by Mary Roach
First sentence: “The Victorian upper crust excelled at taking apart dinner.”
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Release date: September 16, 2025
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some swearing, including a few f-bombs. And there is, at times, some pretty descriptive medical procedures. It will be in the Science section of the bookstore.

The short version: The inimitable Mary Roach explores all the ways humans alter their bodies. From plastic surgery to organ replacements to prosthetic limbs, Roach looks at the history and the future of the science in these areas. There’s a chapter on each area, so she doesn’t go into depth, but she does cover a wide range of topics.

I haven’t read a Mary Roach book in years (Gulp was the last one; I guess I’m only interested in her body science books?), and I had forgotten what a funny writer she is. She’s self-deprecating, but also the snide asides (read the acknowledgments!) kept me laughing. No, this isn’t a life-or-death book (unless you’re a recipient of an organ transplant?), but it’s fascinating. She has a way of taking complex medical and scientific topics and boiling them down into ways that the common person (ie: me) can understand and appreciate.

I tell myself I need to read her books every time one comes out, and I’m super glad I listened this time. Totally and completely worth it.