I am currently finishing up my first year of medical school. My gross anatomy professor suggested this book, and I am very happy that he did. The book provides an excellent look into the world of cadaver research, the fascinating history of the use of cadavers in academic institutions, and our society's view of cadavers. The book is full of awesome, little known facts, and the writing style is excellent and easy to follow. And on top of all of that, the author even manages to be quite entertaining and at times outright funny (which seems odd when talking about cadavers, but it works nicely). I am very picky about the leisure books I read, because I have such little free time, but I would suggest this book to anyone; medical professionals and curious non-medical individuals alike.
I was amazed by this book. I have never read a book like this one. I have long considered my options after my passing and this book has taught me far more than I could fathom about my options and how cadavers are offered to teach us so much. I will never forget this book. This is a difficult subject to most of us for many different and similar reasons. The author makes an sincere effort to be respectful and yet gives the reader a fairly descriptive and somewhat difficult account of the paths we could be offered in death to teach the living about our bodies and our path into dust. If I comment any further it may tip the hand of what I found to be a real surprise about the book. An easy to follow education about cadavers, to say the least. Thank you Mary Roach. This is a one of a kind read.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I decided to purchase this book because I have always been interested in the human body. A friend told me about the book, so I came to half.com to get the best deal. I didn't need a "brand new" copy, so I checked out the "like new" and "used" headings. Once I started this book, I honestly couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful blend of humor and facts. I wasn't expecting a book on this sort of subject matter to be so hilarious, but Mary Roach is an excellent writer and managed to respectfully pull it off. Mary Roach is now one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
Such an enjoyable book. Compelling, funny, gruesome and informative. Something that I never would have considered "bookworthy" subject matter is fascinating. History, science and all of the gory details of what our body does and some very worthy uses for it, after we die. Told in laymens terms with lots of funny and sometimes slightly snide asides by the auther. I will read another book by her very soon.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Its awesome to learn about the cadavers and how they function and what is done with them. I never knew any of this stuff and it piqued my curiosity, however, it was so informational (with a bit of humor) that It felt like reading a quirky textbook. The information was excellent, but the style didnt keep my interest. I read part of it at a friends house and only got a tidbit. When I bought the book, I expected it to be fictional, but it was non-fiction and a bit lecturey at parts. However, despite my personal feelings about the book, the author did a great job. I'd reccomend the book to someone who likes this kind of stuff.
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