Mini Reviews: Cannibalism || Grunt

Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 332

Publication Date: February 2017

For centuries scientists have written off cannibalism as a bizarre phenomenon with little biological significance. Its presence in nature was dismissed as a desperate response to starvation or other life-threatening circumstances, and few spent time studying it. A taboo subject in our culture, the behavior was portrayed mostly through horror movies or tabloids sensationalizing the crimes of real-life flesh-eaters. But the true nature of cannibalism—the role it plays in evolution as well as human history—is even more intriguing (and more normal) than the misconceptions we've come to accept as fact. 

Likes: This book gave me nightmares about dying from mad cow disease. Nightmares probably don’t sound like a good thing, but if I’m thinking about a book in my sleep, it must be doing something right. Mad cow disease is especially terrifying because the British government tried to suppress info about it to protect the beef industry. Yeah, we’re all screwed.

Anyway, I appreciate that the author looks at cannibalism from a scientific point-of-view instead of a sensationalist point-of-view. He avoids most of the serial killer talk and focuses on nature. Which animals are cannibals and why? If it’s common for animals to eat their friends, why is it rare for modern humans to do the same? Where did the taboo against cannibalism come from? (Hint: Christianity and authors with over-active imaginations.)

I enjoyed most of the chapters in this book. The writing style is funnier than I expected. My favorite chapters are the ones about Christopher Columbus. I knew about the damage he did to the places he “explored,” but I didn’t know his connection to cannibalism. Queen Isabella decided that only New World cannibals could be enslaved. Selling slaves was big business, so Columbus and his followers slapped the cannibal label on pretty much everybody. I love that the author examines the history of cannibalism and how our (often irrational) fears of it have shaped the modern world. It’s a unique approach to the subject.

“[T]he idea of cannibalism had become a handy symbol for unacceptable behavior practiced by “Others”—a broad and malleable category of evildoers that included enemies, followers of non-Christian religions, and any groups determined to retain their “uncivilized” customs.” – Cannibalism

Dislikes: Since there are frogs on the cover, I expected to learn more about animal cannibalism. The first few chapters are about animals, but then the focus shifts to humans and mostly stays on humans. I wanted more animals.

The author is clearly a scientist. I am definitely not a scientist. For me, the writing is too dry and sciencey (totally a real word) at times. The author goes into too much detail about a few subjects—such as kuru, a disease that humans get from eating their families. The science behind Kuru takes up so many pages that I got bored with it.

The Bottom Line: One of the most educational books I’ve read this year. If you’re interested in learning about cannibalism, I recommend it. (Just prepare yourself for mad cow nightmares.)

Grunt: The Curious Science Of Humans At War by Mary Roach

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 285

Publication Date: June 2016

Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper. She visits a repurposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for the shock and gore of combat wounds.

At Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, in east Africa, we learn how diarrhea can be a threat to national security. Roach samples caffeinated meat, sniffs an archival sample of a World War II stink bomb, and stays up all night with the crew tending the missiles on the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee. She answers questions not found in any other book on the military: Why is DARPA interested in ducks? How is a wedding gown like a bomb suit? Why are shrimp more dangerous to sailors than sharks?

Likes: If I made a list of all the things that interest me, military science would not be on it. Honestly, military science sounds like the most boring subject ever. So, what drew me to this book? I was interested in its author, Mary Roach. People have been recommending her books to me for years. I was told that she could take a boring subject and make it fascinating. When I found Grunt at a scratch-and-dent book sale, I decided to give it a shot. Let’s learn about the fascinating world of military science.

All you book recommenders were correct again. (I need to stop doubting you.) Mary Roach has an engaging, humorous writing style that can draw the reader into a dull subject. She makes military science interesting. The chapters are fairly short, so the reader never feels inundated with tedious details. Instead of focusing on weapons and killing people, she focuses on how the military keeps people alive. The chapters cover everything from clothing design and stink bombs to diarrhea research and the training of new medics. The military spends our tax dollars on some wonderfully weird stuff. I approve.

I like how hands-on the author was with her research. She actually involved herself in the science and became a test subject. That’s courageous, considering all the dangerous and disgusting stuff the military seems to be into.

“Sometimes courage is nothing more than a willingness to think differently than those around you. In a culture of conformity, that’s braver than it sounds.” - Grunt

Dislikes: Since the book covers so many subjects, some parts are more fascinating than others. I had a hard time getting interested in the book because the first chapters are about fashion design and armored trucks. Those subjects didn’t hold my attention. By the time we got to prosthetic limbs and penis transplants, I was hooked. (Don’t judge me for being curious about penis transplants. They’re interesting, okay? Don’t pretend you’re not curious, too.)

I think the book could have used an editor to smooth out the clunky sentences. I found myself rereading a few times. The clunkiness isn’t always the author’s fault. In the military, everything seems to be an acronym. How does anyone remember what they’re talking about? Why can’t they just give things shorter names?

The Bottom Line: It exceeded my expectations. The various subjects interested me enough that I stayed awake until 2 in the morning to finish it.