A review by x0pherl
Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

2.0

As with most of Roach's books, this covers some random stuff related to a topic in a sort of funny tone. And it's not for the squeamish. I don't think the topic suited her style so well - she tried to play a fine balance of being snarky but respectful and at times awkwardly tipped one way or the other.
One thing I had not noticed before, but I'm pretty sure is classic-Roach style is her complimentary descriptions of the people who she's talking to. Here are some examples:
"a slim, classy, fiftyish woman of fine-grained good looks, dressed today in a cream-colored cable-knit wool tunic"
" former Marine with a wide superhero jaw and muscles so big that when he walks in front of the slide projector, entire images can be viewed on his forearm. Though it’s ten in the morning, Craig has a five o’clock shadow."
"he is always and very much a Stu.* Chest hair can be seen, and some necklace in there. There are whiskers, sparse and longish, somewhere between beard and I-don’t-feel-like-shaving."
"Annette LaFleur, as pretty as the name suggests"

The book also feels a bit less focused than some of her other books, as if the topic wasn't quite enough to hold the chapters together, and some of the chapters seem to cut off rather abruptly, as does the book as a whole.
In spite of all of the above, the book's a pretty quick read, and covers some interesting topics -- although if you're in the habit of reading while you eat a meal, you may have to find something else to read while you eat.