I've wanted to read this for a long time, and finally grabbed it at the library last week. I was expecting something kind of light and accessible (as much as you can be when talking about dead bodies), but I was really pleasantly surprised by how engrossing it was. Pun kind of intended there with the "gross" part. Har har.
I've been on a slightly morbid kick lately - not full-on gore, ick, but I have been reading some young adult fiction (Twilight, A Certain Slant of Light) with paranormal elements. I figured Stiff would be good to read to get all that romantic-death stuff out of my head.
Despite Roach's frequent LOL-inducing moments (at one point she decides to refer to fly larvae as "haciendas" instead of "maggots" to make the scene she's describing less cringe-inducing to the reader and herself), the overall tone balances morbid curiosity with the necessary respect. Roach's topics range from "willed body" programs that provide cadavers for anatomy classes to the future of cremation - an intriguing process euphemistically called "ecological funeral" (the deceased's body used as fertilizer for a memorial tree - but so far this has only happened in Sweden).
I'm a pretty squeamish person, but there was little in this book that crossed the line for me. The sensory imagery wasn't really the heart the book's substance anyway - the best parts were Roach's discussions with those people who make a living working with dead people. Dissection specialists, plastination experts (the process used in the BodyWorlds exhibit), or funeral home directors all have methods of creating emotional distance between a body and a living person - just so they can go to work everyday.
If you want something informative, witty, and engaging, definitely pick this up. Chances are even the striking cover photograph will be a great conversation starter.
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