Gulp (Roach) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Gulp is far and away her funniest and most sparkling book, bringing Ms. Roach's love of weird science to material that could not have more everyday relevance. Having graduated from corpses (Stiff), the afterlife (Spook) and sex (Bonk, full of stunts featuring Ms. Roach as guinea pig), she takes on a subject wholly mainstream. She explores it with unalloyed merriment. And she is fearless about the embarrassment that usually accompanies it…Never has Ms. Roach's affinity for the comedic and bizarre been put to better use.
Janet Maslin - New York Times


Gulp is an absolute delight…[Roach is] a very good writer who understands that her job is, above all, to entertain. Every paragraph is a pleasure to read, even if that paragraph is about a partially decomposed gazelle entombed in the body of a python…In the wrong hands, a book on digestion would be rendered tedious by a need to cover every aspect of the subject to some degree. But Roach follows her interests, not a checklist…you'll come away from this well-researched book with enough weird digestive trivia to make you the most interesting guest at a certain kind of cocktail party.
Amy Stewart - Washington Post


[A] merry foray into the digestive sciences…. Inexorably draws the reader along with peristaltic waves of history and vividly described science.
Brian Switek - Wall Street Journal


One of my top criteria for pronouncing a book worthwhile is the number of times you snort helplessly with laughter and say, “Wow! Did you know that..." before your long-suffering spouse throws a book at you from across the room. My personal spouse says that, in this department, "Gulp takes the cake.”
Adam Woog - Seattle Times


Never before has the process of eating been so very interesting…. After digesting her book, you can’t help but think about what that really means.
Micki Myers - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


In the case of [Roach's] newest, some may hesitate to follow—it’s about the human digestive system, and it’s as gross as one might expect. But it’s also enthralling. From mouth to gut to butt, Roach is unflinching as she charts every crevice and quirk of the alimentary canal.... Roach’s approach is grounded in science, but the virtuosic author rarely resists a pun, and it’s clear she revels in giving readers a thrill—even if it is a queasy one.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) 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.
Booklist


As she investigates these questions, Roach encounters many an eccentric scientist who has worked tirelessly to unlock the mysteries of saliva, gastrointestinal gases, and mastication. As she recounts her adventures in tasting centers and laboratories, she aims not to disgust readers, but to inspire curiosity—even awe—for the most intimate functions of the human body. Verdict: ...this book will entertain readers, challenge their cultural taboos, and simultaneously teach them new lessons in digestive biology. —Talea Anderson, Ellensburg, WA
Library Journal


Throughout her sojourn down the gastrointestinal tract, science writer Roach enlists her abundant assets of intelligence and humor while dissecting this messy and astounding part of the human body.... She also fleshes out just what constitutes the "ick factor" in this tale of ingestion, digestion and elimination. Roach's abundant footnotes serve as entertaining detours throughout this edifying excursion.... [T]he author entertains with this incredible journey into the netherworld of the human body. A touchy topic illuminated with wit and rigor, packed with all the stinky details.
Kirkus Reviews