Stiff

Reviews

"Roach exhibits both a keen sense of humor and a sincere respect for the dearly departed." — American Scientist

"A very funny book....full of surprises." — Craig McLaughlin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"Roach saw some macabre things, but she describes them with respect and irresistible humor." — Austin American-Statesman

"Roach displays her metier in tangents about bizarre incendents in pathological history." — Gilbert Taylor, Booklist

"Surprisingly entertaining. Similar in tone to Bill Bryson's travel books, Roach manages to be humorous yet respectful." — Rick Mathis, Chattanooga Times Free Press

"Every detail is fascinating." — Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times

"Bring[s] alive a subject that has the potential to be deadly dull." — Steve Fiffer, Chicago Tribune

"Her morbid subject—perverse, unsettling and voyeuristic—makes her book hard to put down." — Dean Narcisco, Columbus Dispatch

"This bizarre tome will shock, disgust, intrigue and entertain you all at the same time." — Mary Morrison, Coral Gables Gazette

"[Roach's] knack for detailed research and loose Dave Barry-ish style makes Stiff a leisurely and enjoyable read." — Tom Westin, Daily Yomiuri

"Though the cover...will draw many readers to this book, its deft prose will keep them returning." — Fred Bortz, Dallas Morning News

"Outrageously funny, irreverent"—but respectful....so delightfully written, this book is difficult to put down." — Brian Richard Boylan, Denver Post

"Whimsical, hysterical and terribly interesting." — Katy Human, Detroit Free Press

"A fascinating survey of the data yielded by corpses both medieval and modern." — Discover Magazine

"Acutely entertaining, morbidly fascinating." — Forbes

"An informative, gently funny but never irreverent look at the various uses society makes of the dead." — Tom Pantera, Forum

"Well-written and deadly funny." — Bruce Willey, Good Times Magazine

"Roach is a masterful writer....Irreverent? Maybe a little. Disrespectful? Emphatically no." — Lisa Parsons, Hippo Press, Manchester, NH

"The numerous tidbits of information derived from the author's travels and interviews make [this book] uniquely appealing." — Joseph H Davis, MD, Journal of the American Medical Association

"Fascinating, unexpectedly fresh and funny look at the multiplicity of ways in which cadavers benefit the living.... entertaining, absolutely." — Kirkus Reviews starred review

"Despite the irreverent, macabre title, this is a respectful and serious examination of what happens to cadavers, past and present." — Michael D Cramer, Library Journal

"As weird as the book gets, Roach manages to convey a sense of respect and appreciation for her subjects." — Los Angeles Times

"It's a rare talent that can make people want to throw up and laugh at the same time." — Roy Rivenberg, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Bizarrely entertaining." — Susan Ellis, Memphis Flyer

"Mary Roach is an extremely funny science writer" — Laurence A Marschall, Natural History

"A funny but never disrespectful look at the curious world of cadaver research." — Netsurfer.com

"Roach's deliberate carefulness diminishes the topic's gore and sets a comfortable, comic tone that finds solace in its own oddity." — Tom Lynch, New City

"[A] mordantly witty history of the scientific contributions made by the no-longer-living." — Outside

"Roach's conversational tone and her gallows humor bring her subjects to life....Morbidly entertaining." — Alex Abramovich, People Magazine

"A quick and compelling, if slightly uneasy, read." — Justin Bauer, Philadelphia City Paper

"Roach traces the use of the cadaver...and describes odd, behind-the-scenes moments perfect to halt all discussion at dinner." — T.D. Mobley-Martinez, Philadelphia News

"Genuinely funny and destined to be a classic read." — Donald A Collins, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"What saves the subject matter from intolerable gruesomeness is Roach. Her interest is genuine, despite her droll tone." — B.T. Shaw, Portland Oregonian

"As informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty....Impossible to put down." — Publishers Weekly starred review

"Expect the insightful with the hilarious." — Bridget Kinsella, PW Daily

"[Roach] artfully and humorously unwraps the mystery of the dead body....an interesting and informative read." — Deborah Love, Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Lively and quirky....the writer's style is genuinely warm...she has a keen eye for observation of unique and ironic details." — Michael Jaffee, San Antonio Express-News

"A joy to read....this is wonderful stuff." — Tim Redmond, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Fascinating and oddly fun." — San Francisco Chronicle

"Every page fairly drips with dark humor." — Matt Palmquist, San Francisco Weekly

"[Roach] manages to make material that normally comes with a warning for the faint-hearted somehow light-hearted." — Jill Wolfson, San Jose Mercury News

"Well written, with a reader-friendly format." — Howard S Pitkow, Science Books and Films

"[Roach's] firsthand accounts of places and people make this a captivating look at life after death." — Science News

"Delightful....authoritative, endlessly curious and drolly funny." — Adam Wong, Seattle Times

"[Roach] has written a curiously funny, touching and respectful study." — Nancy Summers, Tampa Tribune & Times

"An unflinching, often hilarious cultural history." — Erica C Barnett, The Stranger

"Roach's dry, irreverent wit makes for a delightful—though never disrespectful—read." — Les Simpson, Time Out New York

"A laugh-out-loud funny book....one of those wonderful books that offers enlightenment in the guise of entertainment." — Washington City Paper

"Our own instinctive discomfort with death provides fodder for Roach's dry sense of humor throughout the book" — Ana Marie Cox, Washington Post

"Roach...goes into gruesome detail, but she also succeeds in not making the subject at hand too morbid." — Kim Colton, Willamette Week

"A fascinating book and, once you pick it up, you won't likely put it down." — William R Wineke, Wisconsin State Journal

"As fascinating as it is funny.... The research is admirable, the anecdotes carefully chosen, and the prose lively; and they combine to produce a book that everyone in the health care field should have to read, and everyone else will want to." — Caleb Carr, author of The Alienist

"Droll, dark, and quite wise, Stiff makes being dead funny and fascinating and weirdly appealing." — Susan Orlean