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Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers


Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 611
EAN: 9780393324822
Edition: Reprint
ISBN: 0393324826
Label: W. W. Norton & Company
Languages: EnglishUnknownEnglishOriginal LanguageEnglishPublished
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2004-05
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Studio: W. W. Norton & Company


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Editorial Review:"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year....Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting."—Entertainment Weekly Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way. In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

Customer Reviews
Average Rating:  out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - After reading PACKING FOR MARS, I had to check out this author's other books!
After reading Roach's PACKING FOR MARS, I had to check out other books of hers. I'm so glad I did! She can take a challenging subject and find ways to make you laugh out loud. Her humor is bold, but not disrespectful. She can laugh at the absurdity, yet still appreciate the pain dying brings. She must be a joy to live with! Also recommend, PACKING FOR MARS, THE PASSAGE, RUNNING SCARED, EXPLOSION IN PARIS, and THE GLASS RAINBOW.



Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - How long can it take to get a book!
I think the book was good.
However I orderd this book to take on my vacation.
This was two weeks in advance on my departure date.
When I left I still did not have the book.
This book took FOREVER to get to me!



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Death need not be the end....Its the start of a amazing, gross, and sometimes strange journey in the mortal world
I love this book.
Can I say it any other way?
Yes, it can be gross and Mrs Roach does not mince the details...but hay, someone's got to tell it as it is! If your squeamish just don't eat before you read.
Personally as a deer hunter, vet for my own personal animals, and the fact I used to volunteer for the "road reclamation committee"(road kill clean up) I have a very strong stomach.
I also tend to be a tomboyish type of girl too sooooooooo.
This book takes you an an ... Read More



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Morbidly Awesome
I'm reading this book for the second time... sure, it's morbid but the author throws in funny quips that lighten the mood at times- and it IS super-informative about how your body dies, how you decompose, etc. Her adventures visiting cosmetic surgery schools, the Body Farm in Tenessee, etc are really interesting. Great read (just not at the dinner table LOL).



Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Very interesting
Roach has written a very interesting, while not too ghoulish, book about the uses of human cadavers. She traveled the world to research the book and provides the reader with information from different cultures as well as the sciences.


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