Grave Anatomy

Did you know the human body contains silicon, a common component in computer devices? The silicon in the human body could be used to operate the device you are using right now. Unless you favor old-school communication, in which case you may prefer a pencil. There's enough carbon in the human body to make 16,000 pencils. In the event you run out of paper, you could scribble on your arms, legs, and back. After all, the human body is covered with about two square yards of skin...plenty of writing surface to spare. The human body is a wonderful resource...mustn't let it go to waste. That's the point behind Grave Anatomy: 101 Uses for a Dead Human Body, a lighthearted, whimsical, well-researched look into what makes up the human body...and what can be made out of it. Examining the historical, scientific, and speculative benefits of a stiff, this book discusses: how 19th century British colonists in Egypt supposedly used mummies to power locomotives, because wood and coal were scarce; how some of the key ingredients to a 4th of July picnic (charcoal bricks, matches, fireworks) are all found in the human body; and how a long-distance runner could stay hydrated for over 40 hours with the 10 gallons of water found in the average person.