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Every book Mary Roach recommended on podcasts
Mary Roach appears on the Book Review podcast to discuss her unique career writing comedic, deeply researched books about weird science. Throughout the episode, Roach reflects on her extensive bibliography, detailing how she conceives, researches, and writes her bestselling science narratives. She discusses her book Bonk, noting that it explores the specialized study of sexual physiology and human arousal rather than gender or behavior, and shares humorous anecdotes about investigating commercial dildo research and interviewing a surgeon in Cairo. Roach also talks about writing Gulp, explaining her fascination with the alimentary canal and describing her reporting visits to the Netherlands, known as the food valley of Europe. Furthermore, she explains the surprising origins of her book Stiff, recalling how the initial idea for exploring the afterlife of human cadavers struck her while she was wandering through the basement library of the UCSF medical school. Through these behind-the-scenes discussions, Roach provides fascinating insights into the investigative reporting, unorthodox source material, and humorous writing style that define her popular science books.
Books recommended by Mary Roach
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Bonk
Discussed“The closest I got, I think, was with Bonk, which is a book about the study of sexual physiology. Not gender, not behavior, but how do these bits and pieces work?”
Where to get it
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Gulp
Discussed“I don't think it has ever happened that I've thought maybe gulp, like the elementary canal. I had a sense that that tube between the nose and the ass was it's like there's different rules in there and it's a very weird space.”
Where to get it
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Stiff
Discussed“Stiff happened. The cadaavver element of it just happened because I was wandering through the basement of the UCSF medical school library.”
Where to get it
Books Mary Roach wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Roach Loves Writing About Weird Science | The Book Review | 2025-09-19 | 7 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“so I did things like well I did a a middle- grade adaptation of packing for Mars”