Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

· Penguin UK
4.2
43 reviews
Ebook
304
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND THE PERFECT READ FOR FANS OF UNNATURAL CAUSES

What happens to your body after you have died?

Fertilizer? Crash Test Dummy? Human Dumpling? Ballistics Practise?

Life after death is not as simple as it looks. Mary Roach's Stiff lifts the lid off what happens to our bodies once we have died. Bold, original and with a delightful eye for detail, Roach tells us everything we wanted to know about this new frontier in medical science.

Interweaving present-day explorations with a history of past attempts to study what it means to be human Stiff is a deliciously dark investigations for readers of popular science as well as fans of the macabre.

'Spry, common, sharp-witted survey brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Life after death"' Sunday Times

'One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year' Entertainment Weekly


'Every chapter packed with more arresting details elegantly humourously expressed than one can hope for' Sunday Telegraph

Ratings and reviews

4.2
43 reviews
Ines Pereira
June 25, 2016
I found this book very interesting and I ended up giggling at Roach's more times than I found possible in this topic. Also I never thought dead bodies could lead such interesting "lives". All probably read this one again.
5 people found this review helpful
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Adrian Toh
November 23, 2018
What I liked most about the book was Ms Roach's writing style. It is very witty, yet endearing and respectful. There is no patronising or high-brow tone anywhere, and the chapters are a joy to read. I liked the scientific explanations given throughout the book, and interspersed with insightful socio-psychological analyses, the book punches well above its weight. I highly recommend this book, and will definitely get the other titles that she has authored.
1 person found this review helpful
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Charlie Oldnal
February 14, 2023
Fascinating, if a little long-winded at times.
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About the author

Mary Roach is a journalist. She has written for Salon, Wired, GQ, Discover, Vogue and the New York Times Magazine. This is her first book.

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