Stiffs

Mary Roach accomplished what most authors dream about — a first book becoming a NY Times best seller. Published in 2004, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is a detailed study of what is done with corpses beyond what is obvious to the general public. It also incorporates the history of the matter, and a lot of it is not pretty. Some of the practices, present and past, will seem bizarre. Even though I’d expected quirky tales about occurrences in morgues, I stayed with the book, finding it interesting and valuable. Folks who donate their remains to science have little or no control over what is done with them. A lot are used in teaching anatomy, students dissecting them. Some are even used in the honing of cosmetic surgery skills, in many cases involving the head only. A few scientists are trying to lead the way on different methods of disposal, such as boiling or freezing dead people into environmentally friendly compost. It has me rethinking my wish to be cremated. Those remains are useless, but the thought that I might be chopped to pieces instead is a deterrent. I picture a scientist seeing my nose and immediately deciding it would be great practice for rhinoplasty. Anyone sensitive to such thoughts, especially those who adhere to traditional beliefs, should pass on the book, although the author leavens the narrative with humor. She also brings up a thought that had not crossed my mind on the issue, for which I thank her. Since a decedent’s wishes may conflict with the beliefs of survivors and cause much distress, it may be best to let the latter decide what to do. That should not lend the impression that Roach is anti-science, as she certainly is not. The prose is solid. The 291 pages read like considerably less given the three-page gap between chapters, one of the three containing a photo. There is more detail than I prefer, but others may relish it. 2900+ users at Amazon have rated Stiff…, forging to a consensus of 4.6 on a scale of five. I’ll go with 3.5. Roach, in her mid 60’s, has published six other works and has contributed many pieces to magazines. She has a regular column in Reader’s Digest. She has garnered several awards. Her research has taken her to seven continents.

I feel so safe knowing Lori Loughlin is in jail.

Only in America: The Governor of the state that has had the most Corona virus deaths and has had the most people abandoning it will receive an Emmy for leadership.

The skies cleared just in time for the floating book shop, and one of the prime parking spots was available. I wish the rest of the session had been as great as that auspicious beginning. My thanks to the woman who bought The New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet: Rev Your Metabolism and Improve Your Health with the Latest Science of Weight Loss by Arthur Agatston M.D., and to Wolf, who took home Russian translations of Tom Clancy and two sci-fi authors with whom I’m unfamiliar; and to the woman who purchased The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride by James Patterson.

My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

Read Vic’s Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza