Do you know why cadavers look swollen after they rot? That is thanks to all those little flesh eating creatures we call maggots and bacteria. They too have secretion system. The only different is, when we die, our muscle stops working (d'oh!) thus OUR secretion system fail to dispose any garbage within our body. Voila! We become their toilet.
Have you seen Wizard of Oz? One of the characters "melts" when she dies. That's what happens to cadavers too. They simply melt after awhile.
Human is supposedly still alive even after the bodies are separated from their heads, they will stay alert and aware of their surroundings, and most probably still able to feel pain.
There's and old tradition in China that daughter in laws should show their respect to their mother in laws, by providing some of their own meat and serve it as soup for the mother in laws when they fall ill.
THOSE are some of the stuffs you'll learn from Stiff, The Curious Life of Human Cadaver.
It's been around for quite sometimes, so I was late reading it.
The writer's style is totally cool and funny. If you think you'll be reading a boring texbook-like book, you're absolutely wrong. I giggle while reading it. And for that, I earn a name of "Girl with weird taste of books."
It is written by Mary Roach a columnist in among others Vogue and GQ magazines.
Drop by to the excerpts page for some quick peek.
Totally recommended!! As long as you don't get nauseous easily.
Nita Prihanto
Freelance Writer
