Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab

Science News, July 28, 2007

BODY OF WORK: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab Christine Montross

The author, a physician, finds her inspiration for this book in the dissection of a human cadaver, a rite of passage for all first-year medical students. For Montross, the act of cutting into once-living human flesh was fraught with mixed emotions. Her desire to become technically adept was at times contrary to her desire to respect the humanity of the cadaver. Montross chronicles her day-today experiences in the anatomy lab as she marvels at the human form, section by section. In researching the history of dissection, she travels to Padua, Italy, where the procedure was first carried out in anatomical theaters, She recognizes that the discomfort that she feels when examining a dead body or responding to the personal concerns of living patients is natural and that she must face such reactions head-on. Montross presents a poetic take on a gruesome, but necessary, procedure. Penguin Press, 2007, 295 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.95.