A survey of some of the grosser science with a dash of humor. Fans of Mary Roach will enjoy, but may not want to read during lunch ( )

Delightfully written, if I may express the subject material in such a way. Erika Engelhaupt takes us through numerous topics on the mentionable and unmentionable that we mostly know exist but generally don't discuss in depth.

Fascinating and in many instances gross things appear and are digested in our thoughts and sometimes in realty we find. It sums out how varied and in many cases strange this world we inhabit is. A book that we should all take in from time to time to get in touch with the other side out there. ( )

This is a selection of expanded blog articles on a variety of topics, all of them macabre, taboo, or disgusting. I didn't read it straight through but rather jumped around based on what subjects interested me. I thought the essays were interesting, but once I became intrigued by the subject, I was often left wanting more depth and detail than the short essays could provide. A fun book for dipping into but not much more than that. ( )

Erika Engelhaupt is a science journalist and in Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science, she shines a light on the gross, the bizarre, the taboo and morbidly fascinating elements of science.

Engelhaupt divides her book into the following six parts, each containing multiple chapters:
1. Morbid Curiosity
2. That's Disgusting
3. Breaking Taboos
4. Creepy Crawlies
5. Gross Anatomy
6. Mysterious Minds

Writing the column Gory Details for National Geographic, Engelhaupt covers a broad range of subjects in the book, including a few of my favourite topics of interest:

- Frances Glessner Lee's dollhouse crime scene dioramas (or nutshells) used to train detectives and forensic investigators
- Super recognisers and their ability to fight crime
- Floating feet in British Columbia
- Fatbergs
- The Mandela Effect

She also introduced me to fascinating new topics, like:
- The smell of sickness
- Necrophilia in the animal kingdom
- Misophonia, a strong reaction to particular sounds and noises
- Insects inside the body

Many of these topics had me heading to Google for more information, my interest having been well and truly piqued. I listened to the audiobook of Gory Details, and the short chapters made for excellent reading, often covering a topic in 10-15 mins.

Gory Details by Erika Engelhaupt is highly recommended for trivia buffs and if you enjoy the non fiction writing of Mary Roach or Caitlin Doughty, this is definitely for you. Also recommended for those with an interest in the world of science, biology, anatomy and nature. ( )

Have you ever wondered why an everyday sound drives some people crazy? Or why we are both drawn to and repulsed by certain smells? How about why we don't eat more bugs? Or how many bugs are on you? If you have ever been curious about anything that seems weird or taboo, Gory Details is for you. Erika Engelhaupt has put together a collection of essays about the morbid, the morbid, gross, mysterious and buggy curiosities in life. These short essays discuss and explain enough to pique your interest and make you want to explore more on your own.

Gory Details strives to make it ok to talk about the subjects people tend to shy away from. Using humor and examining each topic through the lens of science, the function comes to light and the fear begins to fade. I was fascinated by so many of the topics and searched out more on my own. Frances Glessner Lee's Nutshells captured my attention and I would love to be able to look at these miniature crime scenes in real life to try and see where the clues lead me. I have never really thought about what keeps all the bacteria in and on our bodies from decomposing us while we are alive; however, now I have a strong urge to learn more about what bacteria I harbor. I love that the corpse flower attracts so many visitors just to get a whiff of what smells like a dead body so we can potentially be better equipped when we meet the real deal. One of my favorite facts was that the clitoris was not fully described in a medical paper until 1998. I also now wonder if I could be a super-recognizer and plan on taking the test. Gory Details is an excellent book for any curious mind.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )