Gross Anatomy

Dispatches from the Front (and Back)

By: Mara Altman

Narrated by: Mara Altman

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listener 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.

©2018 Mara Altman (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“It's an honest, often hilarious look at women's bodies, how we think of them, our practices, questions, embarrassments. It's all on display, and Mara Altman is not shy about any of it.” (NPR’s All Things Considered)

“Delightfully crass...[Altman’s] level of research coupled with her unique shade of humor sets her series of essays apart.” (Publishers Weekly) 

“An endearingly outrageous attempt to demystify the female body while shedding light on the causes of female corporeal insecurities. A simultaneously funny and informative memoir about the wonder of the human body.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

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.

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.

Comedy and biology mixed perfectly together.

I love the story! Definitely gave you the sense that maybe you’re not so weird after all. Yeah, humans are gross. But in this book, we sort of make light of it, and giggle about all of the things that seemingly everyone has to deal with at some point in time or another. my only complaint is that I wish she would have added a chapter and told us how the birth went and how the babies are doing! Although I think a whole other book could be written on that topic! Hint, hint…

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.

Frank, Honest, and Humorous Look at Our Bodies

It is a fun ride alongside the author who openly and humorously discusses all the taboos and fears associated with our bodies that women everywhere share. This book seeks to answer such questions as "Why does my dog like my crotch?" or "Is my nipple hair normal?" Mara is like the friend you openly talk about everything with, but she goes one step further. She hunts down experts in such niche topics as medieval vagina historians, and gets their opinions as to her big questions.

It is an enjoyable listen while learning some new information and being able to feel less self conscious about your own insecurities.

Quirky, Cringe-Worthy & Informative!!

I guess you would say, Everything-You-Wanted -To-Know but definitely afraid to ask. Mara's book was actually very informative despite being a potential stand-up act of self deprecating humor!! She is fun and quirky telling us all kinds of stuff about out bodies that we've wondered about. Yes, there were times driving that I gasped out loud and did get majorly grossed out. I'm sure passing cars were thinking I was having a spell of some kind! While there were some topics I would have liked to hear or to go on other tangents of her topics, I realized that this was her story not mine! There is probably endless material on this to have a series of books. It was a fun ride!

Honest and thoughtful

Wow. Mara has brought up all the strange body subjects I have always thought made me weird and uncomfortable in such an informative matter that made me realize that they are where my power lies, and truthfully, are a completely normal part of being a woman. Thank you so much!

Fantastic!

I'm so glad I stumbled on this well-researched, engaging book. I highly recommend it for interesting information and a fun listen.

Expected Mary Roach. Got Mindy Kaling

I was hoping for a Mary Roach style deep dive into the science and culture of uncomfortable taboos. Instead, it's a neurotic woman asking very good questions but mostly just obsessing. The research (such as it is) is more an outworking of her neuroses rather than an in depth search for enlightenment. Again though, I love that she's willing to address such taboo topics. The stories and humor are good and the narration is great. I assume this author is a performer of some kind because rare is the author-read book which is presented nearly so well. If not, she should be.