10 books like Stiff

By Mary Roach,

Here are 10 books that authors have personally recommended if you like Stiff. Shepherd is a community of 8,000+ authors sharing their favorite books with the world.

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A Gentleman in Moscow

By Amor Towles,

Book cover of A Gentleman in Moscow

Sergei Guriev Author Of Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century

From the list on why countries succeed and why they fail.

Who am I?

What are some countries rich and others are poor? I strongly believe that this is the most important question for modern economics. I've become an economist to understand this. I am happy that in recent decades economists – working closely together with other social scientists – have made so much progress in this field. And this is not abstract knowledge – it is being applied already to help developing countries catch up with the rich world. I have seen it myself when I took a leave from academia to work as a Chief Economist of a development bank (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) – to learn more from and to contribute to this work.

Sergei's book list on why countries succeed and why they fail

Discover why each book is one of Sergei's favorite books.

Why did Sergei love this book?

As a Russian – and as a scholar of Russian economic and political history – I am always intrigued by Russia’s failure to become a normal European country, free, prosperous, and peaceful.

This fiction book provides many great insights for anyone interested in this particular country. It focuses on the most dramatic and consequential episode of Russian history: the first decades of Soviet Union.

Given the tragic events of this period, fictional are nonfictional accounts of this time are usually too depressing to read. This book, however, finds a very unusual angle of telling this story.

The author does recount the main political developments of the period but manages to do it through the eyes of a (yes, fictional!) narrator who keeps integrity, dignity, and sense of humor. 

A Gentleman in Moscow

By Amor Towles,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked A Gentleman in Moscow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers, soon to be a major television series

From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway and Rules of Civility, a beautifully transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and…


The Italian Boy

By Sarah Wise,

Book cover of The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London

Janet Philp Author Of Burke - Now and Then

From the list on the supply of cadavers and what they can teach us.

Who am I?

I am an anatomy educator and doctoral researcher looking at the use of human material in anatomy education. My historical research into the antics of body suppliers has caused me to explore many publications on what we do with the remains of our relatives. This is a subject that can be fascinating but also requires compassionate handling and sometimes asks us questions that we often do not want to ponder.

Janet's book list on the supply of cadavers and what they can teach us

Discover why each book is one of Janet's favorite books.

Why did Janet love this book?

An exploration of the suspected murder of an Italian child in London that along with the murders of Burke and Hare, changed how bodies are supplied for medical teaching. Set in London in the 1830s it is a factual look at the way cadavers were supplied for medical teaching at that point in history.

The Italian Boy

By Sarah Wise,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Italian Boy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Towards the end of 1831, the authorities unearthed a series of crimes at Number 3, Nova Scotia Gardens in East London that appeared to echo the notorious Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh three years earlier. After a long investigation, it became known that a group of body snatchers - two men in particular, John Bishop and Thomas Williams, called the 'London Burkers' - were supplying the anatomy schools with fresh 'examples' for dissection. The case became known as 'The Italian Boy' and caused a furore which led directly to the passing of controversial legislation which marked the beginning of…


Being Mortal

By Atul Gawande,

Book cover of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Evie King Author Of Ashes To Admin: Tales from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer

From the list on help you accept, embrace, and laugh at mortality.

Who am I?

I'm a death professional who lives in a world where nobody wants to talk about my specialist subject, so I hoover up any books that discuss mortality and our relationship to it. To do my job well, I need to face death on a daily basis in a matter-of-fact way, without losing that reverence, but equally not getting lost in the reverence because there is plenty to smile at, laugh at and be brutally honest about. These things make me the rounded human that is needed to perform the task well and the kind of people who write these books typically embody those qualities and inspire me. I hope they can inspire you too.

Evie's book list on help you accept, embrace, and laugh at mortality

Discover why each book is one of Evie's favorite books.

Why did Evie love this book?

You'll usually find this one in the science section of the bookstore but don't be put off, it is not at all dry and it is completely accessible and universal, I mean it's about being mortal, you don't get much more universal than that.

This book is wonderful because you get the expertise of a doctor mixed with the philosophical human questions of how we should best deal with the experience of living with dying.

The take home that palliative care, far from giving up, can sometimes extend life longer than painful treatment, will make you rethink your end-of-life decisions and realise that living and being alive are two different things. 

Being Mortal

By Atul Gawande,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Being Mortal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'GAWANDE'S MOST POWERFUL, AND MOVING, BOOK' MALCOLM GLADWELL

'BEING MORTAL IS NOT ONLY WISE AND DEEPLY MOVING; IT IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INSIGHTFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES' OLIVER SACKS

For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's…


Gut

By Giulia Enders, Jill Enders (illustrator),

Book cover of Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ

Mara Altman Author Of Gross Anatomy: Dispatches from the Front

From the list on the human body to deepen your appreciation.

Who am I?

People, including me, can be so uptight about their bodies. Early on in my career, I found that writing about my shame (chin hair!) or embarrassment (dogs sniffing my crotch!) helped the stigma go away. Researching and learning about how amazing our bodies are helped empower me to feel confident and comfortable being fully myself. I think it can do the same for others, too. My takeaway: There is greatness in our grossness. 

Mara's book list on the human body to deepen your appreciation

Discover why each book is one of Mara's favorite books.

Why did Mara love this book?

I don’t know about you, but I always want to know more about my poop and orifices and this book delivered on both desires. It’s got something for everyone – sphincters, intestines, microbiome, a discussion on the best positions for defecation. Enders is a real gut aficionado and I felt her enthusiasm rub right off on me. More guts is what I say! 

Gut

By Giulia Enders, Jill Enders (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Gut as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Everything you ever wanted to know about the gut (and then some).”
—SELF

Discover the secrets of your digestive system—and how to hone a healthy gut—plus new research on the mind-gut connection.

With quirky charm, science star and medical doctor Giulia Enders explains the gut’s magic, answering questions like: What’s really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity? What's the connection between our microbiome and mental health? Why does acid reflux happen? In this revised edition of her beloved bestseller, Enders includes a new section on the brain-gut connection,…


From Here to Eternity

By Caitlin Doughty,

Book cover of From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

Mallory McDuff Author Of Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love

From the list on change your relationship with death and heal Earth.

Who am I?

I teach environmental education at Warren Wilson College outside Asheville, North Carolina, where I’ve raised my two daughters in a 900-square-foot campus rental with an expansive view of the Appalachian mountains. My students work in jobs ranging from managing the herd of cattle to growing vegetables for the cafeteria. After the sudden deaths of my parents, I decided to take this one-year journey to revise my final wishes with climate change and community in mind as a legacy to my children and my students. I’ve written five books, including the forthcoming Love Your Mother: 50 states, 50 stories, & 50 women united for climate justice (April 2023). 

Mallory's book list on change your relationship with death and heal Earth

Discover why each book is one of Mallory's favorite books.

Why did Mallory love this book?

I could watch mortician Caitlyn Doughty’s YouTube videos about death for hours. She’s like a stand-up comedian and tour guide in a cross-cultural journey about death practices across the globe. To research my own book, I turned to her adventures exploring sky burials and flame cremation worldwide, as well as embalming in this country as an interrogation into the practices of the conventional U.S. funeral industry. PS: I’ll never think about putting makeup on the dead in the same way again. Doughty’s storytelling strength is her use of specific details you’ll never forget. 

From Here to Eternity

By Caitlin Doughty,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked From Here to Eternity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty embarks on a global expedition to discover how other cultures care for the dead. From Zoroastrian sky burials to wish-granting Bolivian skulls, she investigates the world's funerary customs and expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with dignity. Her account questions the rituals of the American funeral industry-especially chemical embalming-and suggests that the most effective traditions are those that allow mourners to personally attend to the body of the deceased. Exquisitely illustrated by artist Landis Blair, From Here to Eternity is an adventure into the…


Reincarnation Blues

By Michael Poore,

Book cover of Reincarnation Blues

S.G. Browne Author Of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

From the list on supernatural dark comedies related to death.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a fan of dark comedies. Fargo. Heathers. Fight Club. There’s something about being able to laugh about tragedy that feels both cathartic and as if you might get struck down by lightning. But I also grew up on a steady diet of supernatural horror à la Stephen King, Peter Straub, and early Dean Koontz. So combining the supernatural and dark comedy into my writing seemed like a natural fit. While I’m drawn to dark comedies of all sorts in both fiction and film, I have a soft spot for those with a supernatural element that involves death, either in the literal sense or as a character.

S.G.'s book list on supernatural dark comedies related to death

Discover why each book is one of S.G.'s favorite books.

Why did S.G. love this book?

Not only is this novel about death and dying (10,000 times, to be exact), but it also features Death as a main character. So it gets bonus points for hitting both of those marks when it comes to my love of dark comedies about death. But it’s also a story about finding a reason for living, that reason being the aforementioned Death, who just so happens to be the main character’s love interest. It’s complicated. At turns both thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny. Reincarnation stories have always intrigued me and this one does it in a fashion unlike any other.

Reincarnation Blues

By Michael Poore,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Reincarnation Blues as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A wildly imaginative novel about a man who is reincarnated over ten thousand lifetimes to be with his one true love: Death herself.

“Tales of gods and men akin to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman as penned by a kindred spirit of Douglas Adams.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

First we live. Then we die. And then . . . we get another try? 

Ten thousand tries, to be exact. Ten thousand lives to “get it right.” Answer all the Big Questions. Achieve Wisdom. And Become One with Everything.
    
Milo has had 9,995 chances so far and has just five more lives to earn…


Lullaby

By Chuck Palahniuk,

Book cover of Lullaby

S.G. Browne Author Of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

From the list on supernatural dark comedies related to death.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a fan of dark comedies. Fargo. Heathers. Fight Club. There’s something about being able to laugh about tragedy that feels both cathartic and as if you might get struck down by lightning. But I also grew up on a steady diet of supernatural horror à la Stephen King, Peter Straub, and early Dean Koontz. So combining the supernatural and dark comedy into my writing seemed like a natural fit. While I’m drawn to dark comedies of all sorts in both fiction and film, I have a soft spot for those with a supernatural element that involves death, either in the literal sense or as a character.

S.G.'s book list on supernatural dark comedies related to death

Discover why each book is one of S.G.'s favorite books.

Why did S.G. love this book?

It’s not often you read the opening chapter of a novel (in this case the Prologue) and go back to read it again before continuing with the rest of the novel because you’ve never read anything like it before. And the book just gets better from there. Combine an African culling song with a tortured journalist investigating crib deaths and a heroine real estate agent who sells haunted houses, then put that all in the hands of Chuck Palahniuk, and you have a supernatural horror dark comedy/satire unlike anything you’ll ever read. Except maybe another Chuck Palahniuk novel. After reading this, I was inspired to write Breathers.

Lullaby

By Chuck Palahniuk,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lullaby as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Carl Streator is a reporter investigating Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for a soft-news feature. After responding to several calls with paramedics, he notices that all the dead children were read the same poem from the same library book the night before they died. It's a 'culling song' - an ancient African spell for euthanizing sick or old people. Researching it, he meets a woman who killed her own child with it accidentally. He himself accidentally killed his own wife and child with the same poem twenty years earlier. Together, the man and the woman must find and destroy all copies…


A Dirty Job

By Christopher Moore,

Book cover of A Dirty Job

S.G. Browne Author Of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

From the list on supernatural dark comedies related to death.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a fan of dark comedies. Fargo. Heathers. Fight Club. There’s something about being able to laugh about tragedy that feels both cathartic and as if you might get struck down by lightning. But I also grew up on a steady diet of supernatural horror à la Stephen King, Peter Straub, and early Dean Koontz. So combining the supernatural and dark comedy into my writing seemed like a natural fit. While I’m drawn to dark comedies of all sorts in both fiction and film, I have a soft spot for those with a supernatural element that involves death, either in the literal sense or as a character.

S.G.'s book list on supernatural dark comedies related to death

Discover why each book is one of S.G.'s favorite books.

Why did S.G. love this book?

Christopher Moore is one of those rare authors who can actually make you laugh out loud, and there are plenty of those moments to be found here. Secondhand store owner and beta-male Charlie Asher becomes a death merchant, retrieving soul vessels before those souls end up in the hands of the forces of darkness. Set in San Francisco, A Dirty Job features a colorful collection of characters that includes Goth teens, Buddhist monks, and the Emperor of San Francisco. This was the first of Moore’s books that I read and it remains one of my favorites.

A Dirty Job

By Christopher Moore,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Dirty Job as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.

It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's gotta do it.


Vamped

By David Sosnowski,

Book cover of Vamped

S.G. Browne Author Of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament

From the list on supernatural dark comedies related to death.

Who am I?

I’ve always been a fan of dark comedies. Fargo. Heathers. Fight Club. There’s something about being able to laugh about tragedy that feels both cathartic and as if you might get struck down by lightning. But I also grew up on a steady diet of supernatural horror à la Stephen King, Peter Straub, and early Dean Koontz. So combining the supernatural and dark comedy into my writing seemed like a natural fit. While I’m drawn to dark comedies of all sorts in both fiction and film, I have a soft spot for those with a supernatural element that involves death, either in the literal sense or as a character.

S.G.'s book list on supernatural dark comedies related to death

Discover why each book is one of S.G.'s favorite books.

Why did S.G. love this book?

Ten years before What We Do in the Shadows comically imagined what everyday life might be like for vampires, David Sosnowski published Vamped. Set in a world where vampires outnumber humans, the story stars a bloodsucking bachelor bored with his existence and all of the modern vampire conveniences, and inconveniences. Like missing coffee. And chocolate. And sunlight. And not having any more fresh humans to hunt. But when our hero stumbles across a human child, his existence gets complicated. A sharp, smart, charming, and occasionally heart-warming black comedy with an anti-hero who you end up rooting for.

Vamped

By David Sosnowski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Vamped as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

So this vampire walks into a bar...Yes, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but it's just another night in the never-ending life of Marty Kowalski. With his trademark slogan -- "There's a sucker born every minute" -- this blood-drinking bachelor has managed to talk half the mortal world into joining the graveyard shift. Now vampires outnumber humans, and Marty is so bored he could die -- again. With modern conveniences like synthetic blood and Mr. Plasma machines, the thrill of the hunt is gone. Especially for Marty, who's starting to wonder if he should just settle down,…


After We Die

By Norman L. Cantor,

Book cover of After We Die: The Life and Times of the Human Cadaver

Janet Philp Author Of Burke - Now and Then

From the list on the supply of cadavers and what they can teach us.

Who am I?

I am an anatomy educator and doctoral researcher looking at the use of human material in anatomy education. My historical research into the antics of body suppliers has caused me to explore many publications on what we do with the remains of our relatives. This is a subject that can be fascinating but also requires compassionate handling and sometimes asks us questions that we often do not want to ponder.

Janet's book list on the supply of cadavers and what they can teach us

Discover why each book is one of Janet's favorite books.

Why did Janet love this book?

This is an interesting book about the nature of human corpses and their legal standing. Canto looks at several controversial cases about the disposal of human remains, whether the deceased wishes were upheld and where we stand on the definition of treating remains with dignity and respect. Who controls the fate of human remains and is it important that you specify what you want before you die.

After We Die

By Norman L. Cantor,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked After We Die as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What will become of our earthly remains? What happens to our bodies during and after the various forms of cadaver disposal available? Who controls the fate of human remains? What legal and moral constraints apply? Legal scholar Norman Cantor provides a graphic, informative, and entertaining exploration of these questions. "After We Die" chronicles not only a corpse's physical state but also its legal and moral status, including what rights, if any, the corpse possesses. In a claim sure to be controversial, Cantor argues that a corpse maintains a "quasi-human status" granting it certain protected rights - both legal and moral.…


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