This book preceded Roach's book Bonk. Instead of sex research, it is about dead bodies. It's not about how the bodies got that way but rather what happens to them afterward. Included are the various ways donated cadavers are used for scientific and medical purposes, a "body farm" where human decomposition is studied, cannibalism, the myriad of ways bodies can be embalmed, cremated, composted, or preserved, and a look at the process that creates the "Body Worlds" exhibits. Roach did extensive research, traveling internationally to observe different research and techniques and to interview the people who do the "hands on" work with dead bodies. She is not afraid to observe the grotesque, disturbing, and often smelly firsthand. Nor does she shirk from asking the difficult questions. Throughout the book, the subject is handled in a respectful manner, even when humorous comments are included. I'm glad she disproved the "human buttocks in the Chinese dumplings" story or I might have to give up some of my favorite foods. And the idea of freeze-drying and composting just might change my mind about being cremated when the time comes.
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