History Books

Arthur Miller's Crucible is an eloquent rebuttal of the Red Scare and the McCarthyism of the time period in which this work was written. But it does not bear the mark of brilliance. Straightforward and simple in both its story and language, The Crucible is an effective albeit unremarkable work on the Salem witch trials.

Both the plot and the characters perform the necessary tasks, but are also basic. Trying to describe the plot and characters, my mind immediately wanders to some more curious topic. The story is typical. Evil is in the form of those prosecuting innocent men and women, falsely accusing others in the hope of acquiring land. Good comes in the form of those who resist. John Proctor plays a protagonist, with supporting protagonists, Abigail a sort of seductress, and the court fills in the role of of villain. People hang others, people resist those doing the hanging. Paranoia dominates. Miller succeeds in critiquing the hysteria over communism during the 1950s. But the story is plain and unmoving.

In Miller's case, style mimics the plot and characters. The play's style is also plain, reminiscent of the King James Bible. Miller's diction is simple and unaffected, and in light of many other books, this is an asset. However, in the light of great books, The Crucible is lacking.

Though it makes its point, Arthur Miller's Crucible is an unremarkable work.

The Crucible is my absolute FAVORITE piece of literature. It definitely is one of the best pieces of literature ever written. It's moving and beautiful in every way.

This will remain, in my opinoin, one of the best pieces of literature ever written.

I have recently read 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to everyone. This was a moving and rather depressing story of the Salem witch trials but I loved it. Abigail is a young girl who, with other girls in the town, claims to be tortured by spectors (spirits) in the village of Salem, but really just makes these accusations up. But these aren't just friendly accusattions. If you are accused of being a witch you can confess and "come back to God" and be fogiven, or you can deny the accusation all together and be hanged.
This is an intense story of love, courage, and tragedy and how the peculiar town of Salem reacts to all of these.If you can handle this great tear-jerker, then I highly recommend it.

A quick read considering it being a play, the Crucible offers some insight into the victims and those involved in the Salem Witch Trials.

Since it was a play, Miller's style did not amaze me in anyway, but i enjoyed the play aspect in this case, since it was something different from the typical read. Instead of the common vivid descriptions or the over the head type of figurative language, Miller uses subtle detail to create the same effect, it is hard to explain just how, but each minor detail seems to add so much to the picture projected in my mind, and it really seemed as if a play was held before me.

I could see everything--the fear in the people's eyes, the tension between every conversation. There may not have been a lot of words, but I felt that even the single "no.. no.. " told a lot.

Most shocking was the inhumane--yet ironically humanly--moral depictions of the characters. I was surprised with their extremely careful eye for reputation and name--to the point of setting up innocent friends and family to the sacrificial alter to calm the fearing people. So much for honestly, so much for loyalty. The people were monsters when it came to saving themselves at the cost of anybody. Though disgusted as I was with these characters, I was more a little shaken myself. Looking now to the type of society around me, I could envision another enactment of the witch trials. Yes, it was inhumane; yes, it could have been avoided. BUT, I find that many of the characters' flawed traits still exist in today's society. We see people hiding secrets, hurting others, telling lies, to save their own name. We see people dressing up with hope of impressing--or sometimes, deceiving--others. Society today still has its hand tightly gripped on reputation, and it doesn't seem as if it is letting go soon.

Rather than the typical history lesson, The Crucible is a drama that tells a lot. Love triangles, back stabbing, and affairs flood the story, and characters with every aspect revealed hold it up. The Crucible was meant to depict the mind settings and the circumstances of the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials--and it did just that.

This novel is part fantasy, part romance, and part historical fiction. When Claire, a married WWII army nurse, falls back in time, she finds herself smack in the middle of the Jacobite Uprising. Forced to marry a young Scottish rebel, she falls in love with him and yet still knows she has to find her way back to her own time.

Cleverly written, there's enough history here to hold most historical-fiction lovers and more than enough romance to satisfy romance readers, as well. A good blend and a riveting read (and I'm not even a fan of romance books).

The Outlander series came highly recommended from a friend, so I decided to give the first book in the series--"Outlander"--a try. I'm not usually a fan of romance novels or sci-fi (yeah the time traveling thing is a little sci-fi) but I was pleasantly surprised by the book.

Outlander's heroine Clare is smart and punchy, and her WWII era girl in 18th century Scotland is a fun mix. The book reads pretty fast, with lots of plots twists and turns, which is essential to keep you reading through a book this long! At times Outlander gets a little Outlandish--I mean how many times can people really be on death's door and still escape--but it was fun reading throughout. The book does stretch history a bit, but it still has a historical flair that makes for lively reading. When I reached Outlander's inevitable cliff hanger ending (I knew there were several more books in the series), I was ready to move onto to the next book in the series--but sadly I don't have two weeks to devote to reading it right now.

I would recommend this books to fans of historical romance/fiction--fans of Phillipa Gregory's books are likely to like this series too. Outlander is fun, light, page turning reading.

There is a reason that this book has over 1300 reviews and almost all of them are 5 stars. It is simply outstanding in every way.

I had heard about this book for years and knew it was described as a "time travel romance," but that really doesn't do it justice. It's an incredibly engrossing epic adventure tale, with a lot of romance and suspense sprinkled in. Absolutely one of the most entertaining and enjoyable books I've ever read.

This book is great. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. My only criticism of the book was that it ended too soon, until I realized it's the first of a series. The characters are rich and well developed, the overall plot is interesting, and the action kept me interested. Although it seemed a bit daunting picking up a 600+ page book, it was a pretty easy read. Anyone who enjoys a good historical romance will enjoy this series.

I can't help but wonder if Diana Gabaldon is one of those cooks who, with a few items from the pantry, can turn Tuesday's leftover meatloaf into a five-star repast.

Well, whether or not she can cook is beside the point--because one thing I know for sure is that she can write books. Throwing together elements of science fiction, history, adventure and romance, she has created an unforgettable novel that defies categorizing. And, judging by the number of review posted here, she has a legion of enthusiastic fans clamoring for more.

I'm not exactly sure why this book captivated me. Strictly speaking, it's a sprawling mess that meanders for a couple hundred pages without seeming to go anywhere. The story doesn't so much end as it just stops--and in a rather anticlimactic spot as well. Did I mention that it's written in the first person and that it weighs in at over 600 pages (and apparently the page count increases dramatically in subsequent books).

The story, however, never seems to drag as the heroine wisecracks her way through eighteenth-century Scotland. Gabaldon has real gift for painting word pictures that are so vivid you can almost feel the Highland mists. Her character are complex and beautifully realized, full of flaws and foibles. The romance between the lead characters is defiantly not the typical Harlequin-style love match (a fact that is much appreciated as I despise "romance" novels).

I can sketch out the basic plot for you in a few words: twentieth century girl Claire is magically transported back in time 200 years where she meets and falls in love with Jamie, a Highlander with a price on his head. However, that's like telling you the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground or the Atlantic Ocean is a big pond. Gabaldon's tale is multifaceted and intricately layered--a most rewarding read.

I can think of no higher praise than this: after reading the last page, I seriously considered starting the book over again. It's been several days since I finished the book and I still find my mind returning to the story. Happily, there are several more books in the series.

David McCullough's book is a very readable account of the military campaigns of that fateful year in American history. He describes rebel soldiers dressed in rags and British soldiers looking sharp and well-rested. British generals are seen as capable but arrogant, not even bothering to learn about General Washington or solicit intelligence about the rebel plans. The portraits of the commanding American generals; Washington, Green, Knox and Lee are also persuasive. In particular, McCullough does a real service to Washington making him come alive as a person; capable of errors of judgment and impulsive behavior but much more frequently a man of natural command, great heart and perseverance.

Unlike McCullough's massive biographies of Adams and Truman, this book is limited in scope. It doesn't deal with the Revolutionary war just the battles from the fateful year. It also doesn't deal with the political issues raging during 1776. McCullough mentions how King George had pushed the notion that the Americans were fighting for independence before that was accepted by the Americans and then mentions almost in passing the Declaration of Independence signed months later. What happened in those months to shift opinion from fighting within the British system for British rights towards fighting for a completely distinct set of rights as American citizens? This is outside the scope of the book. But for me, why choose 1776 as the year to track the military battles if it is not because of the significance of the break between the colonies and Britain? While there were stirring, important battles, I'm not convinced after reading the book that any of them marked a true turning point in the war. The Americans and British didn't sign a treaty until 1783, seven years later.

The other issue that gets raised in passing but never dealt with directly is that of the social context. One question I had was whether loyalists became British troop or whether the soldiers all came from Britain. Along those same lines, how did the colonialists breakdown in terms of their loyalties? Were New Englanders more devoted to the rebel cause? Virginia? Was it not a question of colonies but of status that determined one's loyalties? How did that aspect of the struggle play out? Both in terms of Boston and New York, McCullough mentions significant number of loyalists. In Boston many of them returned by ship with the British army. In New York, while the rebels were fortifying the town, many of the citizens were loyalists. So the British when they took it over, were surrounded by sympathizers. How did the civilian population so naturally torn by their sympathies to both sides, play into the military campaigns?

Finally, I was looking for a book that defined the year more broadly than just by its military actions but by the political and social events that transformed the American cause from one of a rebellion against onerous taxation to one of fighting for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think McCullough missed an opportunity by not delving deeper into the political and social currents of that fateful year that did so much to forge our American identity.

I found the book a let down, it didn't have the detail I needed for such a short period of the war. Then it didn't go any where, just stopped at what he thought was a convenient place I guess. The material was fascinating and presented well it just left me with a big let down. I find McCullough's books rather on again off again, some of them a fine read and some hard to get through, not sure what that is. I really wanted to read John Adams but couldn't get very far after several attempts. Adams being the one person for which this country has the most to thank. He hand picked both Washington and Jefferson for their respective rolls and gave up a lucrative law practice to serve his country or what would be his country and ours. 1776 really should have been a trilogy with more content than 1776 in each volume. Having said all of that I did enjoy the book and found it well written but for the afore mentioned draw backs.

Now I am not sure where to got next. If you have some ideas on how to finish out the war and add to this work please email me at barrym@tds.net.

Thanks,
Barry

1776 is one great read,one of the greatest books ever!!! A bestselling award winning classic!!! Truly recommended!!! A+

Excellent book. For a guy who has a tough time following American Revolution material, this one kept my attention for the duration. Very interesting take on a true David vs. Goliath tale that I think much of our country's population really knows little about. Haven't read much about the Revolution since school but this served as a bit of a refresher and much more. Looking forward to moving on to McCullough's John Adams....

"Real" historians likely have their noses in the air about Mr. McCullough, and this may be a good indication to recommend it to readers - "1776" is readable and enjoyable as a story in itself!

Buy or borrow this book. David McCullough takes information from many references, especially various letters written by participants of the American Revolution in the year 1776, and blends them into a sequence that would befit a movie. Maybe it will be someday, and it should be at least as engrossing as the book. The reader will notice that almost all of the action and narrative turn out to be depressingly bad times for the young American pre-republic. Nevertheless, you keep reading, knowing that SOMETHING good is going to happen to all those long-suffering patriots. Indeed it does. The year 1776 proves to be a good choice of year to write about. Not only was that the year of the Declaration of Independence, but militarily it was "bookended" with two favorable events accomplished by the rebel army: the taking of Dorchester Heights, then Boston by default in early 1776; then the defeat of the Hessian brigade at Trenton in December 1776. In that long, agonizing middle between these events the army suffered bitter defeats and horrendous suffering.

The author very skillfully describes these sufferings, but always points out the near-miraculous things that seem to bridge the army temporarily from bad to bad, keeping them around to fight another day. More important, he demonstrates that these "bridge" events would have been meaningless had not the army, and specifically George Washington and other leaders, not had the insight and the perseverance to immediately take advantage of them. The hauling of cannon by Henry Knox's men to Boston is one example. The freakish weather in the retreat from Long Island, and for the attack at Trenton are others. These are fabulous models of character by many, many people.

At the end, McCullough hints that the rebel army at last began looking like what would soon be called the Continental Army. Very appropriate, very optimistic and satisfying conclusion to the book. Pick up a copy.

knew of mandela the man but knew nothing about his personal story and the amazing triumph of the 1995 Spingboks. The books reads very personal and I definitely recommend to any reader, any age.

...but the passenger of Flight 93 seven years ago this month who rallied his countrymen by saying, "Let's roll" did, for the University of California. John Carlin dishonored his memory the following year when writing for The Independent by sneering that we had fallen for a myth. You hoped Americans had short attention spans, John Carlin; you hoped, but I didn't change. (The three stars are for the Springboks.)

This is a wonderful book. Extremely well-written; it tells the tale of how Nelson Mandela used his political genius to win over Afrikaners and convince black South Africans to embrace a sport that most of them had come to despise as a symbol of the hated white majority. It really makes you realize what a political miracle it was that South Africa did not descend into complete civil war and what a blessing it was to have Mandela as the country's leader. The chapters discussing the game and the players' awakening political awareness are incredibly moving. A testament to the power of sport as political theatre, and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.

If you read nothing else this year, get your hands on "Playing the Enemy" and read pages 201 to 253.

It won't take long.

By the time Nelson Mandela walks into that stadium, your heart will be pounding. By the time he walks into the Springboks locker, you'll be in tears. And you'll cry pretty much straight through to the end.

All because, on June 24, 1995, the South African Rugby team beat New Zealand to win the Rugby World Cup.

If you're like most Americans, you know that Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison --- 18 of them in a tiny cell on Robben Island --- and emerged without hatred to spearhead a peaceful transfer of power in South Africa. But you probably know nothing about the 1995 Rugby World Cup match. John Carlin's brilliant book corrects that, and, along the way, presents a concise biography of a remarkable man.

In these pages, Nelson Mandela is a brilliant politician with a genius for disarming his enemies. To Mandela, everyone is human, everyone can be reached. The only question is how. In prison, he would introduce his lawyer to his "guard of honor" --- and his jailers would find themselves shaking hands with an attorney they loathed. And he used his dead time in prison to teach himself Afrikaans, read the Afrikaans newspapers and familiarize himself with Afrikaner history.

Rugby is the favorite sport of Afrikaners, the dominant white tribe in South Africa --- "apartheid's master race." All but one of the 15 players on the Springbok team were white. In a stadium that held 62,000, 95% of the crowd would be white. No wonder that blacks saw the Boks as a symbol of oppression.

"Don't address their brains," Mandela believed. "Address their hearts." One direct way to do that was through sports. People love their teams; the connection is purely emotional. If the Springboks could come to engage both blacks and whites, that might end the sense among blacks that sports in South Africa was "apartheid in tracksuits" --- and might make whites more accepting of blacks as equals.

Mandela did not just lay out a goal. He met and charmed the white lords of rugby, then lobbied for the World Cup to be played in South Africa. He invited François Pienaar, the Springboks captain, to visit him and encouraged him to see his sport as "nation building". Soon the team was learning how to sing "Nkosi Sikele", the black national anthem. And, because a storybook fantasy was becoming reality, the Springboks advanced steadily to the World Cup finals.

The pages that are your homework begin on the morning of the championship game. One of Mandela's bodyguards got an idea: Mandela should enter the stadium wearing a green-and-gold Springbok jersey. Mandela improved on the idea --- his jersey, he said, should have Pienaar's number on it.

Across town, the players had been staying at a hotel. To calm their nerves, they went out for an early morning jog. As they left, Pienaar recalled, "Four little black kids selling newspapers recognized us and chased after us and started calling out our names --- they knew almost everyone on that team --- and the hairs on my neck stood on end... It was the moment when I saw, more clearly than ever before, that this was far bigger than anything we could ever have imagined."

Five minutes before kickoff, Nelson Mandela walked onto the field to greet the players. To the Springbok jersey, he had added a Springbok hat. "When they caught sight of him," Carlin writes, "the crowd seemed to go dead still." And then the chant --- from the almost all-white crowd --- began: "Nel-son! Nel-son! Nel-son!"

I'm going to leave it there, so as not to spoil the magic of the next pages for you. Just know that what happened in that stadium that afternoon was a crazy quilt of glory: atonement, forgiveness, liberation and celebration. It's the kind of event that happens when people who have known only hatred and fear drop the burden of history and move past their differences. Winning a game? That day South Africa climbed a mountain.

It is a measure of the quality of this story that Morgan Freeman is producing a film based on the book --- and playing Nelson Mandela. Matt Damon will be Pienaar, the South African rugby captain. And Clint Eastwood is slated to direct.

I guarantee you: Audiences will cheer. And weep. And these will be tears of joy, because --- for once --- a national leader had perfect pitch, and all of his countrymen knew it, and they all got it right.

In other countries, even in our own, skeptics doubt that this kind of brotherhood can be engineered. It can be. It was.

This is one of those incredibly rare books which is both thrilling to read and morally uplifting. The 1995 Rugby World Cup provides a wonderful fulcrum for Carlin to talk about South Africa and the genius of Mandela as both a man and politician. The chapter about the mostly white team learning the anthem of black South Africa is worth the price alone.

The Federalist Papers need no review. They are classics in American History and were the basis for convincing the Colonials that the Constitution was a sound structure for the new Government.

Must read for those who wish to understand the US Constitution in it basic understanding from the writers of the USC

You will not know American History without reading these papers. I am a history major and forget or never realized the importance of these papers. I know I never read them in college.

The details have already been well covered so let me just add another five star vote for must read(or for many of us reread). Whatever your political views you simply cannot understand the basis of our countries principles without working through the Federalist Papers. Step away from the bloggers and bar stool pundits(same thing really-just different delivery) and do your own homework on the founding of this great country. I am not a flag waving, rah, rah patriot type but it is hard to come away from a reading of the Federalist papers without a profound respect, admiration and in my case awe of the principles which form our government.

Lastly, this is a review of the Signet series which is very good but frankly I suggest not spending too much time worrying about which edition, publisher etc. The main point is to get a copy and start studying.

The Federalist Papers provide an outstanding basis for comprehending the foundation in the principles of creating and maintaining the U.S. government. It is very interesting. If you are studying American politics you can not continue without reading this book. It will also give you a better understanding of how the older laws of the U.S.A. were developed.

Some arguments can be presented to the general public and some only to the specialist. In this books, in my opinion, there is confusion about the two issues. Hawking was capable of breaking down complex arguments and present them even to children, but Susskind, a great scientist, do not possess such gift. He talks about very trivial matters for a few pages and then he plunges into complex particle physic.
The war about which he speaks in the title, apparently was just a diffent view on a single (important) detail.

The most important paragraph in this book is on page 422:

"Sceptics will point out that everything I have told you about the quantum properties of black holes -- from entropy, temperature, and Hawking radiation to Black Hole Complementarity and the Holographic Principle -- is pure theory, with not an ounces of experimental data to confirm it. Unfortunately they may be right for a very long time."

Susskind obviously believes that he, with help from others, has discovered important radical new physics in Black Hole Complementarity and the Holographic Principle. They are certainly radical new ideas, but of course they do not qualify as physics in the absence of experimental verification. Stephen Hawking's ultimate agreement with Susskind is no substitute for experiments.

The tale of this theoretical dispute is fascinating and a good read until the topic turns to string theory. From that point on I found it too vague and speculative to hold my interest. The book is worth reading to get one perspective on how theoretical physics is done today and I would say what is wrong with it. Without experimental guidance you cannot create new science.

Quantum theory seems to work mathematically, but verbal descriptions have left most of us scratching our heads at the paradoxes. Suskind has excellent analogies and descriptions that minimize (though can't elemeninate) some of these problems. His knack for using one- and two-dimensional worlds to describe the "real" world are especially enlightening and understandable.

Susskind's book is a lot of fun. It's short on physics (which is a good thing for the layman) but long on personalities. It does include a lot of name dropping and some ingratiating attempts to include Susskind with the recent big boys of physics -- Feynmann, 't Hooft and Hawking -- but he does belong there as an original maverick (who was generally right). His amusing, laconic style, with irreverent detours, is engaging and pretty good for a physicist.

But the best part of the book is its description of the personalities involved and, untittingly, most revealing of Susskind's himself. The last chapter, entitled "Humility," is a gentle and wry criticism of the great Stephen Hawking, who was behind the curve and tried to claim it was he who figured out the conservation paradox of his own black hole writings. When, of course, it wasn't.

The most surprising thing about all of these reviews is that I haven't seen the one by Harriet Klausner yet. Where is she when you really need her?

This is a good book and the author does a great job of explaining the black hole information paradox. He also does a v.g. job of describing the personalities of those involved. The discussion of thought experiments in theoretical physics is also outstanding. What mars the book is the fact that the author is guilty of so many of the quirks that he often points out in his adversaries. It is amusing to see a lesser light take digs at such brilliant men as Hawking, Dyson and Penrose - clearly the author has more than a normal dose of chutzpah.
In light of all the recent attacks on string theory I think he must find it redeeming to be on the offensive....
Still, he does present some very salient arguments and even if you disagree with any of his conclusions it is a thought-provoking read - and I do want to believe that this was his chief motive in writing the book.

The author does a nice job with this book. With the exception of a moderately tedious middle section and somewhat abrupt ending, The Billionaire's Vinegar is well-written and well-researched. For decades, people have attempted to build impressive wine cellars with old, even ancient, bottles. And for what? For some, it is the joy of owning a piece of history, or at least bragging about owning a piece of history. For some, it is a quest to be accepted among the epicureans. For some, it is about the wine itself, a mysterious substance that has seduced many followers. And, of course, for some it is simply about the money. In the end, like the wine, all of these evaporate.

I am a big fan of wine and a big fan of antiques, so I read this book with great anticipation. I really enjoyed this book for about two thirds its length. After that, I think it really lost its steam. The trick to writing a "nonfiction mystery" is to dole out the clues and facts a little at a time. Enough to keep the reader engaged, but with enough questions left to keep you interested. In other words, a mystery is all about the chase. This is especially true with nonfiction where you already know the outcome.

Wallace is a skilled writer and excellent researcher, but he solves the mystery all at once and then leaves you to slog through the final cleaning up of details.

Still, I enjoyed the story enough to recommend it. The writing is fluid and the mystery is intriguing, but the most compelling part of this book is the characters. These people are the right amount of eccentric and obsessive.

bought this as a gift for my dad and he said that it is pretty interesting but it can get kinda dry at times. but the storyline and the insight on wine in history is what made him want to keep going and get kinda into it. so he said it was decent considering the subject. kinda tough to make a story super exciting about wine and Thomas Jefferson...

Compelling and well-written. Gives great insight into the wine auction market and wine collecting. Save yourself some money and read this book before you bid in an auction for old wine.

This is an enthralling story of a world few people have the privilege of getting mixed up in. It begins with one extraordinarily expensive and rare bottle of wine and turns into an international mystery with all sorts of oddball characters. From worldwide authorities on ancient wines, to reclusive chateau owners, to hot-shot collectors and mega rich CEO's, this story weaves it's way through all of their lives. Everything surrounds the secretive life of a man with an uncanny ability to uncover extremely old and rare wines, specifically a cache which belonged to Thomas Jefferson. By the end you are left wondering who to believe, while having learned a great deal about the high stakes wine market.

I eagerly awaited the release of Cooper's book after reading the excerpt in the New York Times Magazine earlier this spring. The book arrived and did not disappoint. I could not put the book down and finished it in one sitting. Cooper's writing is honest, sincere and raw. I found myself drawn to her childhood and her adventures as if they were my own. While Cooper leaves out answers to many questions I had about her life in high school and college, she does come full circle in acknowledging the impact of her childhood on her life today. A masterful book. I was left wanting to read more about the Coopers.

Helene Cooper has written a memoir of her privilege African childhood in Liberia before the slaughters of the civil war destroyed the country and her lifestyle. Descended from a family of strong women, she comically describes their mansion at Sugar Beach before the horrors of the soldiers. Written in a you are there style, she conveys all changes of coming to America as a nobody and remaking herself as a journalist. The last part of the book concerns her journey homeward to search for a lost foster sister and to come full circle again.

If you have ever wondered to yourself what happens to bodies when they die, this book offers that and more. Much more. I was astounded at what is done - both stateside and abroad - with the physical body. Who'da thought? The humor keeps you from being entirely grossed out and I found myself somewhere between morbid fascination and uncontrollable laughter. Super book.

This book is an enthralling read about journey of the cadaver. Roach goes into great detail about things like organ donation, medicinal uses, crime scene usage, cannibalism and a whole host of research and experimentation that have been done to cadavers. Also covered are ways to dispose of your own corpse-compost heap anyone?

This book is not for the squeamish. Roach goes into very detailed accounts of every trial a cadaver is put through. So if you don't like watching surgery on TV, I would not recommend this book.

I found this book much easier to read than Bonk, Roach's book about the history of sex research. The material is not as dry and the book never bogs down like Bonk did. In fact, when I reviewed Bonk, I gave it 4 stars but after reading Stiff I would give it only 3.

With bright humor, wicked insights and a strong stomach, appropriately-named author Mary Roach pierces the veil that separates -- if not death from life -- then the dead from the living. Ever wonder how crash test dummies so closely mimic the human body's frailties? Ponder on how plastic surgeons practice the craft of sticking knives into people's faces? Curious about how analysts can tell whether a plane crash victims were killed by explosions or by impact with water (hint: it all about broken ribs skewering lungs)? Perplexed about whether footwear worn by mine clearers will protect their feet? Wonder no more! Roach explains how human beings -- at least their corporeal remains -- find usefulness even when their current occupants no longer do. Her travels to her to embalming rooms, anatomy classes and open fields where cadavers are set up to study decay rates. While she does not meet with any truly ghoulish characters, the activities of the people she does interview engage in activities that are as gruesome, distasteful and repugnant as they are necessary and even potentially lifesaving. She deals with the ethics of damaging dead bodies in the name of science and safety, and whether relatives have a right to decide whether Granddad will get slammed into a wall to test a new airbag design. Roach also deals with how medical people and others try to depersonalize their test subjects -- who so easily "read" as people -- not test dummies. There's enough talk of beheading, putrefaction, maggots and cadaver bashing to make the squeamish think twice. But Roach, gauging her text by her own limit of repulsion, draws the veil shy of the disgusting to reveal a world in which the recently dead still have a chance to serve the living.

This book is fantastic FUN! Roach is an interesting and hilarous writer. She thinks like most of us do and isn't afraid to put her thoughts on paper.
A must read for anyone!

Had I done so, I would have missed out on one of the funniest books I've read in a very, very long time. When I first saw this book I asked myself, "who in the right mind would write a book about dead bodies?" Even more disturbing to me was, "why would anyone want to read such a book?" Just the same, I thought I'd pick it up and glance through it (maybe that could be called the "National Enquirer Effect?"). Surprisingly, my cursory glance through it seemed to tell me that this might, just might be interesting to read.

I did not; however, decide to purchase it right away. Instead, I looked at a lot of other books (all of which seemed to on more altruistic topics) before I finally decided to pick up a copy on my way to the checkout counter. Even though, I couldn't help but wonder - what is the clerk going to think of me if I buy a book on DEAD BODIES.

Then, to compound matters, I came down with a summer cold (what could be worse?) later that evening and, not feeling like doing anything (even reading was tough) so I picked up what I thought might be the most mindless (no pun intended) book in my pile of things to read - and this was a no-brainer. While I'm not quite over the horrible summer cold yet (between the meds, sleeping, and normal cold things), I've spent the last couple of days laughing all the way through this amazingly hilarious and yet highly informative book (I admit, I have had to put it down many times whenever my coughing hacks and postnasal drip got the best of me).

Stiff was not only highly entertaining (and a good respite from the death grip my cold had on me), but was actually an extremely fascinating and enlightening look about one of the most taboo topics in our culture - what happens to our bodies after they die. Not wanting to provide any spoilers (many others already have), I will say that Roach looks at just about everything imaginable (with the exception of turning your dead grandmother into a diamond - a process that may not have yet been invented at the time Stiff was written).

Never in a million years would I have thought I might recommend a book on cadavers to anyone. After reading Stiff, I would recommend this book without hesitation - believe me, it'll just kill you. :)

This book was awesome. I used Princeton Review to study for 2 out of my 6 AP classes. I had this US History book and the AP Psychology book. The two exams I used Princeton Review to study for, I got 5s! In the other 4 subjects I got 4s. This book is the exact tool you need to push yourself from a 4 to a 5! It's great!

This book is great for those of us who are too busy or can't concentrate on our textbooks. This book helped me a lot in my APUSH class because it's much easier to read and much shorter than the textbook. The questions for each section should tell you what you understand or do not understand in that section. You can use it as an indicator on what part of your textbook you need to read more carefully to get that A on your tests and 5 on the AP test.