Stiff by Mary Roach (dead bodies anyone?)

Trust only a prolific columnist like Mary Roach to embark upon a science-n-history-laden world of dead bodies and turn it into something of an un-put-down-able page turner. Non-fiction with a dose of journalism seldom got this readable.The book, as Roach so excellently puts it in her introduction is, about “behind-the-scenes dead”–the cadavers. Right from a brilliant introduction (Roach’s conviction for the subject alongwith her experience with the first cadaver–that of her mum’s sets the ball rolling!), one is introduced to the worlds of surgery, anatomy crimes, body decay, cadavers in crash tests, injury analysis in catastrophes such as air-crashes, ballistic and weapon testing, organ transplantation, decapitation, medicinal cannibalism, freeze-drying funerals, tissue digestion, plastination in reasonable detail. It doesn’t set out to be some exhaustive illustrated guide to the world of cadavers but ends up being a fairly comprehensive and updated account on the subject.

Each of the topics above finds itself seeped in some history, some science (the research by Roach is marvellous– just a look at the number and diversity of sources she extracts the information from is proof enough) and some first-hand personal experience (with Roach herself probing at crematoriums, labs, dead-body fields, surgeons, scientists, analysts–each of them equally insightful). Having said that, let the book not lull you into a false feeling of having known everything about cadavers after reading it– I see it more as a corridor to the curious lives of cadavers.

As said earlier, Roach’s a masterful writer who can elicit a chuckle or make you ponder without too many words or preaching. There’s nuggets of sarcasm and wit providing the required relief and there are some very passionate and thought-provoking critique of the procedures dead bodies have had to go through over the years. If you have got hilarious footnotes, you also get some wonderful ending words at each chapter’s climax (e.g. “We are biology. We are reminded of this at the beginning and the end, at birth and at death. In between we do what we can to forget.”)

Dealing with the world of dead bodies, the book talks about the subject in such colloquial and matter-of-factly language that nowhere does the tone make you feel like some medical student or its details make you switch off your night-lamp.

The wow factor remains very high throughout, most possibly because of the unconventionality of the “lives of dead bodies”. Though its tough to decide what for me was the best chapter, the ones on human decay and injury analysis are superbly penned. The crucifixation experiments and the medicinal cannibalism are perhaps the most graphic and gory chapters of the book (squeamish, sensitive readers-watch out!) while the one on whole body transplant isn’t quite as well written as the others. And yes, the one on freeze-drying funeral where the body ends up as compost is indeed one helluva practical idea and something worth discussing.

But all said and done, I’ll probably always remember this book and author for lending me some knowledge about this elusive world of cadavers in such a witty and passionate manner, and for making me ponder over the fact of “What shall be done to my body once I die?” In author’s words, I’ll leave it for my parents to decide (with an exception for organ donation). No strict wills, no after-death wishes and no post-death offending.

Strange what some books do to you! Highly recommended!