Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

"Some degree of detatchment from the person is necessary to appreciate the subject matter of this book. It is implied that on death you cease to be a person, you are in effect a 'cadaver' or a series of body parts and stripped of an identity because it makes it easier for all concerned. Although sensitively written, it is still rather gross to imagine a deceased loved ones decapitated head having major facial surgery perfomed by medical students on a laboratory table. Nor could I imagine my grandad as target practice or my mother as a crash dummy. As always its a matter of personal choice as to what happens to our bits post expiry, but thought should be given to those left behind and the memories they have to live with. Or perhaps the point is, what we dont know we wont worry about? "
~ Written on 2008-03-27

"Others describe the contents of the book - let me just add that I enjoyed reading it, and laughing now and then while learning some unusual facts."
~ Written on 2007-11-25

"She clearly has a great sense of humour and the beginning of this book was promising. In fact the beginning was brilliant. I was looking forward to learning a lot whilst being entertained. Within half an hour neither was happening. It is a fascinating topic which I felt was not done justice. I expected to be cringing and enthralled. I started to skip through some of the chapters in the hope something else interesting would come along. But sadly for me it didn't. I know plenty of others who have enjoyed it but I just haven't been able to get the same level of enjoyment. Perhaps if she'd looked at the more obscure aspects of death I might have been interested."
~ Written on 2007-09-23

"Mary Roach has got an excellent sense of humour. I found out about this book when I watched Six Feet Under, the hilarious drama set in a funeral home. Roach is our guide as she explores the different uses that cadavers are put to - practice for cosmetic surgeons, testing for car accidents, experiments for decomposition experts, military uses etc.

She is very funny, and at times even becomes a bit self-indulgent. Still, it was a brilliant idea for a book and I sat on my train journey smiling from ear to ear. "
~ Written on 2006-06-21

"Perhaps author Mary Roach thought the title of her book, STIFF, too ghoulish because she immediately begins in a festive mood:

"... being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you." Carnival, Viking, and Holland America, take note.

As a corpse, you can indeed, as on last summer's voyage to the Bahamas, veg out. Or, as the narrative reveals, be an integral part of other activities. Why, I didn't realize that being dead could be so lively.

First and foremost, your cadaver could become the prize of body snatchers, and subsequently be sold to a medical school for the instruction and amusement of students. Or perhaps you aspire to become a crash test dummy, fodder for the military's munitions tests, or the subject of experiments in composting, freeze-drying or plastination. If you're unlucky enough to die in an airplane disaster of unknown cause, investigators may scrutinize your body, or its widely scattered pieces, for clues as to where in the aircraft the fuselage cracked open or the bomb exploded. Your dissected brain or heart could fuel arguments over the seat of the soul, while other body parts serve as the raw material for disease remedies. Or maybe just be eaten by cannibals. And, if you're the outdoorsy type, you can recline in a grove on a grassy hillside behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center where the various stages of human decomposition are studied and recorded.

STIFF is one of the most fascinating books I've read recently, even after taking into account the "yuk" factor. (In ancient Rome, the blood of freshly slaughtered gladiators was thought to cure epilepsy, while modern day Web sites have recipes for Placenta Lasagna and Placenta Pizza for those who would consume the delicacy to stave off postpartum depression.) This is largely due to the author's chatty style and marvelous sense of humor, which is dry as a mummy. For example, when declaring the existence of a Central Park statue of a certain Dr. Sims, otherwise notable for describing a suitable patient position for gynecological exam, Roach writes in a footnote:

"If you don't believe me, you can look it up yourself, on page 56 of THE ROMANCE OF PROCTOLOGY. (Sims was apparently something of a dilettante when it came to bodily orifices.) P.S.: I could not, from cursory skimming, ascertain what the romance was."

I highly recommend STIFF for the not too squeamish adult, or as a scary Halloween gift for one who is. Or as a bedtime reader for precocious youngsters - they'll think it gross, but way cool, as children are wont to do.

In case you're wondering, there's no photo section.

Note: This is my unedited review."
~ Written on 2006-01-19