2007

This book, about dead people and the sorts of things that are done to them in the name of science and mourning, completes our own personal Mary Roach trifecta. It was an interesting book… I didn’t realize all the different things that can happen to your body if you donate it to science. She even travels to China in search of a crematorium that allegedly used cadavers for dumplings in a family restaurant. It is definitely on the gory side, so if hearing about guts and bugs and unpleasant biological functions isn’t your bag, you might want to skip it. But if you’re curious, Roach does an excellent job of making non-fiction interesting and entertaining. ( )

I first got this book as an ARC and everyone who saw me reading it was appalled. Who would read a book about dead bodies? Those doubters! I've since lent this book to many of my friends and family and they've all loved it. It's a topic that's avoided and Roach manages to make an extremely funny book without being disrespectful.

After reading this book: no to embalming - yes to science! ( )

My mother and grandmother, who enjoy reading violent thrillers, were both completely disgusted by the mere title of this book. That amused me.And while I admit that the chapter on decay turned me into a vegetarian for a day, by and large the descriptions of the various fates that befall our bodies after death was occasionally disturbing, often hilarious, and yet never irreverent. I'd never given much thought to the process of embalming or cremation, much less the history of the funerary business in general. This book certainly was an educational experience in terms of cadaver research as well. I admit that before this book I'd never considered donating my body to science, but it sounds like an interesting idea. However, I agree with the author: ultimately, the fate of my body rests with the loved ones who survive me. If it bothers them to know I'm going to end up in some anatomy class, they're the ones who will have to live with it, not me. Ending up as part of live-saving research or garden compost hold their appeal, but giving closure to my friends and family is far more important. After all, I won't know the difference.In short, I give this book a thumbs up for giving me all kinds of new things to think about. Definitely recommended. ( )

Many people would shy away on principle from a book that details the uses of cadavers, and the scientific processes that are involved in the decay of the human body following death, either from squeamishness or from an instinctive avoidance of reminders of our own mortality. It is therefore understandable that few books are available, beside the desiccated tomes of dispassionate science, which provide a readable account of such things. Mary Roach’s book not only offers this service, but does so in a way that is charmingly amusing, without being either coarse or disrespectful of the deceased. It is clear that the author is a journalist, rather than a scientist, but given that fewer scientists seem to find it easy to write with a light touch than journalists find it to be at least reasonably logical, this book is more than acceptable to the thinking reader. The book is entertaining and sensitive, and offers insights into the way people feel about mortality and about how they deal with it in practice. ( )