Confessions of a Bibliophile

Mary Roach’s books are disgusting examinations of the human body relying mainly on layman’s terms and irreverent references. And that is why I love every single one of them. Honestly, why couldn’t I have had her books when I was taking high school anatomy? I’d bet that not only would I have been more interested in the subject, but I probably would have pulled better than a B minus.Gulp! is easily her most disgusting book to date, because let’s be honest—the digestive system is pretty disgusting. (Stiff isn’t even close to being as squeamish as this. Word of warning: Do NOT read Gulp right before, during or right after meals. It’d probably make an interesting bathroom read, though.) And yet, Roach takes her brand of off-kilter examination of the human body and makes her topic completely interesting. It is only in a Mary Roach book that one can learn about the human digestive system while also discussing (in rough order): America’s terrible imported olive oil, the bacteria-fighting properties of salvia, intricacies of smuggling, the possible reason for dragon mythos, and why Elvis died on the toilet. And yes, those all do make sense in context. Basically, if you haven’t already been reading Mary Roach, GO NOW. DO IT. YOU’LL THANK ME LATER.