Friday Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and the Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

So Friday Book Beginnings you choose the book you are currently reading or the one that is closest to you and share the first few sentences. For the Friday 56 you simply turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader and share a sentence or two that you enjoy. Then just add maybe a synopsis about the book in case others are interested. That’s it!

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Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Published on: April 17th, 2003 by W. W. Norton Company

Goodreads | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads): Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

Book Beginning: “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back. The brain has shut down. The flesh begins to soften. Nothing much new happens, and nothing is expected of you.” (pg. 9)

Page 56: “The 1960s saw the first heart transplant and the passing of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, both of which raised awareness of the need for organs for transplantation and of body donation as an option.” (pg. 56)

Thoughts: I finished this recently. Some chapters were disgusting yet intriguing. I didn’t know there was so many routes that human cadavers go through, the history of cadavers and the different uses cadaver research has.

What are you currently reading? Does this book sound interesting to you?

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