Very Much Alive
Stiff, a nonfiction work by Mary Roach, depicts the fascinating yet untold story of bodies after death, specifically those who have donated their remains to the betterment of science. Roach relays some of the most engrossing tales of the postmortem throughout the centuries, some humorous, some intriguingly weird, and gives readers a better understanding of cadavers as a whole.
The theme of the book, though nonfiction, is that life doesn't truly end even after we depart Earth in a spiritual sense. Roach emphasizes the humanity of cadavers, even when many researchers prefer to objectify them. The author encourages readers and researchers alike to examine their own morals and what death really means in all of the chapters, exploring what humanity truly means to different people through the ages.
Even with such poignant and thought-provoking ideas, Roach delivers the work in a strangely hilarious way. In one memorable instance, Roach criticizes heads used at a plastic surgery seminar, not for the heads themselves but instead saying that they might have been cut cleaner by the lab manager. Finding an excellent balance between serious and comedic, Roach crafts a nonfiction story, blurring lines between educational and enjoyable, never disrespecting her subjects.
There are many aspects of the book that I greatly enjoyed, from the dry humor that permeates every page to the stories imbibed in each chapter, chronicling the intrigue surrounding the use of cadavers. show more I loved the fact that Roach has created a book in which knowledge is cleverly disguised as entertainment and wit. Frankly, there wasn't anything I didn't adore in this work. show less
Stiff, a nonfiction work by Mary Roach, depicts the fascinating yet untold story of bodies after death, specifically those who have donated their remains to the betterment of science. Roach relays some of the most engrossing tales of the postmortem throughout the centuries, some humorous, some intriguingly weird, and gives readers a better understanding of cadavers as a whole.
The theme of the book, though nonfiction, is that life doesn't truly end even after we depart Earth in a spiritual sense. Roach emphasizes the humanity of cadavers, even when many researchers prefer to objectify them. The author encourages readers and researchers alike to examine their own morals and what death really means in all of the chapters, exploring what humanity truly means to different people through the ages.
Even with such poignant and thought-provoking ideas, Roach delivers the work in a strangely hilarious way. In one memorable instance, Roach criticizes heads used at a plastic surgery seminar, not for the heads themselves but instead saying that they might have been cut cleaner by the lab manager. Finding an excellent balance between serious and comedic, Roach crafts a nonfiction story, blurring lines between educational and enjoyable, never disrespecting her subjects.
There are many aspects of the book that I greatly enjoyed, from the dry humor that permeates every page to the stories imbibed in each chapter, chronicling the intrigue surrounding the use of cadavers. show more I loved the fact that Roach has created a book in which knowledge is cleverly disguised as entertainment and wit. Frankly, there wasn't anything I didn't adore in this work. show less