Stiff by Mary Roach

3.5 stars (I subtracted .5 stars for a boring audio version)

I kept hearing about how amazing this book is. I listened to it on audio which tends to make nonfiction works very boring at times. I thought it was okay, there were times when I tuned out a lot. There were some humorous parts at the beginning and some attempts made throughout. Basically, the book is about the history of the cadaver. The various medical uses, development in preservation and their use in testing such as in car safety. There were some interesting facts like the tests made by one doctor to see if the human soul actually weighed something. Patients were placed on a scale and decrease in weight at time of death was actually noted. There were also tests made about Jesus' crucifixion. A doctor took amputated arms, nailed them to a homemade cross and attached weights to replicate body weight. Another doctor trying to debunk the other's findings, had volunteers from a religious cult begging him to nail them to cross (they were actually tied). Another part of the book notes disgusting medicinal uses. In ancient Egypt, people were fed honey until their bodies were absolutely saturated by the time of death. Their bodies were then engulfed in more honey and sealed for x amount of years until they were later opened and eaten for medicinal purposes. In other places other "cures" were available such as urine or feces. Thank goodness for modern medicine. The book is packed with "fun" facts but it definitely induces a lack of appetite afterward.