Editors Reads Verdict
Roach applies her method to the digestive system with the same thoroughness and the same deadpan wit — the subject is inherently more constrained than Stiff but she extracts everything that is there and a few things you would not have thought to look for.
What We Loved
- The research on specific topics — the gut microbiome, gastric fistula cases, intestinal gas — is genuinely current and accurate
- The chapter on prison smuggling (the rectum as storage) is one of the funniest things Roach has written
- The saliva chapter is a surprise: saliva is extraordinarily interesting and almost completely ignored
Minor Drawbacks
- The subject is inherently more constrained than Stiff — there are fewer dramatic set-pieces available
- Some readers find the scatological humour less appealing than the death-related comedy of Stiff
Key Takeaways
- → The gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in the human intestine — have more influence on health and behaviour than was understood even a decade ago
- → Saliva is the most underappreciated substance in the body — it contains enzymes, antibacterials, and lubricants without which eating would be impossible
- → The human digestive tract is a remarkably efficient system that has been optimised by millions of years of evolution and is poorly understood by the people whose it is
| Author | Mary Roach |
|---|---|
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Pages | 348 |
| Published | April 1, 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Popular Science, Non-Fiction, Humor |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Best For | Roach fans who want her applied to biology, and curious readers who want to understand the science of eating without a dry textbook. |
From One End to the Other
Roach begins at the mouth and proceeds, with the thoroughness of a colonoscopy and approximately as much dignity, to the other end. Each organ and each process gets a chapter: saliva, swallowing, the stomach, gastric acid, small intestinal bacteria, large intestinal bacteria, fermentation, gas, the rectum.
The research she draws on ranges from Victorian gastric fistula studies (patients whose stomach wounds had healed open, allowing direct observation of gastric processes) to contemporary microbiome research. She visits the lab of a researcher who studies the chemistry of intestinal gas. She interviews a prison doctor about the specific logistics of contraband concealment.
The Things You Did Not Know About Your Body
Gulp is useful as well as funny. The chapter on chewing is a genuine revelation: how thoroughly you chew your food affects not just digestion but the satiety signal — people who chew less eat more, and the mechanism is not psychological but biochemical. The chapter on the gut microbiome was ahead of popular awareness when published in 2013 and is more relevant now.
The chapter about Elvis Presley’s colon — revealed in the forensic investigation after his death — is Roach at her most characteristic: a piece of information so specific, so unexpected, and so impossible to unlearn.
Our rating: 4.2/5 — Roach applied to digestion: less dramatic than Stiff, equally thorough, and as funny as the subject permits.
Reading Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Gulp" about?
The science of the human digestive tract from mouth to the other end — saliva, stomach acid, intestinal bacteria, fermentation, gas, and the specific history of what researchers have learned by investigating each component of the alimentary canal.
Who should read "Gulp"?
Roach fans who want her applied to biology, and curious readers who want to understand the science of eating without a dry textbook.
What are the key takeaways from "Gulp"?
The gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in the human intestine — have more influence on health and behaviour than was understood even a decade ago Saliva is the most underappreciated substance in the body — it contains enzymes, antibacterials, and lubricants without which eating would be impossible The human digestive tract is a remarkably efficient system that has been optimised by millions of years of evolution and is poorly understood by the people whose it is
Is "Gulp" worth reading?
Roach applies her method to the digestive system with the same thoroughness and the same deadpan wit — the subject is inherently more constrained than Stiff but she extracts everything that is there and a few things you would not have thought to look for.
Ready to Read Gulp?
Check the current price on Amazon.
Check Price on Amazon (paid link)Prices and availability are subject to change. See Amazon for current price.
Review last updated: