Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife Paperback – October 17, 2006

And occasionally thought-provoking; do not skip the footnotes, whatever you do. I’d spend an afternoon with Mary Roach any day.

It required very little convincing for me to immediately delve into "Spook," Mary Roach's sophomore literary effort. Her enthusiasm for her material is evident in her first book, "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavars." Like "Stiff", "Spook" is a compendium of wit, morbidity, and hilarious anectdotes which converge to form a collection of loosely related (in fact, afterlife is often the sole connector) examinations of what, exactly, actually happens when we die. Ultimately, Roach seeks to answer what really may be the 'ultimate question': Is there an afterlife? While her attempts are ultimately futile in a definitive scientific answer, the conclusion is generally that something happens after death. What this something is remains ambigious - either because we do not have the science to understand, or have not developed an adequate study method.Each section ('chapter' would be a misnomer , as they tend to be 20 - 30 pages in length) examines different methodologies of 'studying,' using what seems to be a generally loose version of the scientific method, the afterlife. The book begins in an anticlimactic fashion, with Roach's journey to follow an Indian researcher, who seeks to interview and categorize supposed instances of reincarnation. It is unfortunate that this chapter is the first delve into the material, as of all the sections, it seems to be the unflattering odd-duck: it is slow, verbose, and not as sharp with its language.The book goes on to considerably better itself in subsequent chapters. In contrast to "Stiff," "Spook" improves throgh the course of the book, the humor never becomes forced. The greater inclusion of her opinions, thoughts, and foibles. Roach explores studies of the afterlife ranging from the infamous '21 gram' experiment, to scientists studying the effect of electromagnetic and infrasound upon the human brain. She is brazen with her mistakes and is never aloof with her viewpoints. Rather than blindly following, or outright denying, what is presented throughout the book, she is objective with her analysis.Roach is talented at writing, for sure, and the inclusion of tangential stories and factoids keep the material fresh. The footnotes are not to be missed: each contains a snippet of Roach's wry, delightful insight paired with a quasi-related factoid. Indeed, the footnotes remain a gem of the book, housing some of the funnier tales of Roach's research.My own praise aside, there are a few shortfalls to "Spook." First, Mary Roach is evidently at the the very start of her foray into the afterlife (even explicitely stating such in the epilogue). Her explanations for experiments read considerably differently than her usual prose: this literary behavior indicates (to me, at least) that she is pulling her definitions from other sources, and only superficially rewriting them. While Roach is clearly comfortable with her own prose, her tone shifts dramatically when it comes to explaining more in-depth science. The book,as well, tends to lack in any in-depth analysis. Roach is candid with her responses and reactions, but only superficially examines the experiment setups. She is slow to question or needle her subjects on their work, which makes her ultimate conclusions about the different scientists and experiments somewhat questionable.Overall, a worthwhile read which delves into some very interesting subject matter. It is light on the 'heavy science,' and tends to fall into the tried-and-true regiment of anectdotes and witty commentary. Does it answer, then, the 'ultimate' question? ...Not entirely. Even if the 'ultimate' answer waffles from person to person, it's sure a lot of fun getting there.

I came to this book by way of Stiff - Mary’s absolute masterpiece. And while Spook’s subject matter didn’t interest me much (I’m a skeptic and an atheist and do not believe in ghosts) her gift of writing incredibly detailed and informative narratives mixed with humor and easily digestible chapters made me give it a try. And it did not disappoint. Mary is beyond talented, I only wish she published more books.

Title should be: The depths and variety of the folly of man - a brief look at biased science by a layman. This reader was disappointed with the treatment of the subject material and the obvious bias of the author toward metaphysics in general. The author is admittedly not a qualified scientist, therefore has no credential to write on this topic in any serious way. In short, this is an entertaining fluff piece with no value beyond temporary entertainment.The scientific community is well aware of dangers biased research is having on the advancement of human scientific knowledge. This takes the form of agendas to the subtle results driven by cognitive dissonance.It has been said that for a newly proven scientific fact to get a proper review in the scientific community, the older generation of scientist who will strongly resist the new idea have died.Science is the pursuit of knowledge, even when it is known an earlier idea upon which the reputation and possibly income stream of one or more persons is dependant is proven wrong or incomplete.Ethics in scientific research requires serious attention, in my view, along with equally serious attention to our educational systems, if humans are to advance our knowledge.Most importantly we must remember our knowledge of our reality is simply a metaphor of reality. We barely have the knowledge to begin learning.Common knowledge and fantasy seem to be supplanting real science today, and both present an incorrect view of our reality. Human knowledge is in peril.

I love Mary Roach. This is probably my favorite book of hers. (This topic id ver interesting to me.). The only disappointing thing is that they CHANGED THE TITLE! Many of her books have one word titles and this one was originally titled Spook.

Ms. Roach has been successful in making the serious, fundamental issues of existence and the scientific possibility of an afterlife both entertaining and insightful. I have only read one other book she has authored, Stiff (about the incredible ways in which the human body or parts thereof are used for research and other endeavors after death) and found it to be similarly enjoyable. Roach is adept at keeping her readers engaged by reporting on her research in a up-beat yet journalistic manner, interspersing her reporting frequently with her wry humor. If you have ever wondered about ghosts, near-death experiences, psychics and mediums, ectoplasm, or other "evidence" of the afterlife, Roach provides an objective look at each of these topics and does not disappoint. I would recommend this book for anyone who has ever had questions about life after death (in other words, everyone).

If you're hoping to bolster your beliefs in the after-life this book is not for you. Well researched, fun, informative.

Bon Produit, répond à mes besoins, comme prévu et décrit.

Funny and informative. With Roach you’ll always learn something new. But when you have a lady who ate cheesecloth wholesale so she could regurgitate it later (many interesting individuals in this book), I think you can do a little bit less with the jokes.

This is the 2nd of 3 books by Mary Roach I've read and non have been disappointing in the least. She's such a good researcher, thorough, meticulous, and humorous. She delves into all the aspects of life after death, from the medical mysteries to the early charlatans holding seances. Her writing style is so much fun, it's a book you can't put down. I love her work.

Always enjoyable!