Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Human Physiology, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Journalism, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Death & Dying
Cover of the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mary Roach ISBN: 9780393069198
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: May 17, 2004
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Mary Roach
ISBN: 9780393069198
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: May 17, 2004
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year....Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting."—Entertainment Weekly

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year....Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting."—Entertainment Weekly

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.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book A History of Future Cities by Mary Roach
Cover of the book A Wretched and Precarious Situation: In Search of the Last Arctic Frontier by Mary Roach
Cover of the book The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Spetsnaz: The Inside Story of the Soviet Special Forces by Mary Roach
Cover of the book The Road to Samarcand: An Adventure by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Remembering Survival: Inside a Nazi Slave-Labor Camp by Mary Roach
Cover of the book How a Tokyo Earthquake Could Devastate Wall Street by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Omnivores: A Novel by Mary Roach
Cover of the book A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing (12th Edition) by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Affect Regulation Toolbox: Practical And Effective Hypnotic Interventions for the Over-Reactive Client by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Voyage of the Narwhal: A Novel by Mary Roach
Cover of the book The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City: Spectacle and Assassination at the 1901 Worlds Fair by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Orphan Hours: Poems by Mary Roach
Cover of the book Inventing Human Rights: A History by Mary Roach
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy