Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife (edition 2006)

This is a moderately interesting examination of the work being done by various individuals, on different levels of elevation of credentials and intellectual rigor, who are looking for evidence of an afterlife for humans. My level of interest in this book was a tad below that of most reviewers, who tend to give the author a free pass sometimes. Although she certainly has the right to append her own opinions at the end of the book, I wasn't too impressed with the level of critical thinking that she put into the matter. ( )

Not as interesting as Stiff but ok. ( )

recommended for: fans of books by Mary Roach; any reader interested in the subject matter

I loved Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (how can I not adore an author who has me laughing heartily as I read about what happens to dead human bodies?!) (a 5 star book for me) and I’d like to read her book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void and maybe Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex too, but I wasn’t that enthusiastic about reading this book. But, it’s the October selection for my real world book club so I dived in, with maybe not an open mind but not a 100% tightly shut mind, just a 99.99% shut mind. This book, I’d likely never have picked up on my own, at least not until I’d read all other books by Roach.

This book is a delight because its author is funny. So funny! She’s also scientifically minded. Sense of humor and scientific mindedness are two things I value highly.

And, it’s a good thing that this book is laugh out loud hilarious because I also had to get through reading about absurd and gruesome experiments on animals and people that she describes. The contents turned out to be partly about a subject I’ve always enjoyed: the history of medicine.

And on page 72, there is even mention of the man I read about in the children’s picture book Fartiste by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer and illustrated by Boris Kulikov.

This is a remarkably quick read. I laughed and smiled more during the first half than the second half of the book, but I’m not convinced it got any less funny; I’m more inclined to think the humor wore thin for me, and I’d had enough of the subject. But there is plenty of humor throughout and even the “Acknowledgements” section is a hoot.

The book is organized beautifully; one chapter flows perfectly into the next.

Oh, and for all my talk of the hilarity present within these pages the subject is taken seriously, and with an open, albeit scientific, survey.

I must say I was a wee bit surprised by her expressed opinions in the “Last Words” section in the back of the book.

What I love most about this book (and Stiff and I assume her other books too) is that she takes her readers on a journey that she is also experiencing for herself.

There is an impressive Bibliography, materials listed for each chapter of this book.

My book club chose this as our October selection because it’s the month of Halloween. I’m not sure how much we’ll talk about the book vs. our own beliefs vs. general talk, but that’s the case for virtually all our book club meetings, no matter which/what types of books we read; most meetings we talk more about non-book related things than the books we’ve read, and the vegan food we’re eating and enjoying is a common enough subject of our conversation.

3 ½ to 3 ¾ stars ( )

Mary Roach reports on the state of research into the afterlife. Covers everything from the evidence for reincarnation to infrasound-produced hallucinations. ( )

My least favorite of Roach's books, but still good. This one, more than others, she really lets her own viewpoint color her observations. Roach's writing is at it's best when she's the game observer or participant. Or maybe the issue was more with the narrator who read the entire thing with a note of incredulity and gave certain people ridiculous voices. I mean this is a non-fiction work, yes humorous, but still I could have done without the silly, at times offensive voices. ( )