Book · 2003 · Lijken
Stiff
- mentions
- 5
- people
- 3
- podcasts
- 3
- episodes
- 4
- recommendations
- 0
Her first book, Stiff, is about the secret life of cadavers.
Stephen Dubner · Freakonomics Radio · May 2012 The best things said about it
Stiff happened. The cadaavver element of it just happened because I was wandering through the basement of the UCSF medical school library.
Mary Roach The Book Review · Sep 2025 Stiff. The curious lives of human cadaavvers.
Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
Why people recommend it
Stiff by Mary Roach is a popular science nonfiction book exploring the strange, fascinating, and historically significant uses of human cadavers in medical research and scientific progress. On The Book Review, Mary Roach explained to host Shelly Frasier that the idea for Stiff came about organically while she was wandering through the basement of the UCSF medical school library. In a separate episode of The Book Review, Gilbert Cruz also referenced Roach's well-known book on cadavers when previewing upcoming nonfiction releases. Appearing on Conversations with Tyler, Roach discussed the book in the context of cadaveric research, noting that having written Stiff, it felt appropriate for her to eventually donate her own body to science. She also shared that readers who had recently lost loved ones occasionally sent her kind notes explaining that they found Stiff helpful for demystifying death. Additionally, Stephen Dubner introduced Roach on Freakonomics Radio by highlighting her unique niche in writing about death and naming Stiff as her very first book. Across multiple podcast appearances and discussions, hosts and the author alike have highlighted how the book manages to balance respectful scientific inquiry with an approachable, deeply curious perspective on human mortality.
Every mention
Mary Roach Stiff happened. The cadaavver element of it just happened because I was wandering through the basement of t… 3
“Stiff happened. The cadaavver element of it just happened because I was wandering through the basement of the UCSF medical school library.”
“because this is my you know as somebody who wrote this book stiff about medical cadaveric research it kind of behooves me to donate myself”
“but i some i sometimes get a nice note from a reader who who's lost someone recently who found that book stiff helpful in some way i guess maybe demystifying things or making death being dead”
Gilbert Cruz Stiff. The curious lives of human cadaavvers. 1
“Stiff. The curious lives of human cadaavvers.”
Stephen Dubner Her first book, Stiff, is about the secret life of cadavers. 1
“Her first book, Stiff, is about the secret life of cadavers.”
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Joining me is the author of Stiff. She's the author of Spook.”
“she is the author of many books including stiff gulp bunk spook and now fuzz when Nature breaks the law”