Spook

Starred review from August 22, 2005
Roach made an exceptional debut two years ago with Stiff—
it might seem a hard act to follow. Yet she has done it again: after her study of what becomes of our mortal coil after death, she now presents an equally smart, quirky, hilarious look at whether there is a soul that survives our physical demise. Roach perfectly balances her skepticism and her boundless curiosity with a sincere desire to know. She ranges into the oddest nooks and crannies of both science and belief (and scientists who believe), regaling the reader with tales of Duncan Macdougall, a respected surgeon who weighed consumptives at their moment of death to see if the escaping soul could be measured in ounces, and of female mediums who, during séances, extruded a substance called ectoplasm from their private parts (she even examines a piece of alleged ectoplasm archived at Cambridge University). She goes to school to learn to be a medium, subjects her brain to electromagnetic waves to see if they induce the experience of seeing ghosts and joins a group trying to record sounds made by the spirits of the Donner party. The text is littered with footnotes: tangential but delicious tidbits that Roach clearly couldn't bear to leave out. She is an original who can enliven any subject with wit, keen reporting and a sly intelligence. Agent, Jay Mandel
. 12-city author tour; 40-city radio satellite tour
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January 2, 2006
The deadpan humor and subtle wit that journalist Roach (Stiff
) is known for is overshadowed by Quigley's exaggerated delivery in this disappointing audio adaptation. Like Roach's previous book, this exploration of the afterlife is loaded with unusual historical facts, oddball encounters and humorous observations. Unfortunately, Quigley performs rather than reads the material, and her snarky, knowing tone is as out of sync with Roach's earnest investigation as are her atrocious character voices. For reincarnation researcher Dr. Rawat, she adopts a heavily accented voice as subtle as The Simpsons
' Hindu grocer, Apu. Professor Gerry Naham is lent a nasally, squeaky voice, apparently to convey his nerdiness (he aims to build a system that can detect the departure of a dying person's soul using electromagnetic energy). Then there's sheep rancher Lewis Hollander, whom Quigley gives the mellow voice of a stoned hippie despite Roach's description of him as "a kindly, soft-spoken guy"; one almost expects Hollander to preface his description of his homegrown soul-weighing experiment with "dude." Quigley transforms these intriguing, eccentric people into caricatures and makes this a grating listen. Simultaneous release with the Norton hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 22). (Oct.)

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September 1, 2005
This is not about ghosts -rather, science writer Roach ("Stiff") looks to science to determine whether the human "soul" exists in death. Unfortunately, neither science nor Roach is up to the task. Three of the 12 chapters deal with contemporary science (infrasound and electromagnetic waves, the personal computer, and the operating room ceiling where University of Virginia cardiologists placed equipment to monitor out-of-body, near-death experiences). The remaining chapters are devoted to such topics as medium school, the weight of a soul, the last surviving ectoplasm sample, and reincarnation. Readers come away with little new information or insight into the question originally posed but with many pieces of arcane trivia. Although deftly written and at times humorous, this book is superficial overall. Recommended for only the largest collections or where "Stiff" was popular. [See Prepub Alert, " LJ" 6/1/05.] -Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, RTP, NC

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2005
Roach, who explored the fate of cadavers donated to science in " Stiffed" (2003), now turns her sharp eye and droll observations to what happens to a person's essence after death. Roach travels the world in search of answers: she heads to India to conduct research with a doctor who investigates cases of children whose families claim they are reincarnations of people from nearby villages and have the memories to prove it; she goes to the University of Arizona and meets with mediums currently working today; she tries her hand at telecommunication with the dead in the forests of California; and she even tries her hand at getting in touch with her own inner medium at a school in England. Roach is dogged in her approach as she examines each phenomenon through the lens of scientific fact. In the end, she usually walks away skeptical. The journey itself, however, is gripping, and Roach's witty asides liven up an already interesting and unusual read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)