Gross Anatomy

Dispatches from the Front (and Back)

By: Mara Altman

Narrated by: Mara Altman

An honest, funny, neurotic, and totally gross love child of Mindy Kaling and Mary Roach.

Mara Altman's volatile and apprehensive relationship with her body has led her to wonder about a lot of stuff over the years. Like, who decided that women shouldn't have body hair? And how sweaty is too sweaty? Also, why is breast cleavage sexy but camel toe revolting? Isn't it all just cleavage? These questions and others like them have led to the comforting and sometimes smelly revelations that constitute Gross Anatomy, an essay collection about what it's like to operate the bags of meat we call our bodies.

Divided into two sections, "The Top Half" and "The Bottom Half," with cartoons scattered throughout, Altman's book takes the reader on a wild and relatable journey from head to toe--as she attempts to strike up a peace accord with our grody bits.

With a combination of personal anecdotes and fascinating research, Gross Anatomy holds up a magnifying glass to our beliefs, practices, biases, and body parts and shows us the naked truth: that there is greatness in our grossness.

Body Positive

Amazing history connecting female gender norms with the early advertising industry. Could have done without the body exploration element.

Such a funny attestation to the plight of women

Loved the whole thing. This is the book I'm getting my friends and family for Christmas.

So many facts

Well-researched and so interesting. We have all felt some of the author's insecurities. Nice to hear someone think out loud.

LOL - Gross Anatomy!

Love this book! It was hilariously educational and kept me going during a flight from New Zealand to Houston.

Gross Anatomy

This was a good book.Some was funny,some was just uncomfortable,but I learned a few things. Mara Altman wrote and narrates and does a good job.