Curiously humorous, not for everyone of course.

This kind of humor has its own unique charm. It often catches people off guard with its unexpected twists and turns.

Some may find it highly entertaining, while others may not quite understand the笑点.

It can add a touch of lightness and fun to a situation, but it requires an open mind and a willingness to embrace the unconventional.

Those who appreciate this type of humor are able to see the world from a different perspective and find joy in the most unexpected places.

However, it's important to remember that not everyone has the same sense of humor, and what may be hilarious to one person may be completely lost on another.

So, when using curiously humorous language or sharing jokes, it's always a good idea to be sensitive to the audience and their individual preferences.

After all, the goal of humor is to bring people together and make them laugh, not to alienate or offend.

I usually don't laugh out loud when I read books. However, this particular book had several passages that had me giggling uncontrollably.

Also, I don't easily get "grossed out," but there was a moment when I had to put this book down while I was reading and having lunch.

This book is filled with so many interesting tidbits about what happens to our bodies after we die. I was truly amazed and fascinated by the history and current research being done on human cadavers.

My parents, much to the objections of their children, decided long ago to be cremated when the time comes. I felt squeamish about this for years. But after reading this book, I have completely changed my thinking on the matter.

This book made me think about things I hadn't given much thought to before. What happens when your body is donated to science? The chapters on human crash test dummies were, dare I say, inspiring.

Where does the soul reside? The author was witty and sensitive, and by the end of the book, I felt like we were friends who went on a journey together.

I think I've lived in the Northwest too long, because the last chapter titled, "Out of the Fire, into the Compost Bin," ended up sounding like not such a crazy idea. You'll have to read it to see! Highly recommended!

My first encounter with a Mary Roach book was truly remarkable, and I'm certain it won't be my last.

She takes a warm and even touching approach to a rather cold subject. This book is nothing short of incredible. At times, it can be both disgustingly fascinating and humorously engaging. It vividly brought back memories of my visits to cadaver labs and that unforgettable smell.

Moreover, it had such an impact on me that it made me seriously consider donating my body to science when I pass away.

I devoured this book in no time and then recommended it to my mom and sister. They also found it highly enjoyable.

By the way, do you know about the Mellified man?

As the author so aptly put it, “We are biology. We are reminded of this at the beginning and the end, at birth and at death. In between we do what we can to forget.” This book serves as a powerful reminder of our biological nature and the importance of understanding it.

Definitely not your everyday book.

It offers a fascinating look at several different ways your cadaver could end up.

Some of these scenarios are rather interesting and might pique your curiosity.

However, there are others that I would strongly advise against reading after a big meal.

The descriptions can be quite graphic and detailed, which might not sit well with a full stomach.

Despite this, the book provides a unique perspective on the various fates that could befall a cadaver.

It delves into different methods of disposal, preservation, and even the potential uses of a cadaver in medical research or other fields.

Whether you're morbidly curious or simply interested in learning something new, this book is sure to capture your attention.

Just be sure to choose your reading time wisely!

Stiff is an incredibly educational book, especially when it comes to a subject I knew absolutely nothing about. Gone are the days when I simply thought that bodies were either donated to universities, cremated, or buried. In fact, there are so many more options than that.

This book was both captivating and at times, rather gruesome. Although I'm not the most easily queasy person, I did find myself making faces of disgust at certain parts of the book (yes, I'm looking at you, the section on cannibalism). I wouldn't recommend it for those with a weak stomach, as it might be a bit of a struggle to get through.

I really appreciated the combination of facts, humor, and first-hand experiences that Mary Roach included in this book. There were several moments when I found myself grinning or chuckling quietly to myself. For example, her fascination with cadaver penises is quite something!

However, there was also a fair amount of animal cruelty depicted in the book, which admittedly made me a little uncomfortable. But I can understand why it was included, as this is a microhistory and must remain true to the facts presented throughout. There were also some sections, like the use of cadavers in ballistics practice, that didn't interest me as much and I did find myself zoning out a bit. Overall, though, I found this to be a highly entertaining and informative read. Just be warned, this topic may only be interesting to those with a slightly morbid curiosity.

A book starts with 40 severed heads on metal stands. In fact, the author went to an anatomical and facial plastic surgery seminar for research to write this book.

When you read the first few pages of the book and then move forward 10 pages after a short time, considering the topic of each chapter and the author's clear text about blood vessels, body, and being responsible for cutting off heads in the laboratory and so on, you ask yourself: "Why am I continuing to read this book?"

This question may only involve your mind in the first chapter.

When you reach the later chapters of the book, when you read the author's explanation of the stages of body decomposition (from the first day to the thirtieth day and the egg-laying of flies and so on), you realize how much the writing style of a work can multiply the effect of the text.

The author presents the topic of the body and humans in a completely research-oriented way, from dissection, body consumption, the cross and Jesus, to the role of bodies in medicine and safety tests.

Overall, in this highly recommended book,

it was quite enjoyable and very pleasant to read.

The book presents various topics with the theme of bodies in several chapters, makes references to history, talks about paintings and drawings, new experiments and so on.

And in the last chapter, the author writes his own "testament of the body".

If you can't cope with the idea of death without a healthy dose of euphemism - this probably isn't going to be the book for you.

When I became an archivist at the City of Melbourne, a very dear friend of mine became a technician at the city morgue. I thought at the time that he had watched too many episodes of Quincy M.E. and that he would eventually find a normal job. It has probably been 15 years since I stopped being an archivist - my friend still cuts up dead people for a living.

A few weeks after he started work, I asked him how it was all going and he replied, "Good, yeah, I can even eat spaghetti now." Sometimes it's best not to ask.

This book is a bit of a career guide for those of us who are post-life. There are a remarkable number of interesting things one can do after life. Many of these choices are presented in this book in an up-close-and-personal way that I particularly enjoyed.

I'm a fairly robust character, but there were many moments when I made involuntary noises while reading this book. The swallowed fly was a prime example and by far the worst. The noise I made was loud enough and distressing enough for my daughters to ask what was wrong - they didn't ask again.

Part of my friend's job involves removing people's brains - this is also described in some detail here. The problem is that once the brain has been removed, you can't really put it back where it came from - so instead it is placed in the chest cavity. This means the head needs to be "packed" and generally this is done with newspaper. One of the decisions made by those putting you back together again is which newspaper would seem most appropriate for you. (I assume in these days of obsessive Orwellian Double-Speak, the corpses are called clients or customers or something equally ridiculous - although I wish it was after Waugh and they were called Loved Ones.) I really don't mind what happens to me once I'm dead - I figure I'm going to be busy enough explaining to God why He doesn't exist to be worried about what happens to my body - but I must admit that spending eternity with my head stuffed with a Murdoch rag does seem to be a punishment disproportionate to any crime I have committed while alive.

The book offers a unique perspective on the afterlife and the various processes and decisions that occur. It's both fascinating and a bit disturbing at times. But for those who are brave enough to face the reality of death, it can be an eye-opening read.

Whether you're interested in the technical aspects of post-mortem work or simply curious about what might happen to us after we die, this book has something to offer. It challenges our preconceived notions and makes us think about the final chapter of our lives in a whole new way.

So, if you're ready to take a journey into the unknown and explore the world of the post-life, give this book a try. Just be prepared to make a few involuntary noises along the way.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach

"Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" is a remarkable work that delves into the unique scientific contributions of the deceased. For two millennia, cadavers, some knowingly and some unknowingly, have played a crucial role in science's most audacious leaps and strangest endeavors. The book explores the useful functions that the human body offers to the living world, ranging from medical experiments to diverse applications in transportation security research and forensic scientists' investigations into the classification of different rates of corpse decomposition.



The chapters of the book also cover topics such as cannibalism, methods of disposal (burial, cremation, etc.), and beating heart corpses used in organ transplants. Mary Roach, with her astonishing and engaging perspective and a highly readable style, vividly描绘s the afterlife of the human cadaver throughout history.



The first reading date was February 26, 2022.



Title: Cadaver: The Strange Afterlife of the Human Corpse; Author: Mary Roach; Translator: Reza Eskandari-Adl; Editor: Siavash Safari; Tehran, Non Publisher, 2021; in 267 pages; ISBN 9786226652469; Subject: Stories of American Writers - 21st Century



Published on 08/01/1401 Hijri Solar Calendar; A. Sharbiani

I really ought to have read this sooner. I'm not sure what happened and why it took me so long to get this information into my brain.

This is a book about what happens to dead bodies. It's an older title and some of the information therein has changed. (Spoiler alert: there are now six? body farms in the US, I think. And the Swedish lady has not been as instrumental as hoped in burying the dead via compost, more's the pity because I totally want to compost myself! There is currently, however, a woman in CA who is trying to bring body compost to popularity and I am all on board!) But it's still incredibly fascinating to find out what we, in America, do with all our dead bodies and what have been done to corpses historically, and how our opinions on death and the remains have changed in a rather short period of time.

Covered herein:

- What your corpse can expect as a medical donation;

- What happens when you're buried versus cremated;

- Other options available for getting rid of your remains;

- What other people have done with their dead throughout history;

- And much, much more!

Keep in mind, this was written by a journalist and not by someone in the medical or deathical profession. So if you're hoping for in-depth anatomy discussions, you may be disappointed. Also, if you're the type who feels death should only ever be treated with the utmost respect and honor, you may want to steer clear as, at times, she is mildly irreverent, which, of course, I loved. Only once did I think she bordered on downright disrespectful and I don't even remember what it was that made me feel that way. So, obviously, not a huge deal if you're not easily offended by joking around a bit in regard to death and dead bodies.

A while back, I told my husband that I really wanted to read this particular book. I went on and on about how it had received great reviews. At that time, he seemed extremely interested.

Let's pause here for a moment so I can explain his different levels of interest and how to interpret them.

NOT INTERESTED – He changes the subject at the end of the conversation and/or walks away.

KIND OF INTERESTED – He nods at the end of the conversation as if he might have listened.

INTERESTED – There is brief eye contact and a nod or two during the conversation.

EXTREMELY INTERESTED – There is total eye contact and he verbally interacts throughout the conversation.

However, I was clearly wrong about his level of interest. He ended up purchasing a different book by the same author. I guess maybe he was only kind of interested instead of extremely. This means I now have to reevaluate how I read his levels of interest. You would think that after being together for so long, I would have this figured out.

\\n  …ANYWAY…\\n

I did read the other book he purchased first and I really enjoyed it (see my other review). This made me even more excited to read this one. Reading about facts is something I really like, and topics about death have always intrigued me because I have a bit of a morbid curiosity. I figure it's a part of life, so why not study it like you would anything else you have to eventually experience? Knowledge is power and all that.

The author did a great job of presenting the cold, hard facts with her unique sense of humor. My only complaint is the difference between my expectations and the reality of the content. I thought this book would be more about what happens to our bodies after we die, the process of handling and disposing of the body, and all that it entails. Instead, this book seemed to focus more on what happens when you donate your body to science. I didn't lower the rating for this because, as a boyfriend breaking up with you might say, "It wasn't you, it was me."

Ever wonder what truly happens to your body after you take your last breath? For the vast majority of us, the common fate is either being laid to rest six feet beneath the ground in a box or being cremated and having our ashes poured into an urn. However, there is a small but significant number of individuals who make the altruistic decision to donate their mortal remains to the cause of science.

In her book "Stiff", Mary Roach delves into the fascinating world of cadaver research. She does so with a lighthearted and often conversational tone that is a far cry from the dry and overbearing textbooks we endured in high school biology class.

My encounter with Mary Roach's work had a bit of a rocky start about two years ago. I took a chance on the audiobook version of "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void". Although the subject matter was inherently interesting, the narrator made it as engaging as listening to a seminar on box factories conducted by Ben Stein right after he woke up from a nap.

Fast forward a few months after making my way through Bill Bryson's "One Summer: America, 1927", I found myself eager to give Mary Roach another try. I decided to pick up one of her more well-known books, "Stiff".

"Stiff" offers a unique and rather morbid yet highly entertaining and informative experience. Roach takes us on a journey to a body farm where the deceased are studied at various stages of decomposition. She also visits a research lab that conducts experiments on cadaver test dummies to understand the effects of car crashes. Additionally, she delves into the realm of ill-fated head transplant experiments. There are crucifixion tests, practice patients for surgeons in training, and the complex question of when exactly a person should be considered legally dead and available for organ harvesting.

Without a shadow of a doubt, "Stiff" has successfully reignited my interest in exploring more of Mary Roach's work. I'm now eagerly anticipating the next time someone brings up the topic of dead bodies at a social gathering so that I can showcase my newfound random cadaver knowledge.

Also posted @ Every Read Thing.

I shied away from reading this book for a long time. The corny subtitle put me off, and the fact that Mary Roach is just a writer interested in popular science, without a background in either the medical or mortuary field, didn't help. But I finally picked it up on Caitlin Doughty's recommendation, whom I love.

Stiff was such a runaway bestseller almost twenty years ago. It could be argued that Doughty might never have found a foothold for her own memoir and non-fiction books about death and cadavers if Mary Roach hadn't paved the way. She proved to publishers that there's a widespread interest in this morbid niche. Death sells, and weird and gory death with a side of humor sells even better.

Stiff (mostly) focuses on what happens to bodies when they are donated to research. It also explores some of the unique scientific contributions made by human cadavers throughout history. Sometimes unwittingly, dead bodies have been involved in science's boldest strides and some of its weirdest undertakings. This book isn't for the squeamish or those who prefer euphemisms when talking about death or a more tactful or dignified approach to dealing with it. (I'll also add a trigger warning for some rather graphic descriptions of experiments on animals, including dogs.) However, if you want some humorous, morbid history, provided by an eager layperson who's done extensive research and even gained some first-hand experience with dead bodies by sitting in on anatomy classes, surgery seminars, and visiting places like body farms and the Harvard Brain Bank, then this book is very much for you.

  “The way I see it, 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.”

Stiff may be funny, but it also delves into ethical and moral issues, such as the definition of death and the importance of donating organs to science. There are glimpses of death positive messages before that particular movement gained traction or even had a name. Maybe the fact that I read large parts of it on a plane, in that in-limbo space where one's personal bar for entertainment gets a bit skewed, had something to do with it, but I really loved it. It's light on the science and more reliant on interesting factoids, yet the whole book flows impressively well and maintains a lively (heh) pace as we follow the author around the world and into the depths of history. There's no denying that Roach did her research, and did it well. I was worried that after consuming all of Doughty's content, there wouldn't be much new to me in Stiff, but I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of unusual topics covered, from cadavers used as crash test dummies to experiments in crucifixion. Roach's brash curiosity, as well as her (to some, perhaps indelicate) bluntness, typical of a reporter, combine to make Stiff a morbidly fascinating, compelling, and educational romp.

  “Life contains these things: Leakage and wickage and discharge, pus and snot and slime and gleet. We are biology. We are reminded of this at the beginning and the end, at birth and at death. In between we do what we can to forget.”