Applied science needs realistic proxies.
Crash-test engineers rely on cadavers to calibrate seat belts and airbags.
Book summary
Current BestsellerGoodreads Favorite
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
by Mary Roach
From crash-test labs to forensic farms, see how posthumous bodies advance science
Mary Roach tours the bizarre, world-improving jobs done by human cadavers
4.5(11.3k)Published 2003
Topics
AnatomyBioethicsForensicsHumor
Reading companion
How to read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers with Readever
Read a chapter per session, tagging the research question, the stakeholders, and the ethical dilemma. Use Readever's compare view to line up these use cases with current medical or biotech debates you're following.
Things to know before reading
- Gallows humor abounds; Roach keeps things light while discussing decomposition and dismemberment
- The book references historical experiments (Burke and Hare, guillotines) alongside modern labs—expect jumps in chronology
- Terms like "fresh" versus "embalmed" cadavers have specific meaning; use Readever's glossary to stay oriented
- Donation processes differ by country; Roach focuses mainly on U.S. and European systems
Brief summary
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers in a nutshell
Mary Roach blends humor and investigative reporting to explore what happens to human bodies after death when they're donated to science. Chapters hop from surgical practice labs to ballistics tests, spaceflight research, and composting experiments, always asking who benefits, who consents, and why we giggle at the macabre. The book demystifies body donation while honoring the people who choose it.
Key ideas overview
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers summary of 3 key ideas
Cadavers are silent collaborators in everyday safety.
Humor can defuse taboo topics.
Roach's footnotes and asides invite readers to confront mortality without shutting down.
Ethics evolve with transparency.
The book contrasts unregulated grave robbing with modern consent-driven donation programs.
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Demystify the science that quietly saves lives.
With Readever you can capture each scientific breakthrough cadavers enable—safer airbags, organ transplants, forensic timelines—and map them to your own curiosity about medicine or ethics.
Deep dive
Key ideas in Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Key idea 1
Applied science needs realistic proxies.
Crash-test engineers rely on cadavers to calibrate seat belts and airbags.
Roach shows how sensors embedded in donated bodies produce data mannequins can't replicate. Without them, automotive and military safety would lag. Use this to appreciate the invisible labor behind public health advances.
Key idea 2
Humor can defuse taboo topics.
Roach's footnotes and asides invite readers to confront mortality without shutting down.
The playful tone turns squeamishness into curiosity, providing a model for how to communicate tough subjects—whether you're a scientist, educator, or manager explaining uncomfortable truths.
Key idea 3
Ethics evolve with transparency.
The book contrasts unregulated grave robbing with modern consent-driven donation programs.
Roach highlights past abuses to show why paperwork, family communication, and institutional oversight matter today. It's a reminder to examine the provenance of any data or samples you rely on.
Context
What is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers about?
Mary Roach tours the unconventional jobs cadavers perform—from serving as car-crash surrogates and surgical practice models to helping NASA figure out what happens to the human body in extreme environments. Each chapter tackles a different use case, explaining the science, the ethics, and the colorful personalities who work with the dead. It's an accessible primer on bioethics, anatomy, and gallows humor.
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Review
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers review
Reviewers call Stiff "morbidly hilarious" for good reason. Roach uses curiosity and wit to disarm squeamishness without disrespecting donors. The New York Times praised her for "the perfect mix of humor and humanity," and the book spent months on bestseller lists. It also helped mainstream conversations around green burials and organ donation.
Critical reception: Named a Best Book of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Salon; nominated for the Royal Society Science Book Prize.
- Royal Society Science Book Prize finalist
- Over a million copies sold worldwide
- Credited with boosting public interest in body-donation programs
- Praised for translating complex science without losing empathy
- Frequently assigned in medical-school ethics courses
Who should read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers?
Healthcare workers, med students, and EMTs encountering cadaver labs
Designers of safety equipment or transportation systems
Bioethics enthusiasts and lovers of quirky science writing
Anyone considering body or organ donation who wants to understand the process
About the author
Mary Roach is an American science writer famous for tackling taboo topics with wit. Her bibliography includes Gulp, Bonk, and Packing for Mars. She has written for National Geographic, New Scientist, and Wired, and is a regular TED speaker.
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Final summary
Stiff reminds us that advancement often depends on unseen contributors. It invites readers to confront mortality with curiosity and gratitude, ensuring that donated bodies are viewed not as props but as partners in progress.
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