A corpse is a corpse, of course, of course...

TITLE: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

AUTHOR: Mary Roach

REVIEWED BY: Cleggy

BRIEF SUMMARY: Stiff is a fascinating book -- often sidesplitting in its humor -- that explores what might happen to someone's body after they die.

While death is a serious subject, and the act of death is not something to be laughed at, the attitudes of people over the centuries regarding the human body makes for a fascinating book. And the subjects themselves -- the people who were in the bodies prior to death -- are always, always treated with respect. (Well, in modern times, at least. We can't speak for those in past centuries, who did some pretty horrible things in the name of "science" and natural curiosity.)

From testing the first guillotines, riding in the NASA space shuttle, and helping to solve the mysteries of airplane crashes and other unsolved deaths, human cadavers have helped scientists make great strides in making our world what it is today -- for better or for worse. And they are still on the front lines when it comes to developing new medical procedures, safety mechanisms, and other medical and scientific breakthroughs.

And even when the going gets decidedly grisly and macabre, Roach is always there with a quip, and observation, or just another way of looking at things that keeps it all in perspective.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I have a rather macabre sense of humor, and have always been fascinated by the rites and rituals surrounding death and dying.

WHY I FINISHED IT: Two words: Mary Roach. Her writing style is conversational, funny, and fascinating. She puts things in plain-English terms, and makes even the most disturbing aspects of death easier to read about through her humor.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Given the topic, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone, but to anyone with an appreciation for the macabre or an interest in funeral practices, I would not hesitate to suggest it.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/WARNINGS: Infrequent language, plenty of gruesome details about cadavers and the human anatomy. People who are easily upset by such things should stay away.