Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal
Mary Roach’s scientific curiosity seems to know no limits, and her sense of humor is boundless. With her typical aplomb, she delves into the most taboo of subjects: our guts.
Roach explores the human digestive system in all its glory. Her musings on our guts are divided into chapters about food, saliva, digestion, flatulence, and the anatomy and physiology that make all this possible. Her sense of humor might seem, at first, inappropriate, but it does not interfere with Roach’s in-depth research and interesting interviews. Potty jokes aside, Roach discusses all the ways our digestive system is amazing—when it works. She also talks about what happens when it does not work properly, and all the incredible research being done to decipher that percolating labyrinth we have inside.
Roach is a keen observer as well as an astute interviewer. She is willing to try things only the researchers dedicated to this topic might dare. She asks the questions others might be embarrassed to ask. But you know you want to know the answers.
