Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

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.

"... 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." Carnival, Viking, and Holland America, take note.

As a corpse, you can indeed, as on last summer's voyage to the Bahamas, veg out. Or, as the narrative reveals, be an integral part of other activities. Why, I didn't realize that being dead could be so lively.

First and foremost, your cadaver could become the prize of body snatchers, and subsequently be sold to a medical school for the instruction and amusement of students. Or perhaps you aspire to become a crash test dummy, fodder for the military's munitions tests, or the subject of experiments in composting, freeze-drying or plastination. If you're unlucky enough to die in an airplane disaster of unknown cause, investigators may scrutinize your body, or its widely scattered pieces, for clues as to where in the aircraft the fuselage cracked open or the bomb exploded. Your dissected brain or heart could fuel arguments over the seat of the soul, while other body parts serve as the raw material for disease remedies. Or maybe just be eaten by cannibals. And, if you're the outdoorsy type, you can recline in a grove on a grassy hillside behind the University of Tennessee Medical Center where the various stages of human decomposition are studied and recorded.

STIFF is one of the most fascinating books I've read recently, even after taking into account the "yuk" factor. (In ancient Rome, the blood of freshly slaughtered gladiators was thought to cure epilepsy, while modern day Web sites have recipes for Placenta Lasagna and Placenta Pizza for those who would consume the delicacy to stave off postpartum depression.) This is largely due to the author's chatty style and marvelous sense of humor, which is dry as a mummy. For example, when declaring the existence of a Central Park statue of a certain Dr. Sims, otherwise notable for describing a suitable patient position for gynecological exam, Roach writes in a footnote:

"If you don't believe me, you can look it up yourself, on page 56 of THE ROMANCE OF PROCTOLOGY. (Sims was apparently something of a dilettante when it came to bodily orifices.) P.S.: I could not, from cursory skimming, ascertain what the romance was."

I highly recommend STIFF for the not too squeamish adult, or as a scary Halloween gift for one who is. Or as a bedtime reader for precocious youngsters - they'll think it gross, but way cool, as children are wont to do.

In case you're wondering, there's no photo section.


Stiff Isn't   March 27, 2004
Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

OK--I have to admit, when I first heard about this one--the curious life of human cadavers?--I wasn't exactly excited about reading it, but the reviews were so glowing, I had to give it a try. Stiff is a very interesting, and certainly unique read--certainly not for the squeamish or faint of heart. But it's funny, surprisingly funny. Mary Roach also manages to communicate much respect for those who have gone before us. Her humor works because she generally pokes fun at the living and, she's pretty funny. There is nothing offensive in here, just lots interesting facts, some fascinating, some weird, some surprising. If you are the slightest bit curious about the topic, give this one a try.


Hilarious and Fascinating   June 14, 2004
Kip Piper (www.kippiper.com)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

"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."

So begins "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," the hillarious, fascinating, and, yes, sometimes gross new book by Mary Roach.

As Ms. Roach wisely points out, "By and large, the dead aren't very talented. They can't play water polo, or lace up their boots, or maximize market share. They can't tell a joke, and they can't dance for beans." Fortunately dead bodies have many productive (though often quite bizarre) uses.

Always as respectful as she is informative, Ms. Roach takes readers through a riotously funny look at the many uses of dead bodies - including safety research ("Dead Man Driving"), medical experimentation, surgical practice (face-lifts on decapitated human heads), "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants, quantifying rates of decay, methods of disposal (okay, sure but composting?!), grave digging, and of course, that timeless favorite cannibalism.

You won't be able to put it down, even after reading about her trip to China to find a crematorium that allegedly fills dumplings with human remains.

Don't worry, "Stiff" is not a morbid book. As Roach explained to her former colleagues at Salon.com, "This isn't a book about death. It's a book about dead bodies. They're two very different things."

And the dumplings probably just taste like chicken.