Gulp

Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

By: Mary Roach

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author Mary Roach returns with a new adventure to the invisible realm we carry around inside. Roach takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour.

The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: The questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis?

In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of - or has the courage to ask. We go on location to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant, and into a live stomach to observe the fate of a meal. With Roach as our guide, we travel the world, meeting murderers and mad scientists, Eskimos and exorcists (who have occasionally administered holy water rectally), rabbis and terrorists - who, it turns out, for practical reasons do not conceal bombs in their digestive tracts. Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies.

©2013 Mary Roach (P)2013 Tantor

Interesting and enlghtening

Great core story, peppered with many interesting segues. For the most part I was hooked listening. Made the book seem shorter than expected (expected since our 'core tube' is so diverse in functionality).

Sleepy performance on a meh Roach entry

As a science teacher I read all of Mary roaches bucks and have loved the others. This one suffers from two things: first, the information provided is balance toward the latter end of the digestive system and well interest is high there, there was much more to say about the other parts of the system and second, the performer sounds like she is half asleep for the majority of the performance and her random slew of voices are awkward at best. If you are a Roach fan, of course you will listen, if you are new to her work choose Stiff or Boink first.

Informative and entertaining

Great book with a very good performance by the narrator.

Would recommend to those who enjoy a popular science-type book who are not too easily grossed out:)

Hysterical

Mary Roach has the most amazing curiosity. She leaves no question unanswered and covers this subject quite thoroughly. The narration was outstanding turning this most interesting of subjects into a lot of laughs.

Not for everyone, but their loss.

I found this book fascinating. But apparently I'm in the minority. my whole family was not as fascinated and even aghast when I shared some interesting facts from the book. Oh well.

Great tour of the body ...

Absolutely loved this book by Mary! Highly recommended... Next up is Stiff then Fuzz ...

good and informative

somehow she makes me curious and wondrous about various terribly yucky things. now on a journey to read the rest of her books. all thumbs up.

Interesting and funny

This book was very interesting and had some funny bits. I certainly learned some things about the body and digestion. It was entertaining and informative. I found some of the anecdotes just a touch on the insensitive/judgmental side...a little compassion for the unfortunate people who made the record books with their unusual stories would have felt better to me, as a listener. If we must be voyeurs we can be compassionate voyeurs, no? Still an excellent listen; it kept my attention, gave me some laughs, and made me a little bit more informed. The narration was good (read: not annoying).

Funny, interesting, and engaging - great!

I love Mary Roach,and this installment is no exception. Though not as good as Stiff, it's still both interesting and amusing (and much better than Bonk). From the tongue to the anus, it's an fun trip, though there are a few areas that are definitely not for the squeamish. I wasn't really thrilled with the narrator - she was fine, but she really didn't add a lot to the text. Maybe that's a factor of a non-fiction book, as opposed to a novel filled with characterizations.

Wow, who knew?

This book should be named, "The amazing, engaging, educational guide to the alimentary canal and then some." Tagline- "Read/Listen whilst in the John."
This has been truly the most fun I've had learning in many years. And I'm an educator myself. Different subject but still it's great to see someone research and know their sh*t. (Sorry but how could I not?)