Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, Paperback, 9780393324822 | Buy online at The Nile
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Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Author: Mary Roach  

Oddly compelling and often hilarious, Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

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Summary

Oddly compelling and often hilarious, Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

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Description

"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.

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Critic Reviews

“"'Uproariously funny' doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach... has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty."”

The numerous tidbits of information derived from the author's travels and interviews make [this book] uniquely appealing. --Joseph H Davis, MD (07/16/2003)

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About the Author

Mary Roach is the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. Her writing has appeared in such publications as Salon, GQ, Vogue, and the New York Times Magazine. She lives in Oakland, California.

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Product Details

Publisher
W. W. Norton & Company | WW Norton & Co
Published
31st January 2003
Pages
303
ISBN
9780393324822

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