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Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy
Not yet published
Expected 16 Sep 25From the New York Times best-selling author of Stiff and Fuzz, a rollicking exploration of the quest to re-create the impossible complexities of human anatomy.
The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. For centuries, medicine has reached for what’s available—sculpting noses from brass, borrowing skin from frogs and hearts from pigs, crafting eye parts from jet canopies and breasts from petroleum by-products. Today we’re attempting to grow body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3D printers. How are we doing? Are we there yet?
In Replaceable You, Mary Roach explores the remarkable advances and difficult questions prompted by the human body’s failings. When and how does a person decide they’d be better off with a prosthetic than their existing limb? Can a donated heart be made to beat forever? Can an intestine provide a workable substitute for a vagina?
Roach dives in with her characteristic verve and infectious wit. Her travels take her to the OR at a legendary burn unit in Boston, a “superclean” xeno-pigsty in China, and a stem cell “hair nursery” in the San Diego tech hub. She talks with researchers and surgeons, amputees and ostomates, printers of kidneys and designers of wearable organs. She spends time in a working iron lung from the 1950s, stays up all night with recovery techs as they disassemble and reassemble a tissue donor, and travels across Mongolia with the cataract surgeons of Orbis International.
Irrepressible and accessible, Replaceable You immerses readers in the wondrous, improbable, and surreal quest to build a new you.
The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. For centuries, medicine has reached for what’s available—sculpting noses from brass, borrowing skin from frogs and hearts from pigs, crafting eye parts from jet canopies and breasts from petroleum by-products. Today we’re attempting to grow body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3D printers. How are we doing? Are we there yet?
In Replaceable You, Mary Roach explores the remarkable advances and difficult questions prompted by the human body’s failings. When and how does a person decide they’d be better off with a prosthetic than their existing limb? Can a donated heart be made to beat forever? Can an intestine provide a workable substitute for a vagina?
Roach dives in with her characteristic verve and infectious wit. Her travels take her to the OR at a legendary burn unit in Boston, a “superclean” xeno-pigsty in China, and a stem cell “hair nursery” in the San Diego tech hub. She talks with researchers and surgeons, amputees and ostomates, printers of kidneys and designers of wearable organs. She spends time in a working iron lung from the 1950s, stays up all night with recovery techs as they disassemble and reassemble a tissue donor, and travels across Mongolia with the cataract surgeons of Orbis International.
Irrepressible and accessible, Replaceable You immerses readers in the wondrous, improbable, and surreal quest to build a new you.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 16, 2025
35 people are currently reading
20337 people want to read
About the author
Mary Roach
26 books13.1k followersMary Roach is a science author who specializes in the bizarre and offbeat; with a body of work ranging from deep-dives on the history of human cadavers to the science of the human anatomy during warfare.
Mary Roach is the author of the New York Times bestsellers STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; GULP: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, PACKING FOR MARS: The Curious Science of Life in the Void; BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex; and GRUNT: The Curious Science of Humans at War.
Mary has written for National Geographic, Wired, Discover, New Scientist, the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, and Outside, among others. She serves as a member of the Mars Institute's Advisory Board and the Usage Panel of American Heritage Dictionary. Her 2009 TED talk made the organization's 2011 Twenty Most-Watched To Date list. She was the guest editor of the 2011 Best American Science and Nature Writing, a finalist for the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize, and a winner of the American Engineering Societies' Engineering Journalism Award, in a category for which, let's be honest, she was the sole entrant.
Mary Roach is the author of the New York Times bestsellers STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; GULP: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, PACKING FOR MARS: The Curious Science of Life in the Void; BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex; and GRUNT: The Curious Science of Humans at War.
Mary has written for National Geographic, Wired, Discover, New Scientist, the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, and Outside, among others. She serves as a member of the Mars Institute's Advisory Board and the Usage Panel of American Heritage Dictionary. Her 2009 TED talk made the organization's 2011 Twenty Most-Watched To Date list. She was the guest editor of the 2011 Best American Science and Nature Writing, a finalist for the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize, and a winner of the American Engineering Societies' Engineering Journalism Award, in a category for which, let's be honest, she was the sole entrant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 2, 2025
✨ ARC Review! ✨ Special thanks to friends over at W. W. Norton & Company for sending me an early copy of Roach’s “Replaceable You” not only to gush over, but to prepare for my interview tomorrow with Mary Roach herself! (If you’re curious yes of course I’m screaming because of it)…
It’s no surprise that this is incredible. You can tell Roach had a fantastic time researching and writing this book. I learned so much, as I always do. The evolution of body modification is one I knew little to nothing about; from hair transplants, to prosthetic limbs, tissue donations, and cataract surgery, Roach with her classic whit and morbid curiosity (I had to) provides another classic with anecdotal stories and in-the-lab updates that sometimes, in the name of science, she experienced for herself.
This is releasing September 19th. Preorder it today, go support her. This was great.
It’s no surprise that this is incredible. You can tell Roach had a fantastic time researching and writing this book. I learned so much, as I always do. The evolution of body modification is one I knew little to nothing about; from hair transplants, to prosthetic limbs, tissue donations, and cataract surgery, Roach with her classic whit and morbid curiosity (I had to) provides another classic with anecdotal stories and in-the-lab updates that sometimes, in the name of science, she experienced for herself.
This is releasing September 19th. Preorder it today, go support her. This was great.
July 16, 2025
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Replaceable You is a nonfiction pop-science exploration into the science and culture of body part replacement. From iron lungs to butt implants, Mary Roach lifts the curtain on the most mundane and most scientifically advanced replacement parts medicine has to offer.
Roach approaches the topic or new (or new-to-you) body parts with her signature candor and curiosity. She interjects a layman’s level of grounding to the topics she explores while still being careful to explain the science and research accurately. This is Roach in classic form. If you’ve ever picked up one of her titles before, you’ll find yourself pleasantly fulfilled. The tone is familiar, but she chooses topics that are snappy, interesting, and easily conveyed. In the grand scheme of her works it isn’t my favorite, (the honor, or course, goes to Stiff), but it’s a very good option.
My favorite chapter of this book concerns the one where she witnesses an organ donation in progress. Her account was humanizing across the board; a company concerned with accuracy and dignity, the donor, the slightly concerned family, and the technicians who are both respectful and light through the process. Organ donation can be mired in controversy, and often, as the author states, only gets press for horror stories. It was refreshing to hear about a mundane occasion in which things go right.
One of my favorite things that Roach does in her structuring of the book is find ways to build connections from one topic to another. Rather than chapters standing alone, each a miniature story, they are often linked by through ideas or they build upon each other. I was particularly pleased by the way the chapter about colons being repurposed into neophalluses flower into the trip to see the finger-penis. What a delightful way to show how these medical advances (or experiments) seem to spiral out from one another into new areas of study.
I would say that what I didn’t always find to be on par with the rest of the book is that at times there’s an off putting air from the author. While this is less evident in chapters where she interacts with physicians and researchers, there’s a slightly paternalistic or at least ignorant element to some of her questions or observations when confronted with device users. While she’s never overt and may just be admitting misconceptions through honest recollection, at times it feels uncomfortable to read her bumble through interactions with amputees and bereaved caregivers.
If you like pop science books and are interested in beginning to explore the science of medical devices and implants, this is a great primer on the topic. Like wakes, for Mary Roach fans, you’ll also find her writing to be in fine form. 4.25/5!
Replaceable You is a nonfiction pop-science exploration into the science and culture of body part replacement. From iron lungs to butt implants, Mary Roach lifts the curtain on the most mundane and most scientifically advanced replacement parts medicine has to offer.
Roach approaches the topic or new (or new-to-you) body parts with her signature candor and curiosity. She interjects a layman’s level of grounding to the topics she explores while still being careful to explain the science and research accurately. This is Roach in classic form. If you’ve ever picked up one of her titles before, you’ll find yourself pleasantly fulfilled. The tone is familiar, but she chooses topics that are snappy, interesting, and easily conveyed. In the grand scheme of her works it isn’t my favorite, (the honor, or course, goes to Stiff), but it’s a very good option.
My favorite chapter of this book concerns the one where she witnesses an organ donation in progress. Her account was humanizing across the board; a company concerned with accuracy and dignity, the donor, the slightly concerned family, and the technicians who are both respectful and light through the process. Organ donation can be mired in controversy, and often, as the author states, only gets press for horror stories. It was refreshing to hear about a mundane occasion in which things go right.
One of my favorite things that Roach does in her structuring of the book is find ways to build connections from one topic to another. Rather than chapters standing alone, each a miniature story, they are often linked by through ideas or they build upon each other. I was particularly pleased by the way the chapter about colons being repurposed into neophalluses flower into the trip to see the finger-penis. What a delightful way to show how these medical advances (or experiments) seem to spiral out from one another into new areas of study.
I would say that what I didn’t always find to be on par with the rest of the book is that at times there’s an off putting air from the author. While this is less evident in chapters where she interacts with physicians and researchers, there’s a slightly paternalistic or at least ignorant element to some of her questions or observations when confronted with device users. While she’s never overt and may just be admitting misconceptions through honest recollection, at times it feels uncomfortable to read her bumble through interactions with amputees and bereaved caregivers.
If you like pop science books and are interested in beginning to explore the science of medical devices and implants, this is a great primer on the topic. Like wakes, for Mary Roach fans, you’ll also find her writing to be in fine form. 4.25/5!
July 8, 2025
I adore Mary Roach--I will learn whatever she's trying to teach us. This time, it's how doctors and scientists use artificial body parts to replace when their original counterparts malfunction or are irreparably injured. Yes, this is technically a medicine/science book, but, as with all of Roach's work, you could shelve it in the humor section as well. I learned, among other things, that the doctor she was looking to contact in one chapter was the man she lost her virginity to in college and that Mitch McConnell's facial structure may make it harder for him to be intubated.
If you want to learn a new subject but don't want to pick up a dense, textbook-like tome, Mary Roach's books may be for you.
If you want to learn a new subject but don't want to pick up a dense, textbook-like tome, Mary Roach's books may be for you.
June 16, 2025
Review to come, but author Mary Roach delivers again.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
* I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
July 1, 2025
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy – A Masterclass in Scientific Curiosity with Heart
Rating: 4.8/5
Mary Roach’s Replaceable You is a triumph of science writing that marries razor-sharp inquiry with disarming humor, taking readers on a wild ride through the frontiers of human body engineering. As someone who devours popular science but often struggles with clinical detachment, I found Roach’s blend of empathy and wit utterly captivating—like having a brilliant, slightly mischievous tour guide through the uncanny valley of medical innovation.
Why This Book Shines
Roach’s genius lies in humanizing the surreal. Whether observing cataract surgeries in Mongolia or chatting with ostomates about designer stomas, she elevates technical marvels into deeply personal stories. The chapter on prosthetic limbs—exploring the emotional calculus of choosing augmentation over biological limbs—left me awestruck by both the technology and the resilience of those who use it. Her visits to stem cell labs and xenotransplantation facilities (like China’s “superclean pigsty”) balance wonder with ethical nuance, never reducing subjects to mere curiosities.
Emotional Resonance & Intellectual Thrills
This book made me laugh out loud (her description of 1950s iron lung users hosting dinner parties is classic Roach) and pause in reverence (the tissue donor dissection scene is hauntingly beautiful). I appreciated how she normalizes “taboo” topics—vaginal reconstruction using intestinal tissue, for instance—with matter-of-fact compassion. The section on 3D-printed organs sparked equal parts hope and existential dread: Are we solving scarcity or playing God? Roach doesn’t preach answers but lets the questions linger provocatively.
Constructive Criticism
While Roach’s irreverence is usually a strength, a few jokey asides during sensitive topics (e.g., donor families’ grief) risked tonal whiplash. The book also leans heavily on U.S. and East Asian case studies; voices from African or South American innovators could have enriched its global perspective. A deeper dive into cost/access barriers of these technologies would’ve added socioeconomic depth.
Final Verdict
Replaceable You is Roach at her best—curious, compassionate, and endlessly entertaining. It’s not just about the science of replacement parts but what it means to be irreplaceably human in a world of medical miracles.
Thank you to Edelweiss and W. W. Norton for the gifted copy. This book left me marveling at my own body’s fragility and the audacity of those striving to rebuild it.
Pair with: A strong stomach and a sense of humor—you’ll need both when reading about pig-heart transplants over lunch.
For fans of: Stiff (Roach’s own classic), The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.
Rating: 4.8/5
Mary Roach’s Replaceable You is a triumph of science writing that marries razor-sharp inquiry with disarming humor, taking readers on a wild ride through the frontiers of human body engineering. As someone who devours popular science but often struggles with clinical detachment, I found Roach’s blend of empathy and wit utterly captivating—like having a brilliant, slightly mischievous tour guide through the uncanny valley of medical innovation.
Why This Book Shines
Roach’s genius lies in humanizing the surreal. Whether observing cataract surgeries in Mongolia or chatting with ostomates about designer stomas, she elevates technical marvels into deeply personal stories. The chapter on prosthetic limbs—exploring the emotional calculus of choosing augmentation over biological limbs—left me awestruck by both the technology and the resilience of those who use it. Her visits to stem cell labs and xenotransplantation facilities (like China’s “superclean pigsty”) balance wonder with ethical nuance, never reducing subjects to mere curiosities.
Emotional Resonance & Intellectual Thrills
This book made me laugh out loud (her description of 1950s iron lung users hosting dinner parties is classic Roach) and pause in reverence (the tissue donor dissection scene is hauntingly beautiful). I appreciated how she normalizes “taboo” topics—vaginal reconstruction using intestinal tissue, for instance—with matter-of-fact compassion. The section on 3D-printed organs sparked equal parts hope and existential dread: Are we solving scarcity or playing God? Roach doesn’t preach answers but lets the questions linger provocatively.
Constructive Criticism
While Roach’s irreverence is usually a strength, a few jokey asides during sensitive topics (e.g., donor families’ grief) risked tonal whiplash. The book also leans heavily on U.S. and East Asian case studies; voices from African or South American innovators could have enriched its global perspective. A deeper dive into cost/access barriers of these technologies would’ve added socioeconomic depth.
Final Verdict
Replaceable You is Roach at her best—curious, compassionate, and endlessly entertaining. It’s not just about the science of replacement parts but what it means to be irreplaceably human in a world of medical miracles.
Thank you to Edelweiss and W. W. Norton for the gifted copy. This book left me marveling at my own body’s fragility and the audacity of those striving to rebuild it.
Pair with: A strong stomach and a sense of humor—you’ll need both when reading about pig-heart transplants over lunch.
For fans of: Stiff (Roach’s own classic), The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.
September 9, 2025
In REPLACEABLE YOU, author Mary Roach tackles the past and current science behind replacing worn out or missing body parts as well as body augmentation, and keeping an eye on the future and what we can expect in the years to come. Roach travels within the United States and abroad to look into several topics such as pig farms where replacement organs are grown for human transplantation, cosmetic surgery clinics specializing in fat redistribution (for bigger butts), companies at the forefront of prosthetic limb innovation, and hair regrowth and transplantation, among many others.
If you’ve read Mary Roach before, you’re well aware of what you’re getting into. Mary is endlessly curious and approaches these subjects with a genuine desire to not only understand how these processes work, but to present it to her audience in an easily digestible and oftentimes hilarious way. This isn’t my first rodeo with Roach, but I can easily say that this was the funniest of her work to date. I laughed out loud at her asides and footnotes and the way that she is more than willing to use self-deprecating humor. The bit about the early days of blood donation or the chapter studying the creative ways in which men had a certain body part replaced or.. rebuilt.
To be honest, this can be a fairly grim subject, especially when looking into something like organ donation following death, but I feel like Mary’s approach is one that can get even the most squeamish reader on board. This is an easy recommendation and I would not be surprised to see it land on my year-end list.
If you’ve read Mary Roach before, you’re well aware of what you’re getting into. Mary is endlessly curious and approaches these subjects with a genuine desire to not only understand how these processes work, but to present it to her audience in an easily digestible and oftentimes hilarious way. This isn’t my first rodeo with Roach, but I can easily say that this was the funniest of her work to date. I laughed out loud at her asides and footnotes and the way that she is more than willing to use self-deprecating humor. The bit about the early days of blood donation or the chapter studying the creative ways in which men had a certain body part replaced or.. rebuilt.
To be honest, this can be a fairly grim subject, especially when looking into something like organ donation following death, but I feel like Mary’s approach is one that can get even the most squeamish reader on board. This is an easy recommendation and I would not be surprised to see it land on my year-end list.
August 13, 2025
ARC from the ALA conference.
God, I love Mary Roach. I can’t think of a single writer I’d rather spend a day with. As always, I laughed, I learned stuff, I got grossed out, and I thoroughly enjoyed the footnotes.
God, I love Mary Roach. I can’t think of a single writer I’d rather spend a day with. As always, I laughed, I learned stuff, I got grossed out, and I thoroughly enjoyed the footnotes.
August 27, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a die-hard Mary Roach fan, I was so happy to get approved for an advanced copy of her new book. Her books are always a joy to read, and I love that she has the guts to ask these poor scientists anything and everything. It seems like nothing freaks her out, and though the subject of this book made me more squeamish than any of her other books so far (blame my weak constitution in the face of any and all medical procedures), she writes with such humor and curiosity that it's infectious- you can't help but laugh a little and keep turning the page.
From what I would (wrongly) classify as more external things like the first prosthetic noses, prosthetic limbs, and colostomy bags, to complex state-of-the-art developments in skin grafting, xenotransplantation (humans with animal [pig, mostly] organs or pigs growing human-esque organs), vaginoplasty/phalloplasty, 3D printing organs, and stem cell research, to things in between such as cosmetic and cataract surgeries, hair loss treatments, even the process of intubation- I learned something fascinating in every chapter.
One of the people Mary meets in Mongolia while working with people teaching cataract surgery methods is fondly referred to with a nickname incorporating "Wikipedia" because of his propensity to tell everyone facts about eyeballs. After reading this book I will need a similar nickname because my god- I get it, dude! I absolutely couldn't wait to tell my partner all of this stuff. And my sister works in cornea donation- at the end Mary attends an organ donor recovery (which included corneas) and you bet I spammed her with questions after reading that.
Despite the dark nature of her books, Mary always approaches things respectfully and with awe. As she writes in the end, the real miracles here are not even the sci-fi level replacement parts these people are researching, but in the OG, run-of-the-mill human body itself. It always surprises me how much we either don't know about the world or how impossible it proves to recreate, even if we think we know a lot about something (enamel, muscle tissue, the sphincter, tears ...).
If you are a fan of Bill Bryson's The Body: A Guide for Occupants, or Roach's previous book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers then you would definitely enjoy this. Because this book reminded me that humans are animals, too, and animal bodies are just out there doing miraculous stuff every day that we barely understand, I would argue that you would love this if you love The Gecko's Foot: Bio-inspiration: Engineering New Materials from Nature, too.
Overall definitely would recommend if you want a laugh and to learn something, even if you are squeamish like me.
As a die-hard Mary Roach fan, I was so happy to get approved for an advanced copy of her new book. Her books are always a joy to read, and I love that she has the guts to ask these poor scientists anything and everything. It seems like nothing freaks her out, and though the subject of this book made me more squeamish than any of her other books so far (blame my weak constitution in the face of any and all medical procedures), she writes with such humor and curiosity that it's infectious- you can't help but laugh a little and keep turning the page.
From what I would (wrongly) classify as more external things like the first prosthetic noses, prosthetic limbs, and colostomy bags, to complex state-of-the-art developments in skin grafting, xenotransplantation (humans with animal [pig, mostly] organs or pigs growing human-esque organs), vaginoplasty/phalloplasty, 3D printing organs, and stem cell research, to things in between such as cosmetic and cataract surgeries, hair loss treatments, even the process of intubation- I learned something fascinating in every chapter.
One of the people Mary meets in Mongolia while working with people teaching cataract surgery methods is fondly referred to with a nickname incorporating "Wikipedia" because of his propensity to tell everyone facts about eyeballs. After reading this book I will need a similar nickname because my god- I get it, dude! I absolutely couldn't wait to tell my partner all of this stuff. And my sister works in cornea donation- at the end Mary attends an organ donor recovery (which included corneas) and you bet I spammed her with questions after reading that.
Despite the dark nature of her books, Mary always approaches things respectfully and with awe. As she writes in the end, the real miracles here are not even the sci-fi level replacement parts these people are researching, but in the OG, run-of-the-mill human body itself. It always surprises me how much we either don't know about the world or how impossible it proves to recreate, even if we think we know a lot about something (enamel, muscle tissue, the sphincter, tears ...).
If you are a fan of Bill Bryson's The Body: A Guide for Occupants, or Roach's previous book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers then you would definitely enjoy this. Because this book reminded me that humans are animals, too, and animal bodies are just out there doing miraculous stuff every day that we barely understand, I would argue that you would love this if you love The Gecko's Foot: Bio-inspiration: Engineering New Materials from Nature, too.
Overall definitely would recommend if you want a laugh and to learn something, even if you are squeamish like me.
August 28, 2025
Mary Roach is always funny and popular, but I don't always read her stuff. I have been really into medical stuff lately, though, so I thought I would give this one a shot. Roach really dives into her subjects. I learned a lot about everything from hip replacements to gene editing to organ transplants. Great book for the medically curious.
August 29, 2025
This woman’s books are never dull, meticulously and relentlessly researched, and full of facts you’d never find in the average high school science textbook. I always learn something new when I read a Mary Roach book. And don’t skip the footnotes– they are hilarious.
ARC received-read-reviewed, comes out 9/16!
ARC received-read-reviewed, comes out 9/16!
August 30, 2025
I love an opportunity to laugh while learning. This book is precisely that!
A master at blending education and humor, Mary Roach has done it again! Replaceable You covers an array of topics sure to inform any reader while also making them chuckle, and if you’re anything like me you’ll be thinking “Ew, gross! So cool!!!” at least a couple times as well!
A master at blending education and humor, Mary Roach has done it again! Replaceable You covers an array of topics sure to inform any reader while also making them chuckle, and if you’re anything like me you’ll be thinking “Ew, gross! So cool!!!” at least a couple times as well!
June 20, 2025
mary roach's writing is relentlessly rewarding. replaceable you is her latest pop science excursion, this time into the world of regenerative medicine, substitute body parts, and physiological enhancement. always smart, ever witty, and possessed of an immense talent for hilarious footnotery, roach remains as amusingly interesting as ever.
August 21, 2025
Once again, Mary Roach brings humor to a dry topic. She visits a variety of experts, even participating when possible (hair transplants on her leg!).
Thank you, WW Norton and Co and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.
Thank you, WW Norton and Co and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.
June 26, 2025
I like all of Mary Roach's books. She is an automatic read for me because she makes scientific subjects very interesting and accessible. This one is just okay. Probably because I have read so many of her books, they don't astound me like some of her earlier books. It would be nice to see her approach a totally different topic. I received an ARC of this work from Netgalley for my honest review.
July 1, 2025
Sucked in right from the start. Roach decides to take on the human anatomy from the perspective of newer technologies and research that is leading to developments to replace parts be it hair or legs or corneas. Roach returns with the wit that shines in the text and in the footnotes in part because she is so curious, so involved in the research and writing, and so freakin' funny. I was able to get an advanced copy and *almost* able to meet Roach herself at a conference but I couldn't get out there. It will be my goal to meet her (sooner than later).
Roach has a style that's in a league all of her own in how she approaches writing a topic. She doesn't prolong a topic or talk too academically-- it's accessible and makes a reader curious.
And at two points, she references a doctor at Albany Med, which is local and cool to see.
There are plenty of memorable topics and passages that I want to capture a few:
"This is a little dark. If a head injury or illness were to leave a pregnant person brain-dead, on a ventilator, their organs would keep functioning for the duration of the pregnancy. But once the baby is delivered, the familiar cascade of organ failure would begin. The baby's brain appears to be producing something that sustains the organs of the mother. The reverse scenario also holds. 'Very rarely,' Bartlett continues, 'a fetus develops without a brain.' The 'acephalic' baby's organs will continue to function as long as it's inside a mother's womb. 'As soon as that fetus is delivered, it dies.' Bartlett says. 'You need one brain or the other.'"
"He scrawls on a whiteboard as he speaks. Not a word of what he's written is legible. Most things Jordan Newmark does, he does at a fast clip. Writing, speaking. Listening! He plays audiobooks on double speed. He has a lot to do. He teaches, practices, runs a medical legal consulting company, has kids. The desktop of his laptop has forty icons, arranged in row. It looks like a game of Concentration. Despite all this, Jordan will reply to a text within minutes. (Often yes, while sitting by a patient's head.)"
Page 29-32 meeting Diana and Jerry-- "With reason: Only around 5 percent of patients in Diana's situation- a fifty-four-year-old with burns on 90 percent of her body- survive. There are ways to preserve hope without lying or discounting the seriousness of a situation, and Governman was adept at that. Others, less so. 'One of them said to me, 'Maybe next time she gets an infection, we should think about how we treat it,' Jerry says, 'He meant if we treat it. As in 'comfort measures.'" For Diana, the pain, emotional and physical both, began in burn rehab: the daily lineup of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. Worse than all of that: the first time she saw herself in a mirror... 'I'm thinking, he's going to leave me. I couldn't understand why he was still there, unless it was out of guilt.' Jerry sets down his fork. 'I told her, 'It's just skin. I don't love you for your physical appearance. I love you because you're you.' And she didn't say anything. And I said, 'Are you still you?' She said, 'I'm still Diana." I said 'Then I still love you.'"
Page 144-145 meeting Mona and Mark-- "Mark and Mona were married for thirty-two years. He shows me photographs. They're a handsome pair. I hadn't been thinking about what Mark has been through until at one point I hear him say, 'I went a week without a weeping spell, so I guess I'm doing okay.' This is how this book thing goes sometimes. You think you're leaving to report a chapter on breathing machines, and then you arrive and there's a man standing beside an iron lung, saying, 'I went a week without a weeping spell,' and the man wants to tell you about the woman who once inhabited this iron lung you're so keen on trying, so your plans scooch over and make some room."
"The original Mr. Potato Head kit in fact had no potato. It was sold as a set of plastic body parts and accessories to be poked into an actual potato supplied by parents. After years of complaints- rotting potatoes in the playroom, children poking themselves and choking on tiny mustaches and pipes-Hasbro began including a plastic 'potato body' and accessories large enough to pass choke-tub tests."
"'Lyin' Eyes' has, I swear to you, been playing as Donny G. does all this. As the night goes on, I will hear 'Wanted Dead or Alive,' 'Another One Bites the Dust,', 'Spirit in the Sky,' 'and 'Only the Good Die Young' and will come to believe there's a Spotify playlist for tissue recovery."
Roach has a style that's in a league all of her own in how she approaches writing a topic. She doesn't prolong a topic or talk too academically-- it's accessible and makes a reader curious.
And at two points, she references a doctor at Albany Med, which is local and cool to see.
There are plenty of memorable topics and passages that I want to capture a few:
"This is a little dark. If a head injury or illness were to leave a pregnant person brain-dead, on a ventilator, their organs would keep functioning for the duration of the pregnancy. But once the baby is delivered, the familiar cascade of organ failure would begin. The baby's brain appears to be producing something that sustains the organs of the mother. The reverse scenario also holds. 'Very rarely,' Bartlett continues, 'a fetus develops without a brain.' The 'acephalic' baby's organs will continue to function as long as it's inside a mother's womb. 'As soon as that fetus is delivered, it dies.' Bartlett says. 'You need one brain or the other.'"
"He scrawls on a whiteboard as he speaks. Not a word of what he's written is legible. Most things Jordan Newmark does, he does at a fast clip. Writing, speaking. Listening! He plays audiobooks on double speed. He has a lot to do. He teaches, practices, runs a medical legal consulting company, has kids. The desktop of his laptop has forty icons, arranged in row. It looks like a game of Concentration. Despite all this, Jordan will reply to a text within minutes. (Often yes, while sitting by a patient's head.)"
Page 29-32 meeting Diana and Jerry-- "With reason: Only around 5 percent of patients in Diana's situation- a fifty-four-year-old with burns on 90 percent of her body- survive. There are ways to preserve hope without lying or discounting the seriousness of a situation, and Governman was adept at that. Others, less so. 'One of them said to me, 'Maybe next time she gets an infection, we should think about how we treat it,' Jerry says, 'He meant if we treat it. As in 'comfort measures.'" For Diana, the pain, emotional and physical both, began in burn rehab: the daily lineup of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. Worse than all of that: the first time she saw herself in a mirror... 'I'm thinking, he's going to leave me. I couldn't understand why he was still there, unless it was out of guilt.' Jerry sets down his fork. 'I told her, 'It's just skin. I don't love you for your physical appearance. I love you because you're you.' And she didn't say anything. And I said, 'Are you still you?' She said, 'I'm still Diana." I said 'Then I still love you.'"
Page 144-145 meeting Mona and Mark-- "Mark and Mona were married for thirty-two years. He shows me photographs. They're a handsome pair. I hadn't been thinking about what Mark has been through until at one point I hear him say, 'I went a week without a weeping spell, so I guess I'm doing okay.' This is how this book thing goes sometimes. You think you're leaving to report a chapter on breathing machines, and then you arrive and there's a man standing beside an iron lung, saying, 'I went a week without a weeping spell,' and the man wants to tell you about the woman who once inhabited this iron lung you're so keen on trying, so your plans scooch over and make some room."
"The original Mr. Potato Head kit in fact had no potato. It was sold as a set of plastic body parts and accessories to be poked into an actual potato supplied by parents. After years of complaints- rotting potatoes in the playroom, children poking themselves and choking on tiny mustaches and pipes-Hasbro began including a plastic 'potato body' and accessories large enough to pass choke-tub tests."
"'Lyin' Eyes' has, I swear to you, been playing as Donny G. does all this. As the night goes on, I will hear 'Wanted Dead or Alive,' 'Another One Bites the Dust,', 'Spirit in the Sky,' 'and 'Only the Good Die Young' and will come to believe there's a Spotify playlist for tissue recovery."
July 22, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an advance copy of this book about the future of medical science, specifically being able to fix, replace, or even reengineer those parts of the human body that were once thought unfixable, changing life for many, but raising just as many questions about cost, ethics, and who will helped first.
I have never really seen the beauty in the human body. Most of the time I find humans to be well pretty gross, with not many exceptions. Humans leak things, have strange odors, sneeze, cough. There are fluids problems, and a whole lot of maintenance . And one day no matter what the body will just break down completely, with no chance for a refund. Reading the books of Mary Roach has strengthened my ideas, and given me much to have disgust for as I read. Roach has written books about the basics of being human, how we continue the species, what happens upon death, and even the possible afterlife. All the follies and foibles, oddness and things that can go wrong with being a human being, told in ways that both illuminate, and make a reader laugh. Roach in her latest book, looks at something that is big on the minds of many tech investors, science entrepreneurs, and even normal people, fixing those things that were once thought unfixable. Making life better, and maybe even extending it. Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach is an around the world journey examining the latest science, thinking and ways to switch out broken or decaying human parts, and what these future might hold.
The book is about the human body and how we have learned to fix things, even replace things that were once thought unfixable. This fixes can change lives, helping people with burns heal faster and with less pain. Or give people born with problems a new chance at life. Roach travels the world meeting people, taking part in procedures and talking with doctors, scientists, a few quacks, tech investors and people who have had life forced on them, and adapted. Roach learns who to intubate a sleeping dummy, which leads to a an explanation about the importance of lungs, and how they can be replaced. Roach spends time in a burn unit, examing fake skins that can be used as grafts. Traveling to China to see vast pig farms who might be the future of a skin industry. Shopping for feet at a prosthetic limb convention. Traveling to Easter Europe to learn about male replacement surgery done with middle fingers. Dining with doctors not shy about sharing gross stories over a nice Chianti. Most importantly Roach talks to survivors, people who have been saved, or whose lives have been changed by this emerging technology. Along with questions about ethics and people with more money than sense who plan to live forever shedding parts and acquiring new ones as needed.
I have been a big fan of Mary Roach's books for years. I probably started with Stiff, that sounds like me, but I have read all of her works and love the fact that Roach can educate, entertain, and yet capture the human factor that many science books miss. There are jokes, but there is also wonder at what is being done. In a time where dumb is king, its nice to see intelligence celebrated. Though after reading about the rest of the world her, I can see America losing this new medical battle. Roach is a very good writer. Things make sense when Roach explains it. I understand procedures, why things are, and unfortunately in many places why things have to be.
This is a an age of miracles and wonder, but what occurs to me is how the many of these medical gifts will be paid for. Roach broaches this subject a few times, but that is one medical story that will remain a mystery. This is a fascinating book, as one would expect, that raises a few interesting questions. Fans of Roach will not be disappointed, and I can't wait to read what Roach plans to explore next.
I have never really seen the beauty in the human body. Most of the time I find humans to be well pretty gross, with not many exceptions. Humans leak things, have strange odors, sneeze, cough. There are fluids problems, and a whole lot of maintenance . And one day no matter what the body will just break down completely, with no chance for a refund. Reading the books of Mary Roach has strengthened my ideas, and given me much to have disgust for as I read. Roach has written books about the basics of being human, how we continue the species, what happens upon death, and even the possible afterlife. All the follies and foibles, oddness and things that can go wrong with being a human being, told in ways that both illuminate, and make a reader laugh. Roach in her latest book, looks at something that is big on the minds of many tech investors, science entrepreneurs, and even normal people, fixing those things that were once thought unfixable. Making life better, and maybe even extending it. Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary Roach is an around the world journey examining the latest science, thinking and ways to switch out broken or decaying human parts, and what these future might hold.
The book is about the human body and how we have learned to fix things, even replace things that were once thought unfixable. This fixes can change lives, helping people with burns heal faster and with less pain. Or give people born with problems a new chance at life. Roach travels the world meeting people, taking part in procedures and talking with doctors, scientists, a few quacks, tech investors and people who have had life forced on them, and adapted. Roach learns who to intubate a sleeping dummy, which leads to a an explanation about the importance of lungs, and how they can be replaced. Roach spends time in a burn unit, examing fake skins that can be used as grafts. Traveling to China to see vast pig farms who might be the future of a skin industry. Shopping for feet at a prosthetic limb convention. Traveling to Easter Europe to learn about male replacement surgery done with middle fingers. Dining with doctors not shy about sharing gross stories over a nice Chianti. Most importantly Roach talks to survivors, people who have been saved, or whose lives have been changed by this emerging technology. Along with questions about ethics and people with more money than sense who plan to live forever shedding parts and acquiring new ones as needed.
I have been a big fan of Mary Roach's books for years. I probably started with Stiff, that sounds like me, but I have read all of her works and love the fact that Roach can educate, entertain, and yet capture the human factor that many science books miss. There are jokes, but there is also wonder at what is being done. In a time where dumb is king, its nice to see intelligence celebrated. Though after reading about the rest of the world her, I can see America losing this new medical battle. Roach is a very good writer. Things make sense when Roach explains it. I understand procedures, why things are, and unfortunately in many places why things have to be.
This is a an age of miracles and wonder, but what occurs to me is how the many of these medical gifts will be paid for. Roach broaches this subject a few times, but that is one medical story that will remain a mystery. This is a fascinating book, as one would expect, that raises a few interesting questions. Fans of Roach will not be disappointed, and I can't wait to read what Roach plans to explore next.
August 6, 2025
Replaceable You by Mary Roach is an in-depth and often hilarious account of replacing and regenerating human body parts - everything from organ transplants and 3D printing to stem cells and gene editing to plastic surgery and cataracts. Known for her hands-on, front-line research, Roach’s authentic curiosity fuels her research and reporting. She once again proves she’s not only fearless in her immersion, she also has a stomach of steel.
Each chapter explores a specific aspect of regeneration, with Roach drawing on leading experts and patients to inform her work. For her chapter on skin grafting, she shadows Dr. Jeremy Goverman, plastic surgeon at the Mass General burn unit, and has dinner with a woman who survived a life threatening full-body burn. Roach learns how to intubate a dummy at Stanford. She sits in the OR for hip and knee replacements with Dr. Alexander Sah at the Center for Joint Replacement in Fremont, California. She attempts to sleep inside a metal lung, otherwise reserved for polio patients (and lasts less than ten minutes). To share a history of amputation, Roach goes to a prosthetics conference with a friend, Judy Berna, who is a double amputee. Nothing is taboo for Mary Roach – she scientifically approaches butt implants, the benefits of vaginas created out of colon, ideal stool consistency, douching with half and half, and a penis constructed using the middle finger.
I’m personally more interested in history than science, so I really valued Roach’s background research, like the history of Victorian dentures and Renaissance nose jobs and how maimed WWI soldiers were the first beneficiaries of modern plastic surgery. Some other “fun” facts? A healthy human heart can beat on its own for ten minutes after being disconnected from a brain. As many as 75 people can benefit from one person’s donated tissues (but only about 4% of people who consent to donating end up being donors, due to rigorous vetting and a quick but arduous 24-hour turnaround process). Some of the best historical tidbits can be found in her footnotes, such as how the pale hospital green scrubs became ubiquitous (the color was meant to be soothing) and the history of Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head (originally sold without the plastic body, the parts were meant to be inserted into an actual spud).
In addition to her cross-country research, she travels to Mongolia, China and Georgia (as in Tbilisi, not Atlanta). It’s this global perspective that allows Roach to offer all sorts of ethical and cultural considerations throughout the book, such as the use of animals not only for research, but also as donors, and religious beliefs that impact organ donation.
With her signature wit, Roach finds the funny even the most grotesque. And it’s her clever quips that keep Replaceable You from being dense or boring or feeling like one long scientific paper. It may surprise you to learn that the chapter on tissue donation had me laughing out loud on a few occasions. But that is the genius of Mary Roach.
Funny yes, insensitive never. Roach seems genuinely empathic to all she meets and interviews. She’s interested in science, undoubtedly, but she’s even more curious about the people. Roach writes: “I’m drawn to the human elements of the quest. How does a person—and their surgeon—decide that it’s time to cut off an underperforming foot and replace it with a prosthetic? How do you combat the stigma of ostomy? How do you remove a tissue donor’s bones in a way the family will be comfortable with?” While most of us may not fully grasp the pain and frustration of living with chronic illness or disability, this detailed firsthand account offers a chance to deepen our understanding and empathy.
If you’re into weird science, have gone to med school, or work in any sort of research field, this book is for you. (None of the above apply to me, and I still found it fascinating). Many thanks to Mary Roach and W.W. Norton & company for the advance copy.
Each chapter explores a specific aspect of regeneration, with Roach drawing on leading experts and patients to inform her work. For her chapter on skin grafting, she shadows Dr. Jeremy Goverman, plastic surgeon at the Mass General burn unit, and has dinner with a woman who survived a life threatening full-body burn. Roach learns how to intubate a dummy at Stanford. She sits in the OR for hip and knee replacements with Dr. Alexander Sah at the Center for Joint Replacement in Fremont, California. She attempts to sleep inside a metal lung, otherwise reserved for polio patients (and lasts less than ten minutes). To share a history of amputation, Roach goes to a prosthetics conference with a friend, Judy Berna, who is a double amputee. Nothing is taboo for Mary Roach – she scientifically approaches butt implants, the benefits of vaginas created out of colon, ideal stool consistency, douching with half and half, and a penis constructed using the middle finger.
I’m personally more interested in history than science, so I really valued Roach’s background research, like the history of Victorian dentures and Renaissance nose jobs and how maimed WWI soldiers were the first beneficiaries of modern plastic surgery. Some other “fun” facts? A healthy human heart can beat on its own for ten minutes after being disconnected from a brain. As many as 75 people can benefit from one person’s donated tissues (but only about 4% of people who consent to donating end up being donors, due to rigorous vetting and a quick but arduous 24-hour turnaround process). Some of the best historical tidbits can be found in her footnotes, such as how the pale hospital green scrubs became ubiquitous (the color was meant to be soothing) and the history of Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head (originally sold without the plastic body, the parts were meant to be inserted into an actual spud).
In addition to her cross-country research, she travels to Mongolia, China and Georgia (as in Tbilisi, not Atlanta). It’s this global perspective that allows Roach to offer all sorts of ethical and cultural considerations throughout the book, such as the use of animals not only for research, but also as donors, and religious beliefs that impact organ donation.
With her signature wit, Roach finds the funny even the most grotesque. And it’s her clever quips that keep Replaceable You from being dense or boring or feeling like one long scientific paper. It may surprise you to learn that the chapter on tissue donation had me laughing out loud on a few occasions. But that is the genius of Mary Roach.
Funny yes, insensitive never. Roach seems genuinely empathic to all she meets and interviews. She’s interested in science, undoubtedly, but she’s even more curious about the people. Roach writes: “I’m drawn to the human elements of the quest. How does a person—and their surgeon—decide that it’s time to cut off an underperforming foot and replace it with a prosthetic? How do you combat the stigma of ostomy? How do you remove a tissue donor’s bones in a way the family will be comfortable with?” While most of us may not fully grasp the pain and frustration of living with chronic illness or disability, this detailed firsthand account offers a chance to deepen our understanding and empathy.
If you’re into weird science, have gone to med school, or work in any sort of research field, this book is for you. (None of the above apply to me, and I still found it fascinating). Many thanks to Mary Roach and W.W. Norton & company for the advance copy.
September 7, 2025
"Replaceable You" by Mary Roach is science writing with a mischievous grin. This book dives headfirst (and sometimes with prosthetic limbs) into humanity’s never-ending quest to patch, upgrade, and outright swap out our squishiest parts.
I've read all of Roach's books. Roach, as always, brings her snort-laugh wit to the party, dragging us through a parade of oddballs, surgeons, biohackers, and the occasional harvested cadaver limb.
You’ll read about everything from organs grown in stem cell “hair nurseries” to attempts at 3D printing spare parts.
Spoiler: not a single scene is boring.
But fair warning: this book spends nearly half its time on the past.
Just as you’re itching for a jetpack kidney or a downloadable heart, Roach detours into the wacky history of medicine—think iron lungs big enough for a disco (but only if you like the rhythm of labored breathing), and the lost art of crafting noses from brass, because nothing says “fashion” like a faceful of steampunk.
It’s charming… but if you came craving future-shock, you may find yourself staring at the calendar, wishing she’d hurry up and get to the bionic arms, brain chips, or at least a Bluetooth spleen.
And don’t expect a grand promise that nature is almost obsolete.
On the contrary, Roach’s conclusion drops the mike with a tear.
Not a metaphorical tear—an actual, salty, rolling-down-your-cheek tear.
Turns out, scientists can engineer robotic pancreases and print some new tracheas, but when it comes to replicating the humble human tear (yes, your basic public-crying fluid), they’re still stumped.
Apparently, its precise chemistry is tougher to copy than most nanotechnology.
So if we can’t even duplicate a tear, what hope do we have for building a better lung, heart, or anything else that squishes and squelches?
Still, call me an optimist, but I think we'll get there this century.
In conclusion, come for the face transplants, stay for the punchlines, and don’t blame Roach if you find yourself crying (with genuine, irreplicable tears) over the sheer weirdness—and stubborn brilliance—of the human body.
VERDICT: 4.5 stars out of 5.
DISCLOSURE: The publisher gave me an advance copy.
I've read all of Roach's books. Roach, as always, brings her snort-laugh wit to the party, dragging us through a parade of oddballs, surgeons, biohackers, and the occasional harvested cadaver limb.
You’ll read about everything from organs grown in stem cell “hair nurseries” to attempts at 3D printing spare parts.
Spoiler: not a single scene is boring.
But fair warning: this book spends nearly half its time on the past.
Just as you’re itching for a jetpack kidney or a downloadable heart, Roach detours into the wacky history of medicine—think iron lungs big enough for a disco (but only if you like the rhythm of labored breathing), and the lost art of crafting noses from brass, because nothing says “fashion” like a faceful of steampunk.
It’s charming… but if you came craving future-shock, you may find yourself staring at the calendar, wishing she’d hurry up and get to the bionic arms, brain chips, or at least a Bluetooth spleen.
And don’t expect a grand promise that nature is almost obsolete.
On the contrary, Roach’s conclusion drops the mike with a tear.
Not a metaphorical tear—an actual, salty, rolling-down-your-cheek tear.
Turns out, scientists can engineer robotic pancreases and print some new tracheas, but when it comes to replicating the humble human tear (yes, your basic public-crying fluid), they’re still stumped.
Apparently, its precise chemistry is tougher to copy than most nanotechnology.
So if we can’t even duplicate a tear, what hope do we have for building a better lung, heart, or anything else that squishes and squelches?
Still, call me an optimist, but I think we'll get there this century.
In conclusion, come for the face transplants, stay for the punchlines, and don’t blame Roach if you find yourself crying (with genuine, irreplicable tears) over the sheer weirdness—and stubborn brilliance—of the human body.
VERDICT: 4.5 stars out of 5.
DISCLOSURE: The publisher gave me an advance copy.
June 22, 2025
Mary Roach is one of the most consistent writers I’ve read in any genre, and here she delivers again. Many of the subjects in this book will be familiar to readers of her previous books: prosthetics and transplants were discussed in Grunt and organ/tissue donation in Stiff, for a few examples. But you probably won’t feel much déjà vu. Every topic is approached from a new, different, and in many cases higher-tech angle than in her other works. And of course Roach’s trademark humor — running the gamut from zany to punny to self-deprecating to subtly witty — keeps the book fun and readable.
Roach’s books are always survey courses rather than deep dives, but I felt that more than many of her previous books, each chapter of Replaceable You built on and added to what came before it. For a loose collection of stories of the author going on whatever field trips she could get permission for, this book felt quite focused. Even the chapter transitions flowed neatly from one topic to another.
Recurring issues and themes, such as the difficulty of tricking the immune system and re-engineering the already incredibly evolved human body recur throughout the book. Aside from a few witty observations and asides, the author largely allows the reader to draw their own conclusions, which I appreciated.
While I’m not sure how long this book will be relevant, considering how much cutting-edge research Roach chronicles in real time, I would recommend this book as an informative and digestible overview of biomedical research. And of course, Roach stans will have a great time regardless of the subject matter.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Roach’s books are always survey courses rather than deep dives, but I felt that more than many of her previous books, each chapter of Replaceable You built on and added to what came before it. For a loose collection of stories of the author going on whatever field trips she could get permission for, this book felt quite focused. Even the chapter transitions flowed neatly from one topic to another.
Recurring issues and themes, such as the difficulty of tricking the immune system and re-engineering the already incredibly evolved human body recur throughout the book. Aside from a few witty observations and asides, the author largely allows the reader to draw their own conclusions, which I appreciated.
While I’m not sure how long this book will be relevant, considering how much cutting-edge research Roach chronicles in real time, I would recommend this book as an informative and digestible overview of biomedical research. And of course, Roach stans will have a great time regardless of the subject matter.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2025
Mary Roach’s Replaceable You is another energetic, deeply-researched exploration of the odd corners of science and medicine, this time focused on the quest to rebuild and replace the human body. Roach’s signature curiosity and humor are present as she investigates everything from prosthetic limbs and organ transplants to the latest advances in stem cell technology and 3D-printed body parts. She travels widely, from burn units in Boston to pig farms in China, and interviews a cast of researchers, surgeons, and patients, always eager to illuminate the strange and improbable ways medicine tries to make us whole again.
This book, like her previous work, is packed with quirky facts and unexpected stories. Roach’s writing is accessible and often funny, and she’s especially good at making complex science digestible for general readers. However, in Replaceable You, her focus on food metaphors and eating-related imagery is unusually heavy-handed. While this adds a certain flavor to the narrative, it sometimes distracts from the more profound questions about identity, humanity, and the ethics of medical intervention. The book feels a bit more clinical and less emotionally resonant than her best work.
In a similar vein is The Facemaker. While it features history and moving stories of early plastic surgery, Replaceable You feels more like a clever survey than a personal journey. The emotional impact and sense of connection to the people behind the science are less pronounced here. The good: engaging science writing, fascinating stories, and Roach’s trademark wit. The bad: a distracting reliance on food metaphors and less emotional depth than you might hope for.
This book, like her previous work, is packed with quirky facts and unexpected stories. Roach’s writing is accessible and often funny, and she’s especially good at making complex science digestible for general readers. However, in Replaceable You, her focus on food metaphors and eating-related imagery is unusually heavy-handed. While this adds a certain flavor to the narrative, it sometimes distracts from the more profound questions about identity, humanity, and the ethics of medical intervention. The book feels a bit more clinical and less emotionally resonant than her best work.
In a similar vein is The Facemaker. While it features history and moving stories of early plastic surgery, Replaceable You feels more like a clever survey than a personal journey. The emotional impact and sense of connection to the people behind the science are less pronounced here. The good: engaging science writing, fascinating stories, and Roach’s trademark wit. The bad: a distracting reliance on food metaphors and less emotional depth than you might hope for.
June 30, 2025
Mary Roach gets an auto-add to my TBR with every publication, and she never disappoints me. This time she tackles a subject that revisits some parts of her previous books and adds to them. How replaceable is the human body? She wrote Stiff, about human cadavers, in 2003; Bonk, about sex, in 2008 and Gulp, about the digestive system, in 2013. In medical terms, even 12 years ago was the Bronze Age. There have been so many advancements since she wrote about the human body, that you’d think “Replaceable You” would be about all the ways that we can upgrade ourselves. Well, read this and be surprised. Roach writes about the most complicated technical and scientific issues in a way that even I can understand. Her sense of humor made me laugh so much that my husband was surprised when he found out that I was reading about heart failure. She makes readers feel like they’re there with her, making her interviewees (and even some dead people) feel approachable. There is a bit about animal experimentation that I had to skip (that’s my one and only trigger); and some other parts require a strong stomach. As with all of Roach’s books, this is not for everyone, but curious readers will love how she asks the questions that we’re all asking and some that we hadn’t even considered. I’ll keep praying for a way to restore my old-age vision so that I can keep reading her books forever.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/W. W. Norton & Company.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/W. W. Norton & Company.
August 31, 2025
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is the first book I have read by Mary Roach and it likely won't be my last. As someone with a background within science, specifically health science, Roach explains the procedures and concepts of this book in a way that makes it easy for the lay person to understand, but doesn't make the science buff cringe. She also has away of connecting you to the people within the stories where you get a sense of who they are. Her usage of analogies also serves to provide a clearer picture of what is happening in the book, specifically in the chapter on tissue donation.
As for the content of the book, I found it interesting to see what exactly can be accomplished by utilizing other tissues from the body and what can masquerade as what. I also appreciate how Roach doesn't shy away from more difficult or stigmatized procedures or subject matter such as ostomies and plastic surgeries. While Roach's description is humourous, it is never insulting or snobbish. The only chapter I would have liked to see added to the book was the use of machines or non-biological body parts in replacing our own "pieces." Such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, etc. Indeed, the only chapter present that was of similar content was the one on prosthetics. However, the book was still highly enjoyable and informative!
This is the first book I have read by Mary Roach and it likely won't be my last. As someone with a background within science, specifically health science, Roach explains the procedures and concepts of this book in a way that makes it easy for the lay person to understand, but doesn't make the science buff cringe. She also has away of connecting you to the people within the stories where you get a sense of who they are. Her usage of analogies also serves to provide a clearer picture of what is happening in the book, specifically in the chapter on tissue donation.
As for the content of the book, I found it interesting to see what exactly can be accomplished by utilizing other tissues from the body and what can masquerade as what. I also appreciate how Roach doesn't shy away from more difficult or stigmatized procedures or subject matter such as ostomies and plastic surgeries. While Roach's description is humourous, it is never insulting or snobbish. The only chapter I would have liked to see added to the book was the use of machines or non-biological body parts in replacing our own "pieces." Such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, etc. Indeed, the only chapter present that was of similar content was the one on prosthetics. However, the book was still highly enjoyable and informative!
July 5, 2025
Mary Roach has once again, boldly gone where no woman (or man) has gone before. Science writer Roach, known for her ability to break down hard subjects and scientific concepts for the curious layman, tackles the want and need to replace human body parts in people who, for various reasons, lack them. In her book, Replaceable You, she writes about cases ranging from the need for a substitute for rotting teeth, to the growth of animal organ replacement for humans and the now routine surgeries for hips and knees.
She also takes us through the process of organ donor permission and the resulting harvest of usable body parts. Some of the chapters shine light on highly cringeworthy topics such as ostomies and the repurposing of sexual organs, but everything is written in her matter-of-fact style guaranteed to take the stigma out for the reader. Roach's trademark humor is especially seen in a chapter on Mexican dermatologists who specialize in creating Kardashian-like rear ends (it was my favorite and I cannot lie.)
If you haven't read a Roach book yet, this might be a good start. It is very accessible, and the information, especially the new breakthroughs in the field, are important and useful. Time to be blinded by science.
She also takes us through the process of organ donor permission and the resulting harvest of usable body parts. Some of the chapters shine light on highly cringeworthy topics such as ostomies and the repurposing of sexual organs, but everything is written in her matter-of-fact style guaranteed to take the stigma out for the reader. Roach's trademark humor is especially seen in a chapter on Mexican dermatologists who specialize in creating Kardashian-like rear ends (it was my favorite and I cannot lie.)
If you haven't read a Roach book yet, this might be a good start. It is very accessible, and the information, especially the new breakthroughs in the field, are important and useful. Time to be blinded by science.
August 23, 2025
5 stars: This newest by Roach reports on a series of interviews combined with research on replacement of our body parts and its operating systems. Each chapter is more interesting than the one before. My favorite is the one about ventilation devices that take over lung work when the body can’t do it. Anyone who reads about iron lungs will surely advocate voraciously for the polio vaccine. The chapter about intubation with the lesson about our epiglottis switching station is alone worth the time/cost of reading this book. Roach participated in a training class where she intubated a dummy, just one of the close encounters experienced during the research for this book.
Don’t be deterred by the scientific and technical languages. For those interested in digesting all the words, the writing is clear & straightforward.
If you want to learn all about frog skin grafting and elephant tusk hip implants, this book is for you. When it comes to prosthetic body parts, you might not want to know if a surgery falls in your near future. Roach is a masterful wordsmith. Her signature humor comes through in this book, big time! Thank you to #NetGalley and to #W. W. Norton and Company, publisher, for providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for an objective review.
Don’t be deterred by the scientific and technical languages. For those interested in digesting all the words, the writing is clear & straightforward.
If you want to learn all about frog skin grafting and elephant tusk hip implants, this book is for you. When it comes to prosthetic body parts, you might not want to know if a surgery falls in your near future. Roach is a masterful wordsmith. Her signature humor comes through in this book, big time! Thank you to #NetGalley and to #W. W. Norton and Company, publisher, for providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for an objective review.
July 10, 2025
Mary Roach has the most uniquely curious mind I have ever come across. There is no lengths she is unwilling to go to learn about the subject the has captured her attention. In doing so she takes us on a journey into the cutting edge world of medical innovation.
So much ground was covered here. The book began with how early dentures were made. Roach then moved on to burn victims and potential types of skin transplants for them. One example was a transplant from frog skins while another was a biobandaide from farmed fish waste.
As she looked at our lungs she had to try sleeping in an iron lung machine because, why not? The ECMO machine was the most fascinating thing to me. It allows blood to be oxygenated outside of the body, as opposed to using your lungs. In addition there were Pluripotent cells, hypo immune cells, gene editing, 3D bioprinters, sphincter replacements and a fun chapter on harvesting body parts.
Roach has a dark wit that that was hard to resist. Liposuction reminded Mary Roach of a raspberry smoothie and made her hungry. In another procedure she compared a body part to tamales. Using self deprecating humor she described her ideal Spotify playlist for organ retrieval with “Spirits in the Sky” and “Only the Good Die Young” hitting her top spots.
I was thoroughly intrigued and excited by the science while captivated by the author herself. This sophisticated, state of the art science was described in layman’s terms. An enjoyable read and one I highly recommend. 5 stars.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this fantastic book. These opinions are my own.
July 7, 2025
4 1/2 stars
There is something delightful about settling in to a Mary Roach primer - you feel a bit stupid about everything you don't know but her nonjudgmental writing will have you feeling like an expert by the end and ready to share tidbits with anyone who will listen. Her natural curiosity, easy going writing style (similar to Bill Bryson) and lighthearted banter is infectious. The human body and science can get a bit heavy but with injections of laughter at some of the more absurd concepts and history make the medicine go down easier. Everything you ever wanted to know (or didn't have a clue it even existed) about the human body and failing parts that need replacement can be found here. From the history of dentures, prosthetic noses to the fascinating advancement in cell regeneration and search for new materials - it is one interesting ride. This is the perfect book to put into the hands of readers who typically do not enjoy non-fiction. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
There is something delightful about settling in to a Mary Roach primer - you feel a bit stupid about everything you don't know but her nonjudgmental writing will have you feeling like an expert by the end and ready to share tidbits with anyone who will listen. Her natural curiosity, easy going writing style (similar to Bill Bryson) and lighthearted banter is infectious. The human body and science can get a bit heavy but with injections of laughter at some of the more absurd concepts and history make the medicine go down easier. Everything you ever wanted to know (or didn't have a clue it even existed) about the human body and failing parts that need replacement can be found here. From the history of dentures, prosthetic noses to the fascinating advancement in cell regeneration and search for new materials - it is one interesting ride. This is the perfect book to put into the hands of readers who typically do not enjoy non-fiction. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
July 18, 2025
“Replaceable You” by Mary Roach is an accessible and entertaining series of snapshots of our attempts to replicate and enhance parts of the human anatomy. Each of the seventeen sections examines a different quandary. In each scenario Roach explains the history, the present, and the future potential of various enhancements designed to heal and improve the human body.
Every section is filled with Roach’s characteristic humor. It is a joy to meander along her thoughts. Her acute and honest observations are continually surprising and delightful. This book is filled with great information. However, the best part of reading “Replaceable You” is the opportunity to travel for a while inside the mind of Mary Roach. It’s a trip worth taking.
Footnote: Even the footnotes are informative and entertaining. Give them a chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and W. Norton & Company for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Every section is filled with Roach’s characteristic humor. It is a joy to meander along her thoughts. Her acute and honest observations are continually surprising and delightful. This book is filled with great information. However, the best part of reading “Replaceable You” is the opportunity to travel for a while inside the mind of Mary Roach. It’s a trip worth taking.
Footnote: Even the footnotes are informative and entertaining. Give them a chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and W. Norton & Company for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 21, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
I am a Mary Roach fangirl. And like all her fangirls and boys, I too am a science nerd. And also like all of us, 2003's "Stiff" will always be the favorite Roach book; and for me, 2013's "Gulp" and 2008's "Bonk" are runners-up.
So "Replaceable You," her first new science nerd book since 2021's "Grunt" (which I've not read), has a lot of lifting to do. Luckily, it succeeds on all familiar Mary Roach levels: Informative holy-shit-style science, cool science nerd trivia, and of course her snarky asides (I will forever love her for adding weird tidbits like realizing a source is the same man she'd lost her virginity to). My only complaint is that the book takes a while to get unputdownable- her trademark voice is a bit muted until the halfway point.
But overall, if you're a fellow science nerd and Mary Roach fan, this book will not disappoint.
I am a Mary Roach fangirl. And like all her fangirls and boys, I too am a science nerd. And also like all of us, 2003's "Stiff" will always be the favorite Roach book; and for me, 2013's "Gulp" and 2008's "Bonk" are runners-up.
So "Replaceable You," her first new science nerd book since 2021's "Grunt" (which I've not read), has a lot of lifting to do. Luckily, it succeeds on all familiar Mary Roach levels: Informative holy-shit-style science, cool science nerd trivia, and of course her snarky asides (I will forever love her for adding weird tidbits like realizing a source is the same man she'd lost her virginity to). My only complaint is that the book takes a while to get unputdownable- her trademark voice is a bit muted until the halfway point.
But overall, if you're a fellow science nerd and Mary Roach fan, this book will not disappoint.
May 31, 2025
Mary Roach does it again! Replaceable You is a fascinating, funny, and surprisingly moving dive into the wild world of medical innovation and the quest to rebuild the human body. From frog-skin grafts to 3D-printed organs, Roach explores the often bizarre, sometimes miraculous attempts to replace what nature made — with her trademark humour and relentless curiosity. Whether she's riding along with a team of cataract surgeons in Mongolia or poking around a stem-cell hair nursery, Roach brings humanity and levity to deeply complex science. This book is as much about what it means to be human as it is about the parts that keep us going. A must-read for fans of Stiff, Gulp, and anyone who's ever wondered just how replaceable we really are.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and W. W. Norton & Company for providing an eARC of Replaceable You prior to its publication.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and W. W. Norton & Company for providing an eARC of Replaceable You prior to its publication.
August 16, 2025
Thank you to #WWNorton and #NetGalley for the DRC of #ReplaceableYou. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
I love Mary Roach! I've read most of her books and she never disappoints. This time around she digs into the bio-medical industry, focusing on "replacement parts" for the human body - from skin grafts and animal organs to artificial limbs and plastic surgery. Roach grounds each chapter in history and brings the reader along to the current practice and technology. Even if you're not medical or science minded, it's really quite interesting.
Roach has done enough research for her other books to have decent medical/biological knowledge and she approached every subject with the openness to learn and understand. But what she really does well is write in a way that is factual, but easy to understand, while also being funny.
I love Mary Roach! I've read most of her books and she never disappoints. This time around she digs into the bio-medical industry, focusing on "replacement parts" for the human body - from skin grafts and animal organs to artificial limbs and plastic surgery. Roach grounds each chapter in history and brings the reader along to the current practice and technology. Even if you're not medical or science minded, it's really quite interesting.
Roach has done enough research for her other books to have decent medical/biological knowledge and she approached every subject with the openness to learn and understand. But what she really does well is write in a way that is factual, but easy to understand, while also being funny.
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