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emmettdakool's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
jonie_rich's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
cammiem8's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Cannibalism
dustylola's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Terminal illness, and Cannibalism
Minor: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
becphe's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Cannibalism
semeyers's review against another edition
4.25
The book, written in 2003, is now slightly out of date
Graphic: Gore, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
tpal_'s review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Excrement, Cannibalism, and Car accident
Minor: Abortion
solenodon's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
stephanieridiculous's review against another edition
3.0
My biggest gripe with this book, though, is the chapter on crucifixion experiments. While all the other chapters have lengthy bibliographies and reference a plethora of resources, this chapter is woefully insufficient. It seems like Roach phoned this one in for the shock factor of it's inclusion and failed to give it the same level of respect and research her other topics received. And adjacent to that, the chapter I was most hesitant to read, about cannibalism, was mostly unsubstantiated rumors turned into more shock factor fluff, seemingly just to get you to read/be grossed out/I dunno what.
Despite all that, I learned a lot and have much to consider about my own future cadaver and what should be done with it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
jhbandcats's review against another edition
5.0
Dead bodies have all sorts of potential futures. At a funeral home they can be embalmed, cremated, or dissolved via aquamation. Donated to science, they can work in med school anatomy labs, be subjected to crashes to analyze car and airplane safety, decompose naturally to assist forensic scientists in determining time of death, or be used in surgery continuing education classes.
Roach details the history of dead bodies, including stories on Burke and Hare's murder and grave robbery scheme and the first anatomy classes. She talks about failed whole head transplant operations; body composting; and bullet, bomb, and landmine studies to improve body armor. Her curiosity drives her to ask unexpected and occasionally inappropriate questions.
I think Mary Roach is a fabulous author. I'm glad I reread this fascinating book. She has taught me so much that I likely couldn't learn elsewhere. I can't recommend this highly enough.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail