This book is probably one of the most unique books I will ever read. Writers spend most of their careers on writing about the living, both real and fictional - so reading about cadavers (the scientific term for corpses) was an eye-opening experience, in more ways than one.
Cadavers have been awkward to read and write about - understandably, people don't want to think about what happens to people after they're dead, because that inevitably leads to the sometimes distressing thought of one's own mortality.
But this book breaks all such inhibitions and throws them out of the window. If you're squeamish, don't expect this to be a clean and cheerful ride. Mary Roach makes you realise, by the end of the book, about how cadavers are used everywhere - ranging from good (crash testing) and neutral (bullet impact testing), to the controversial (testing if Jesus was really crucified, by crucifying cadavers). The descriptions are, to put it diplomatically, anatomically accurate.
'Tis not a completely nihilistic ride though. The author's tales of embarrassment and mortification are laugh-out-loud (a phrase which I would never imagine saying for a book about the deceased), and the author makes you think about topics which you would normally never think about - such as dissection, who should be given responsibility over the remains, and human head transplants.
TL;DR - a unique and immensely readable work, describing the heavy topic of the deceased with the depth and breadth it deserves - sometimes morbid, sometimes hilarious, but always entertaining. A must read if you have a strong stomach, and can think about your own mortality without dissolving into a mess. ( )

I read this immediately after [b:Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void|7237456|Packing for Mars The Curious Science of Life in the Void|Mary Roach|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1290480157s/7237456.jpg|8159756] - high on a newly discovered favorite author. I think Reading the two quite so adjacently resulted in a less favorable view of Stiff - there is an almost completely replicated chapter between the two discussing the use of cadavers to simulate forces on an astronaut's body during spaceflight, and the voice and humor is nearly identical between the two books.

That being said, Stiff was still quite good, perhaps objectively the superior book as Roach covers a very broad range of subjects. She again excels at covering all angles of a subject. For instance, when covering the history of medical cadavers, she comments on the setup of modern anatomy classes, ceremonies respecting cadaver donors, the history of graverobbing for the purpose of providing anatomic cadavers, the history surrounding specific graverobbers as well as specific professors using their services as well as the theories about human anatomy during each period and how these changed over time using knowledge learned through dissection. ( )

a good amount of macabre dry humor, which kept this book light. The author investigates all sorts of things that no one else ask. Now I know how the cadaver dogs are trained and how they find the deceased in a disaster. I also learned more information on the difference between cremation and other methods of handling your body after death, plus information on how to will your body to science. The Tennessee farm was interesting, but I don't think I could stomach visiting that site - just a little too icky. This book will travel next in the Bio of things bookbox. ( )

An easy reading and often humorous nonfiction account of the history of the use of cadavers. Chapters include the use of cadavers to analyze crash sites, by the army to test ammunition stopping power, head transplants, etc. The book also briefly touches on the history of body snatching at a time when human dissection was generally prohibited, and an interesting discussion of the location of the human soul within the body. Also included in many chapters were the moral and ethical issues.

An excellent book for what it is- an introductory survey of various issues regarding the use of cadavers without going into any particular detail. ( )

This book is great because it reads like a conversation with your most interesting friend. ( )