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A review by sam_k_
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
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.)