the idea that it's okay to become material—for the earth, science, growth, healing, and comfort. It makes the bodily fear of death much less heavy on the mind.
While it might be expected that reading a book about human cadavers would bring the reader a certain existential dread about their corporeality, I found much peace. Taken together, Roach's exploration of human remains reveals that perhaps dealing with the body of the dead is best left to the living. I like the idea that it's okay to become material—for the earth, science, growth, healing, and comfort. It makes the bodily fear of death much less heavy on the mind.
This book has everything— cannibalism, Dr. Oz, the Shroud of Turin. I find it fascinating that I was able to tell that the author was raised Catholic, even though she didn’t mention that directly.
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma
Minor: Cannibalism
More than I ever imagined about what happens after death! I really enjoyed this book.
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced