Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

This book started out so interesting but after the first two chapters got weighted down with inane subject matter. I quickly became bored and tossed it.

The wittiness is great, I have not been able to put it down.

The dedication of this book sort of sets the tone -- For My Parents, Wherever They Are or Aren't. Mary Roach could have been the original doubting Thomas, except that I don't remember him being this funny. From her surprisingly wildly successful book 'Stiff' (about, well, stiffs) she felt she had left readers wondering what the soul was up to while the body was lending a helping hand (or head, or heart) to the betterment of the human race. So she's back with some interesting stories that combine extensive research, a spooky subject, and an ascerbic wit that I find simply wonderful. As she says, this is a book for people who would like very much to believe in a soul and in an afterlife for it to hand around in but who have trouble accepting these things on faith. Don't expect to change your mind from whatever you believe now. The religious, especially those who go around blowing people up because they don't think correctly, will go around blowing people up. Those without the FAITH of even a mustard seed will not suddenly weep with joy as scientific proof convinces every Thomas of his faith. But from front to back you'll have a fun time reading, wondering how people could seriously do these things. Great Fun!

My husband and I heard the interview with Mary Roach on NPR independently of each other. It was the first time either one of us felt compelled to buy a book immediately. We were going by a book store that night so popped in and purchased it (after much searching with staff help). Spook was not disappointing! Roach's witty but irreverent style of writing is most entertaining. She tackles, from a very unscientific position, science's search for the soul, ghosts, spiritual mediums, reincarnation, out-of-body experiences and the like. I laughed the whole time I was reading it and not until the last line do we find out if she is a believer or skeptic. I am going to recommend this to my book club even. I've already recommended it to a number of friends. After finishing Spook, I went out and bought her book, Stiff. I enjoyed learning about what happens to cadavers but I don't think my book club would be as keen on it. It maybe a touch gory for some. I certainly look forward to Roach's next book. My hope is that she writes about consciousness next!

Whatever the topic or format, Ms. Roach brings to her work a wonderfully wry sense of irony. This book is no exception; it will keep you laughing and leave you wondering how we humans survive our own bizarre preoccupations and ambitions. Ms. Roach also has a unique gift of compassion and empathy, seasoned with rigorous skepticism, and is apparently completely without pretense. She gets quickly to the heart of any matter without ever losing heart or rubbing the noses of fools in their own folly. This book is similar in format to her first book, Stiff; it is comprised of a series of chapters in which Ms. Roach looks over someone's shoulder as that person goes about business. In Stiff, we learned of the many ways cadavers are used; in Spook, we learn of attempts to validate the existence and nature of the soul, or some entity that endures beyond a single body's mortal life. While the subjects in Stiff were mostly to be admired for pursuing valuable science no matter how revolting, the subjects in this book are often far afield anything most readers would call science or, in some cases, reality. To appreciate the work of the denizens of Spook, one must value the subjects for their hearts and aspirations instead of appreciating their scientific contributions. In Stiff, each chapter brought us to a new and different question of scientific process and ethics. In every new setting, a remarkable wealth of collateral information, fascinating asides, and thoughtful consideration illuminated the purpose and value of some individual's unique and arcane pursuit. Spook is similarly packed with information, all of it delightful and surprising. Due to the nature of the topic, the author's research took her to a far broader set of disciplines than just science and ethics. This is truly a work of cultural history and psychology as well as a study of how people use and abuse scientific methods. Whether your background and affinities lean towards or away from science, this book will entertain and inform you. It is a delightful consideration of, and example of, the human capacity to explore, connect, hope, dream and laugh.