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2013 Book #44: Gulp
Title: Gulp: Adventures in the Alimentary Canal
Author: Mary Roach
Genre: Pop science
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A pop science look at the digestive tract, from taste to elimination, with the sense of humor required to do so.
Thoughts: If you've got an easily turned stomach, you probably want to give this one a pass. If you were raised on tasteless fart jokes, like I was, and have a passing interest in a pop science take on human anatomy, this is for you.
Roach takes an irreverent look at the entire human digestive system, literally from one end to the other. She hits up leading researchers, famous doctors, medical historians, and a lot of product help lines. (Some are flattered, some bemused, some horrified.) She's got a witty, breezy style that keeps the book entertaining and charms at least some of her poor subjects.
There's a lot of fun tidbits here; whether you want to drop them at cocktail parties is probably dependent on the cocktail party in question. (For example, it turns out they're so rigorous about prepping you for colonoscopies because even the slightest bit of fecal matter can produce hydrogen and methane...and combining that with some of the equipment has led to literal explosions in the past. Whether this leads to amusement or kills a conversation dead depends on your friends.)
The transition from one chapter to the next is annoyingly teaserific, but overall, it's an entertaining and informative read about a subject that's difficult to share in polite company. But really, what did you expect?
Author: Mary Roach
Genre: Pop science
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: A pop science look at the digestive tract, from taste to elimination, with the sense of humor required to do so.
Thoughts: If you've got an easily turned stomach, you probably want to give this one a pass. If you were raised on tasteless fart jokes, like I was, and have a passing interest in a pop science take on human anatomy, this is for you.
Roach takes an irreverent look at the entire human digestive system, literally from one end to the other. She hits up leading researchers, famous doctors, medical historians, and a lot of product help lines. (Some are flattered, some bemused, some horrified.) She's got a witty, breezy style that keeps the book entertaining and charms at least some of her poor subjects.
There's a lot of fun tidbits here; whether you want to drop them at cocktail parties is probably dependent on the cocktail party in question. (For example, it turns out they're so rigorous about prepping you for colonoscopies because even the slightest bit of fecal matter can produce hydrogen and methane...and combining that with some of the equipment has led to literal explosions in the past. Whether this leads to amusement or kills a conversation dead depends on your friends.)
The transition from one chapter to the next is annoyingly teaserific, but overall, it's an entertaining and informative read about a subject that's difficult to share in polite company. But really, what did you expect?
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