Scan barcode
hannahcanread's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting content about how your body works from the mouth down
erinkolb's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely fascinating with hysterical footnotes. Mad props to Mary Roach! Her curiosity, her exhaustive research and sense of humor is a wonder!
meagan_young's review against another edition
4.0
I’ll start by saying that I ultimately enjoyed this book.
I guess just from the hype and the subject, I expected it to be more... science-y. The book kind of ended up more as “here’s some interesting facts and ideas” than “here’s the science behind your digestive system and why certain things happen”. It might be that I’m biased as a medical worker, but I wanted a little more science with the entertainment. Most of the science factor was “here’s these people who do this thing, or have this opinion”.
It took me until after I got about a third of the way through before I really got interested and started having some laugh out loud moments. It picked up the humor and shock factor as she worked her way into the more gross and interesting subjects (i.e. It’s a lot easier to make humor out of poop than say, your sense of smell). Fair warning though, I work in a medical lab and I’ve had some gross discussions over a meal, but reading this book on my lunch break actually made me feel a little nauseous for a few chapters.
I guess just from the hype and the subject, I expected it to be more... science-y. The book kind of ended up more as “here’s some interesting facts and ideas” than “here’s the science behind your digestive system and why certain things happen”. It might be that I’m biased as a medical worker, but I wanted a little more science with the entertainment. Most of the science factor was “here’s these people who do this thing, or have this opinion”.
It took me until after I got about a third of the way through before I really got interested and started having some laugh out loud moments. It picked up the humor and shock factor as she worked her way into the more gross and interesting subjects (i.e. It’s a lot easier to make humor out of poop than say, your sense of smell). Fair warning though, I work in a medical lab and I’ve had some gross discussions over a meal, but reading this book on my lunch break actually made me feel a little nauseous for a few chapters.
kessler21's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book about your mouth to......well, your exit.
I thought this would be like a Magic School Bus episode but it wasn't. It was typical Roach but not as captivating as [b:Bonk|9444052|Bonk|Mary Roach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1288194493l/9444052._SX50_.jpg|2398516] or [b:Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers|32145|Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers|Mary Roach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347656489l/32145._SX50_.jpg|1188203] but was very interesting. I learned some things about myself and about science. I liked that part of the book overlapped with [b:How to Grow a Human: Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made|45832845|How to Grow a Human Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made|Philip Ball|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557885118l/45832845._SY75_.jpg|70635086] which I recently read which covers cell biology.
I thought this would be like a Magic School Bus episode but it wasn't. It was typical Roach but not as captivating as [b:Bonk|9444052|Bonk|Mary Roach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1288194493l/9444052._SX50_.jpg|2398516] or [b:Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers|32145|Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers|Mary Roach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347656489l/32145._SX50_.jpg|1188203] but was very interesting. I learned some things about myself and about science. I liked that part of the book overlapped with [b:How to Grow a Human: Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made|45832845|How to Grow a Human Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made|Philip Ball|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557885118l/45832845._SY75_.jpg|70635086] which I recently read which covers cell biology.
rachaelmcgovern's review against another edition
3.5
Not my favorite of hers but i am still thinking about it weeks later so
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
3.0
This book reminded me alot of Bill Bryson's style of writing, especially one of my faves, At Home. She goes off on tangents of the most obscure medical instances of digestion weirdness, but it seems the passages are placed just for gross or voyeur factors. It was unnecessary in my opinion, as I wanted more stories of how studying the digestive tract has come up with some out of the ordinary solutions. Many of which defy belief. Needless to say, the book has stories in it that you wouldn't want to share at dinner parties, or anyone eating. I learned alot more about the digestive system, and how saliva is a pretty darn good neosporin in an emergency. I would actually think that young adults, junior high and high school, kids would enjoy this book. It has enough stories that would intrigue and gross them out, while fooling them into learning at the same time. Personally I've read better science non-fiction.
emperfectionist's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun read full of little known and interesting facts about our guts. This is the first book I have read by Mary Roach and I'd happily read more by her. She unhesitatingly and unabashedly asks scientists all the questions a lay person might have, which I really appreciated. Roach approaches her topics with equal parts humor and vigor. The only downside to this book is that you might have to resist the urge to discuss it's contents in "polite" society; a downside I for one will not be inhibited by.