ONTD Book Club discussion

Discuss our Nonfiction reaad, Stiff here!

For those that already own/have read the book: Are there any interesting pictures in the print version that'd I'd miss out on if I got the ebook version?

Good question. I'm getting the audiobook from the library whenever it becomes available.

Hmmm i'm trying to think since I own the book but I'm not near it rn since I'm in a different state....at the most there was like two if there were any at all...tbh I don't remember any but I feel like it could have been possible that there were. Clearly not anything important if there was, but I think in general it was just text only.

Okay, good. We won't be missing out. =)

Only $7.83 for Kindle! Nice! Can't wait to start this one after I get caught up on school stuff.

I'm only on the second chapter (about body snatching and such), but there have been so many parts that have made me cringe already..I had no idea what a face lift actually was - it sounds horribly painful D:

I'm actually watching a Mary Roach lecture right now about sex and she is fuggin' hilarious. I'm glad I know how she talks now I think I can appreciate her now knowing how she likes to present information.

http://www.ted.com/talks/mary_roach_1...

I don't like the voice of the person doing the audiobook narration. I'm still on the first chapter though.

I totally agree there should be a card where you choose how your body is used for science.

About a quarter of the way through it now. I'm a nursing student, so all the stuff about dissections is really fascinating to me. I'm going to recommend if to my med student friend next. Roach has a great way with words, I love all the little jokes she throws in.

Alicia wrote: "I totally agree there should be a card where you choose how your body is used for science."

I haven't started reading the book yet, but here in the UK we do sort of have that. You can join the national organ donor registry and state which parts you want donated after you die. I just ticked the box for everything and they can do what they want with me. Waste not, want not.

Since y'all are doin' Stiff and I already read both that and Bonk, I picked up Spook today at half price books and I'm already excited. Her prose is so fucking adorable, I can't. And after watching the lecture I linked above, I love how I can picture her talking perfectly.

Fran wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I totally agree there should be a card where you choose how your body is used for science."

I haven't started reading the book yet, but here in the UK we do sort of have that. You c..."

Ooh, that's good. I'm not sure about the plastic surgery bit, but the only thing I am sure of is if this uterus transplant thing I've heard of is an actuality you can't have my uterus. Adopt a freaking child, dammit.

Wigs wrote: "Since y'all are doin' Stiff and I already read both that and Bonk, I picked up Spook today at half price books and I'm already excited. Her prose is so fucking adorable, I can't. And after watching..."

It was the TED talk video that made me add all Mary Roach's books to my 'to read' list. And I've finally finished the book I was reading, so I'm now ready to start on Stiff.

MNLO wrote: "Ugh, my copy is in Dutch. I'm starting it tomorrow, expect me back."

Dutch! You say that as if it's a surprise, lol. I assume you're at a library and weren't sure if the copy was going to be in english or dutch?

I've read the first two chapters now. I love all the history in it.

The stuff about cadavers being used for plastic surgery, both for practice and actual tissue use, bothers me. She makes a valid point that there should be some kind of 'opt out' option to that because, although I'm all for no waste, my tissue going in to plumping up faces or penis enlargements just seems kind of frivolous.

However, living in the UK and being a donor to the NHS I'm pretty sure they don't do that. I'd just be used to save/improve lives, which seems like a pretty awesome thing to be able do when I'm dead.

I'm a third in and really enjoying it. It's so interesting.

Finished this a couple of days ago. Overall I really enjoyed it, particularly the historical parts. However, did anyone else feel that part way through it went from being 'interesting things that dead bodies do' to 'weird things that have been done with dead bodies'? It wasn't bad, it just got suddenly different.

the first time i read the book i read sections 1-7 and then stopped for a year lol

before i picked it up again and finished the rest.

so i agree with you because i like oh. i think it was the time i got to eating body parts that i kind of signed off for a while. but i still like was fine finishing it i dunno why i put it down for so long.

I'm about 25% into this now. It's funny and creepy.

I want to donate my brain to a research facility - but somewhere specifically that studies Migraine. Kind of like all the football players keep doing to have the effects of vigorous play and injury studied.

I don't think you can specify how your body is used if you're a donor ? or maybe you can I have no idea...