readers advisory for all discussion

So, we all know Mary Roach, and if you don't well.... get off here and pick up a copy of Stiff.

I own Spook, but the reviews are so low compared to her other works that people have told me to not read this book; i still will one day.

I'm left with a blank space between the dead (stiff), sex (bonk), eating (gulp) and spirituality (.....?!). I need to find a book that fills this empty space. I'm looking for a book that is approached like a Roach piece (funny, smart, informative, clever, etc) but with less bias; an element that people question in Spook. I have scoured the internet, asked many, many goodreads members, but alas I haven't found a good replacement for Spook.

Any suggestions? or if you have read Spook should i just read this and stop my search?

Will says to read Spook:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I know. But the vote goes either way for that one. Perhaps I just need a few more to get a getter idea of the topic. I don't one book will do.

i am going to bump this up so maybe someone can help you. the only things i can think of are either new-agey or religion-oriented. i don't know of any that are scientific.

Sorry I don't have a book to recommend. This is a difficult request! All the other topics are tangibles, corporal involving functions of the body. After death, it may be impossible to find the unbiased work you're looking for. I'm sure many have tried, but when it's all speculation then I'm not sure it's possible to be subjective.

Wait, I meant objective on that last word.

I think Oliver Sacks has something to say on the subject in Hallucinations .
It may be worth your look.

karen wrote: "i am going to bump this up so maybe someone can help you. the only things i can think of are either new-agey or religion-oriented. i don't know of any that are scientific."

I know. im at a loss. but i dont wanna get that 'earthy crunchy wiccan' sorta sub category. i want to stick to the scientific side... but approachable. Maybe Roach is just a rare breed.... but im having that 'nooo' moment because i dont want to read all her books. doesnt matter because she has only written one book on the subject. I finished Spook and didnt have any of the negative responses people had, which sorta intensified my search for like minded books.

Eh?Eh! wrote: "Sorry I don't have a book to recommend. This is a difficult request! All the other topics are tangibles, corporal involving functions of the body. After death, it may be impossible to find the unbi..."

you know what, that's exactly what i thought too, but there is this whole segment of the science world that is gunning for answers and has 'found some evidence'. like with all science that isnt provable, those facts are debatable. this fact doesnt detract my interest, in fact it makes me yearn for it more.

im really into the ghost subject matter. I havent been scared to go to sleep after any horror book, but i have left the lights on when its more factual. Its a rare dog though, and i think that Roach approached it wisely and with her typical style. let the search continue, i guess.

Jaye wrote: "I think Oliver Sacks has something to say on the subject in Hallucinations.
It may be worth your look."

YES! i was JUST talking about this gem today. i kept looking at the book (i own it) and looking at the author. it wasnt until today that i remember some of his work from undergrad. thanks for the rec. i think that will provide a really interesting perspective on the topic! glad you mentioned it. it is now officially my next read.

im only slightly ashamed to say i went to amazon.com for suggestions (yes the devil).

Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory

The Whole Death Catalog: A Lively Guide to the Bitter End

The American Way of Death Revisited

only the first really hits on what im looking for. just thought id post em here in case anyone else is looking for this type of book

Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death

This looks like something you might be interested in.
I read the synopsis and might give it a go myself !

Yes perfect. Thanks. I especially like that it's a bit older in content. May give a bright contrast to more recent books

A couple of Kary Mullis essays in Dancing Naked in the Mind field explore this subject, as well as "reputable" scientific community's unwillingness to even attempt to submit any of this subject matter to the scientific method. It's not exactly what you're after but I think you'll like it.

Clackamas wrote: "A couple of Kary Mullis essays in Dancing Naked in the Mind field explore this subject, as well as "reputable" scientific community's unwillingness to even attempt to submit any of this subject mat..."

no thanks for the rec! the more the better.