Stiff

The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

By: Mary Roach

Narrated by: Shelly Frasier

Length: 8 hrs

Publisher's summary

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.

©2003 Mary Roach (P)2003 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Alex Award Winner, 2004

"Uproariously funny....informative and respectful...irreverent and witty....impossible to put down." (Publishers Weekly)
"Not grisly but inspiring, this work considers the many valuable scientific uses of the body after death." (Library Journal)
"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year." (Entertainment Weekly)

Bad Audio...

Would you consider the audio edition of Stiff to be better than the print version?

No, and I say this mainly because the quality of the recording is SO poor it makes it difficult to listen to. The background static and crackly quality make the high end white noise click in and out with the voice and it actually hurts your ears to listen to it in some places.

Would you be willing to try another one of Shelly Frasier’s performances?

Her voice is actually quite nice once you get past the horrible recording, so yes. I say this with the caveat that I would listen to a sample to ensure the recording itself was better than this one.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Diego Rivera's (the artist) cannibalism.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps a better vetting of the recordings' qualities?

Anything but Stiff

Any additional comments?

Probably one of the weirdest books I have every read; and I probably would not have purchased it, had it not been on sale.

I am glad I did, however, and must admit that I found it most interesting and admittedly engaging.

Ms Roach does have a knack for making the bizarre pretty accessible. If you ever had thoughts about donating your body to science or any other purpose, this book might give you pause or at least give you another thought point.

It is hard not to recommend, but be prepared for the unexpected…ruhaaahhaaaahh!

Very interesting and well-read.

Would you listen to Stiff again? Why?

Yes, and probably will.

What does Shelly Frasier bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She reads as though she is the author, which is really nice and easy to listen to. As I work in healthcare, I actually got a lot out of this book that I didn't know. Fascinating tidbits about a taboo subject.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

So many. I particularly remember a section about what happens to falling bodies, as well as the section on how they sort out what happens when an aircraft goes down an they can't find the black box.

Any additional comments?

This was so good that I was disappointed when it ended. I could have listened for a lot longer, and will search for more books that cover this subject.

Great book - audio production needs work

Any additional comments?

I really love this book. I read it myself a few years ago and decided to read it again via audiobook. The narrator is actually great; she has a nice voice and I like her delivery. My issue is with the quality of the audio. There is this white noise-type sound that you can hear as she speaks, and it cuts to silence sometimes when she stops speaking. Its incredibly irritating. I listen to lots of audiobooks and I've never experienced this. Maybe time to rerecord this one.

Great Listening!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd happily recommend this to any audiophile interested in odd topics because of the compelling writing and incredible detail.

What about Shelly Frasier’s performance did you like?

I didn't think I'd like this narrator as much as I liked the narrator of Mary Roach's other book, GULP, but I found her compelling to listen to and perfect for the material. It was hard to remember she was an actor, not the voice of the author herself. Perfect inflection at every point. She really seemed to connect with the narrative.

Any additional comments?

Skip the horrifying chapter regarding head transplants. I wish I didn't have those images in my mind.

Loved it to death (sorry)

I loved every minute of this book and hated to have it end. You may think that a book about cadavers would be maudlin, but Mary Roach brings a wonderfully appropriate humor to the telling of the tale. This book is far more than a tale about dead bodies. It is a history of science and how cadavers advanced our knowledge of anatomy, a look into how our thoughts about cadavers has changed, and a consideration of how we would like our cadavers treated when we pass.

And although I have critized Ms. Frasier's reading of another book, I take it all back (the last book was poorly recorded). She was perfect for this performance. Thank you Ms. Roach for being so fascinated with cadavers that you wrote this thouroughly fascinating book about my future self.

Interesting material

The content of the book is very interesting - different ways a cadaver is used.

My only complaint is about the author's style. She must have low self esteem because she constantly crowbars comments and/or jokes to show how brave she is, how pushy she is to get interviews, how "sick" she is (yes, I get that you like dead bodies for the 100th time), how well she understands French (please - don't tell a joke in French if you don't translate it), etc. So anticipate a few eye rolls when you listen.

I loved the content but if you are sensitive to animal abuse, be careful. There are several times when animal experimentation is discussed in detail, with apparently little concern for the animals. The author even makes jokes about this subject which seems very crass. (I'm not sensitive about jokes but it's hard to listen to horrible abuse and then hear a joke after it.)

I wish the author had let the subject speak for itself and just give the information.

Dead interesting

This was a fascinating look at bodies. The history of them, the future options and everything in between.

What happens to you after you die

What did you like best about Stiff? What did you like least?

What I liked best about Stiff was the authors dry, sarcastic tone. What I liked least was that it did get a little drawn out in some historical details that were a little boring.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Stiff?

The most memorable moment for me was when they discussed how decapitated heads are used to practice face lifts on.

What three words best describe Shelly Frasier’s voice?

Dry, Sarcastic, Smart

Was Stiff worth the listening time?

Stiff was worth the listening time, but only once, for me.

Any additional comments?

Definitely took a little getting used to the subject matter. At first I was a bit overwhelmed by the content, but that didn't last long. The subject matter is quite fascinating and something I've wondered about from time to time. While I enjoyed the book, a few sections felt really long and drawn out.

Stiff good read for the oddly curious

This was my 1st Mary Roach read. I like her sense of humor. I am on to another of her book's, Gulp, about the digestive system. Yummy