TOW #18 IRB Post 1 Stiff by Mary Roach

       With this year being my junior year I have not had much time for recreational reading as I would have Stiff by Mary Roach. I am well into the book and will probably finish it with the prospect of more snow days. Stiff is not the conventional book by any means, for one thing it is the first lighthearted book about dead people that I have ever seen. Mary Roach is an established journalist and author who decided to write the book Stiff after the death of her mother inspired her. The book is her compromised experiences of talking to professionals about the cadaver world. In this book Roach wants to educate and entertain the audience with her knowledge of the little-known world of dead bodies. Death is always a tough subject to talk about, but somehow Roach makes the book wildly hilarious. I never imagined that I could read one sentence about how heads are cut of before the neck begins then by the next sentence be laughing at Roach's comparison to a modest dead person wearing a turtle neck. The fact that Roach incorporates so much humor in her writing goes towards accomplishing her purpose. Stiff is far from being a dry morbid book it is a book that I enjoy with all my heart. Roach's use of humor also is key in determining her audience. There are plenty of books out there that are medical journals about cadavers, but I would never read any of the them. Her use of humor makes this topic readable and strangely entertaining. To read this book you have to go in with a open mind, a strong stomach and the ability to laugh at otherwise morbid topics. I have not finished this book, yet but I can say that so far it is one of my favorite books of all time. I have learned so much about the underground world of cadavers and each chapter in Stiff is just another opportunity to learn and laugh.
liked. Admittedly my last two IRB books were pushed off until I had absolutely had to read them. It is a different story with my most recent IRB choice