While it's common knowledge that governments of the world spend the most on military, it's hard to imagine where all of those billions are going to specifically. Thankfully, Mary Roach is here to let us see the glimpse of the amazing research and training facilities whose sole goal is too keep soldiers alive and well. As always, the facts are presented in Mary's unique, humorous voice that is pure joy to follow.

The country's greatest popular science writer, Mary Roach, tackles the curious science of humans of war. Topics include: genital transplants, shark repellent, and diarrhea. Witty and informative as usual. If you're interested in exploring keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected in the extreme circumstances of war, and can handle some gruesome details, this is your book!

Disjointed. Scattered stories about the military science/research/tech without a lot of depth and too much gross out humour.

It's humorous, but should it be? I guess it shows progress in thinking of soldiers not as expendable fighters. OK - there is still some of that - but this is mostly about research being done to improve the life and comfort of the soldier. But it certainly is interesting and very well written. I love Mary Roach.

Okay this may not have been as world-shakingly incredible as Stiff, but I think I actually may have enjoyed it as much if not more than Bonk! Loved it. And I was very apprehensive about reading this as I really didn't want to read about making a better bullet... but as it turns out, Mary Roach was not interested in writing one either and so this book basically never focused on weapons themselves. Almost all of it was concerned about safety and medicine. So... don't be scared away by the fact that it's "about" war.