Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
19 used & new from CDN$ 8.62
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Stiff
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Stiff (Hardcover)

by Mary Roach (Author) "The human head is of the same approximate size and weight as a roaster chicken ..." (more)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 36.00
Price: CDN$ 22.68 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
You Save: CDN$ 13.32 (37%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

11 new from CDN$ 15.36 8 used from CDN$ 8.62

Frequently Bought Together

Stiff + Spook + Bonk
Total List Price: CDN$ 72.00
Price For All Three: CDN$ 48.97

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Stiff by Mary Roach

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details

  • Spook by Mary Roach

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details

  • Bonk by Mary Roach

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Spook

Spook

by Mary Roach
3.5 out of 5 stars (6)  CDN$ 12.78
Bonk

Bonk

by Mary Roach
4.0 out of 5 stars (3)  CDN$ 13.51
Six Feet Over

Six Feet Over

by Mary Roach
CDN$ 14.83
Spirit Of Terrorism New Edition

Spirit Of Terrorism New Edition

by Jean Baudrillard
3.3 out of 5 stars (3)  CDN$ 12.05
Corpse: Nature, Forensics, And The Struggle To Pinpoint Time Of Death

Corpse: Nature, Forensics, And The Struggle To Pinpoint Time Of Death

by Jessica Snyder Sachs
4.8 out of 5 stars (19)  CDN$ 14.24
› Explore similar items

Product Details

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

"Uproariously funny" doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach, a Salon and Reader's Digest columnist, has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. From her opening lines ("The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back"), it is clear that she's taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research (in a chapter archly called "Dead Man Driving") to work by forensic scientists quantifying rates of decay under a wide array of bizarre circumstances. There are also chapters on cannibalism, including an aside on dumplings allegedly filled with human remains from a Chinese crematorium, methods of disposal (burial, cremation, composting) and "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants. Roach has a fabulous eye and a wonderful voice as she describes such macabre situations as a plastic surgery seminar with doctors practicing face-lifts on decapitated human heads and her trip to China in search of the cannibalistic dumpling makers. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal

Not grisly but inspiring, this work considers the many valuable scientific uses of the body after death. Drawn from the author's popular Salon column.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The human head is of the same approximate size and weight as a roaster chicken. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item?

Stiff
85% buy the item featured on this page:
Stiff 4.6 out of 5 stars (138)
CDN$ 22.68
Bonk
7% buy
Bonk 4.0 out of 5 stars (3)
CDN$ 13.51
Spook
3% buy
Spook 3.5 out of 5 stars (6)
CDN$ 12.78
The Forensic Casebook: The Science of Crime Scene Investigation
3% buy
The Forensic Casebook: The Science of Crime Scene Investigation 4.8 out of 5 stars (6)
CDN$ 16.79
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

138 Reviews
5 star:
 (101)
4 star:
 (25)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (138 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and strangely informative, May 4 2009
By mellyboo (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Stiff (Paperback)
This book was not only extremely informative (from a scientific and historic aspect), but it was hilarious in a morbidly funny kind of way. Mary Roach maintains a light tone in her writing style throughout this book, which contributes to the greatness of it, as many people will automatically assume it is dark and heavy read. This book will entertain and educate readers and it is laugh out loud funny!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars very informative, Oct 7 2008
By Andrea M. Wiebe "Angleia" (MB, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Stiff (Paperback)
This is on my top 10 list of great books.
If you've ever wondered what happens to the body after you die, this is very insightful. From explaining the decompositon to historical body snatchers (using bodies for anatomy research) to what actually happens if you dedicate your body to science, it's worth a read.
It's not morbid as much as it is factual and funny. Roach has her own "tell it like it is" no-nonesense apporach. If you don't want to spend years of your life doing research (history, biology, forensics), sit back and go for a ride with Mary!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4.0 out of 5 stars So interesting!, May 25 2009
By MD (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Stiff (Paperback)
What a great book!
Mary Roach answers questions I would never have even though to ask!

She has really inspired me to think about the various options for what I want done with my body after I die, and has educated me on so many options that I didn't know existed. It is so interesting to learn about all the various uses of cadavers, and yet, with such a light and entertaining tone. Roach uses humour to take any awkwardness out of this delicate subject.

May be a little technical for some, but overall, a fabulous read.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Caution - Read in public at your own risk.
Picture sitting in an airport laughing until you cried while reading a book called "Stiff" with a picture of a cadaver on the front of it. Read more
Published on Jun 15 2007 by M. Catalano

5.0 out of 5 stars You laugh, you'll cry, you'll vomit - and it's worth it all
This book gets two severed thumbs up. I enjoyed it immensly, I just don't recommend reading it on your lunch hour - if you actually want to enjoy your lunch. Read more
Published on Nov 3 2005 by Meagan

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing To The End
Mary Roach has taken it upon herself to research the history of cadaver research, which can't have been a barrel of laughs. Read more
Published on Aug 3 2005 by Lee Sporich

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing To The End
Mary Roach has taken it upon herself to research the history of cadaver research, which can't have been a barrel of laughs. Read more
Published on Jul 13 2005 by Lee Sporich

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing To The End
Mary Roach has taken it upon herself to research the history of cadaver research, which can't have been a barrel of laughs. Read more
Published on Jun 17 2005 by Lee Sporich

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing To The End
Mary Roach has taken it upon herself to research the history of cadaver research, which can't have been a barrel of laughs. Read more
Published on May 7 2005 by Lee Sporich

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've ever read on the subject!
This is by far the best book I've ever read on the subject and one of my all time favorite books period. Read more
Published on May 2 2005 by Melissa

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun and VERY different
When you look up the term "Off the beaten path" in the dictionary, you will, without a doubt, see a copy of this book. Read more
Published on Jul 12 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars On my way to a colonoscopy...
...I was chatting with the nurses and told them that I've been reading a fascinating book that they might be interested in. Read more
Published on Jul 11 2004 by Theresa RaFalik

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Read
This book is so informative, funny, thorough, reverent, and all around amazing... so much so that I am recommending it to all of my friends. Read more
Published on Jul 1 2004 by browe1983

Only search this product's reviews


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject






















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.