Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal 1st Edition

by Mary Roach (Author)

1,022 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0393348743

ISBN-10: 0393348741

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The irresistible, ever-curious, and always best-selling Mary Roach returns with a new adventure to the invisible realm we carry around inside.

“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions explored in Gulp are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff and every bit as surreal as the universe of zero gravity explored in Packing for Mars. Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of―or has the courage to ask. We go on location to a pet-food taste-test lab, a fecal transplant, and into a live stomach to observe the fate of a meal. With Roach at our side, we travel the world, meeting murderers and mad scientists, Eskimos and exorcists (who have occasionally administered holy water rectally), rabbis and terrorists―who, it turns out, for practical reasons do not conceal bombs in their digestive tracts.

Like all of Roach’s books, Gulp is as much about human beings as it is about human bodies.

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Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, April 2013: Mary Roach’s investigations into weird body science were inspired by a plastic torso with removable organs in her fifth-grade class, “the point at which curiosity began to push aside disgust or fear or whatever it is that so reliably deflects mind from body.” Since then, she’s investigated death (Stiff), sex (Bonk), life after death (Spooked), and life in zero-gravity (Packing for Mars). Now, she cruises down the alimentary canal with Gulp. As you’d expect with Roach, this isn’t a methodical top-to-bottom tour. It’s more delightful and memorable than that. She’s a gorgeous writer, a master of sly asides, puns, and the bizarre but ultimately relevant story, sounding at times like an absurdly well-informed comedian (her footnotes are must-reads). And her evocative portraits of experts obsessed with their piece of the digestive puzzle--the surprising properties of saliva, nuances of chewing and digesting, and, yes, the incredible control of the colon--coaxes her readers beyond the gag reflex, inspiring awe for the world inside ourselves. --Mari Malcolm --This text refers to the Preloaded Digital Audio Player edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In her latest rollicking foray into taboo, icky, and underappreciated aspects of the human body, best-selling science writer Roach takes readers on a wild ride down the alimentary canal. Not that the author of Stiff (2003), Bonk (2008), and Packing for Mars (2010) ever takes a direct route anywhere. No, voraciously curious and intrepid Roach zips off in whatever direction her ardor for research and irrepressible instinct for the wonderfully weird lead her. She begins this hilarious, mind-expanding inquiry into eating, digestion, and elimination with the symbiosis between smell and taste, guided by an olfactorily gifted “sensory analyst,” then profiles Horace Fletcher, proponent of a rigorous chewing routine known as “Fletcherizing” practiced by Henry James and Franz Kafka. We learn more than one can imagine about saliva and our passion for crispy and crunchy foods. Given Roach’s fascination with what we find disgusting, scientific obsessions and bizarre experiments, and horrifying things we do to ourselves, the stories get stranger as she proceeds down the body. Roach interviews a prison inmate about “rectal smuggling” (including cell phones), tells tales of flatulence, and reveals the truth about Elvis Presley’s fatal megacolon. For all her irreverence, Roach marvels over the fine-tuned workings and “wisdom” of the human body, and readers will delight in her exuberant energy, audacity, and wit. --Donna Seaman --This text refers to the Preloaded Digital Audio Player edition.

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Product details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (April 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393348741
ISBN-13: 978-0393348743
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,022 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #24 in Books > Textbooks > Science & Mathematics > Biology & Life Sciences > Anatomy & Physiology
- #32 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Zoology
- #58 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Anatomy

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Customer Reviews

1,022

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		63%
4 star		24%
3 star		7%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Top Customer Reviews

If you've never read a book by Mary Roach, you should, and here's why.

Bysb-lynnTOP 1000 REVIEWERon April 2, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Mary Roach is one of my favorite science writers and I always buy her books and read them when they first come out.

This book - Gulp - is all about the alimentary canal; that part of the body that begins at the point where food is consumed and ends where solid waste is expelled. Starting with taste and the mouth, she follows our digestive system all the way down. As with her other books, this one is replete with interesting and often bizarre facts and tales of eccentrics and misguided scientists and experiments gone awry. The author covers all sorts of "taboo" and sensitive subjects and both educates us and makes us laugh.

At the start, we learn about the importance of our nose (our ability to smell) and what that has to do with taste. She also compares our tastebuds with those of cats and dogs - showing how we often assume that they will like what we will. Well, it turns out that's really wrong. We learn how different cultures throughout history have found different things palatable and that the foods consumed by the most privileged may not be the healthiest. She also goes on later on to compare the anatomy of man to those of various other animals and points out how we are the same and how we differ. We learn about the problems and benefits associated with our digestive system and the various theories and treatments over time for various intestinal ailments.

In typical Mary Roach style, she candidly discusses such "taboo" topics as intestinal gas and our bowel habits. We read about the dangers of prisoners secreting contraband in their stomachs or their anal cavities and go from there to learning about the digestive systems of competitive eaters. We learn about the importance of saliva, all about acid reflux, and the various problems associated with indigestion among many, many other topics. We even learn why Elvis died, and yes it was on the toilet. We even hear a theory why people believed in dragons; and yes it has to do reptiles with gas and combustion. We find out why we don't digest our own stomachs (well, while we're alive) and whether or not animals other than parasites can survive being swallowed and even forcibly make their way out.

It's difficult to give a fair summary to this book because it covers so much. This may be favorite book of hers since Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and like that book this book will literally have you laughing out loud. For example, in trying to avoid the embarrassment of releasing intestinal gas, she writes:

"Or perhaps to take the advice of a gastroenterologist I know: get a dog. (To blame.)"

As a person who has GERD (acid reflux) and has spent time in the hospital for an episode of intestinal blockage (worst pain, ever), I was especially interested in this topic. But I think it's really something that would interest everyone. You will learn a lot and you will laugh a lot and you will end up wanting to make friends with this author because she is so amusing and so personable.

Highly recommended. You just have to read the first few pages to see if this is something you would enjoy. I read this in one sitting; it was not only entertaining but I'm smarter for having read it.

44 comments 253 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Fun, but not meaty enough to support an in depth discussion

ByB. CaseTOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICEon August 30, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

What can I say more than what has already been said very well in so many good reviews already on this site? I suggest that you read both Amazon’s “most helpful positive review” and the “most helpful negative review” and then try to determine which one seems to speak to your individual situation and mindset. You see, both are right. Yes, this book has great strengths and great weaknesses depending on what you expected and wanted to get out of it…and what previous knowledge you already had to bring to this topic.

In my case, this book was used the basic textbook for an eight-week discussion group studying microbes and the human gut. We were a dozen or so very bright seniors, all retired from a variety of successful professional careers. The “class” was affiliated with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) where we organize group discussions and presentations around a strong peer-learning concept. Before each class session, we read one or two chapters from this book and then had discussion based on questions prepared by one or two of our members about those chapters. In addition, we listened to, and discussed, one or two presentations prepared by members. All the presentations dealt with topics related to our human microbiome, especially those microbes in the alimentary canal. Our OLLI has found that this is a good format for casual academic group learning, especially in an environment where almost everyone already has an advanced degree. Basically, we rely on learning through individual reading and research, and enhance that learning by sharing it with our peers.

Our class had a lot of problems using this book as the central discussion text to support the class. There was just not enough substance within each chapter for adequate discussion questions. Sure the book was fun to read, but it didn’t leave the group with much to discuss.

If you’re interested in this topic and enjoy humorous light books covering scientific topics, then this may be exactly what you’re looking for; but, if you want more in- depth knowledge on this topic, I suggest you look elsewhere.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach

ByNaiVINE VOICEon May 13, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This was an interesting reading experience. The author has a knack for infusing humor into her writing, she grossed me out a little but also made me laugh.

I never knew people taste tested pet food, why would they anyway? She also discusses the taboos behind eating certain foods. There is an entire chapter on saliva and one on William Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin and his experiments. The author introduces you to all kinds of strange experiments as different scientists discuss and examine the digestive tract. There is a chapter on constipation and how it can kill you.
I need to be brave a grab a copy of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.

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The premise is good, and the first half of the book held ...

ByNon PCon February 29, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I'm doing this review mostly just to vote on it. I think 3 stars is appropriate for this book. The premise is good, and the first half of the book held my interest, but in the final third she goes on and on and on about intestinal gas. Thank goodness it was towards the last third of the book, or I wouldn't have wanted to continue reading. There are some interesting facts in the book, but I finished it thinking that it should have been 30% shorter -- and been a better read because of it. Glad I bought it used for a great price on Amazon.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Fascinating and Informative

ByBarbraon May 3, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I first borrowed this book from my local library, but there was so much information that fascinated me I ended up buying my own copy. Mary Roach's quirky sense of humor is the perfect counterbalance for content that is sometimes necessarily graphic and always thought provoking. Not a book for the squeamish, but anyone interested in nutrition, health, medicine, science and discovery should find this book worth reading.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Gulp

I really enjoy Mary Roach's approach to medical writing.

Published 2 hours ago by Amazon Customer

Loved it!

I love Mary's writing style, as it always entertains. The facts and stories she tells manage to amaze me. This book is for anyone and everyone.Read more

Published 22 hours ago by C. McManus

Simultaneously hilarious and fascinating

Should I ever aspire to write a non-fiction book, this gem will be my model. Highly informative and deeply entertaining.

Published 16 days ago by David Anderson

A strong stomach required for this book

I appreciate that Mary Roach is a great writer and I like her ability to incorporate clear science and humor in her work.Read more

Published 1 month ago by Steve G

Enlightening and Funny

Well written, enlightening, and very funny at times. If you own a digestive system, then you should read this book.

Published 2 months ago by Howard Hoffman

Four Stars

Fun read, like her other books. Great gift for the family gastro- enterologist.

Published 3 months ago by Russian Curmudgeon

... once again made highly entertaining with Mary Roach Always enjoy the way she thinks

SImply a not simple subject once again made highly entertaining with Mary Roach Always enjoy the way she thinks aloud

Published 3 months ago by selective buyer

Alimentary journey

An intriguing book with some interesting takes on the body.

Published 3 months ago by W. G. Bullock

On to the next book for both of us?

This book has me laughing out loud at times, while learning quite a lot. Absolutely love the ironic understated style and wacky sense of humor and on the page asides.Read more

Published 3 months ago by Amazon Customer

The alimentary canal ends with a cure.

The history and progress in scientific understanding of the alimentary canal ends in cure that is obstructed by the medical establishment.

Published 3 months ago by Thomas Leete

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