Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003), published by W. W. Norton & Company, (ISBN 0393324826), is a work of non-fiction by Mary Roach that details the unique scientific contributions of the deceased. It was a New York Times bestseller and has received numerous recognitions, such as the Elle Reader's Prize and the 2003 Amazon.com Editor's Choice Award. Critics and casual readers alike have found Roach to be surprisingly funny and compelling in her strange explanation of the human body's uses after death. In the book, Roach gives both first-hand accounts of cadavers in action in addition to a history of the use of cadavers and the surrounding ethical/moral issues. She also places each chapter's content into a historical context by discussing the history of the method of using a cadaver she is about to witness.

The book covers 12 topics:

• Practicing cosmetic surgery on cadaver heads
• Body snatching and the early years of human dissection
• The nature of decomposition
• Cadavers as crash-test dummies
• Using cadavers to analyze a crash site
• Army tests on cadavers
• Crucifixion experiments
• Beating-heart cadavers, the soul, and being buried alive
• Decapitation and human head transplants
• Cannibalism in the name of medicine
• New alternatives to burial and cremation
• The author's views on her own remains

2003 books | Biology books