IRB Post MP 4

     Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife is a humorous scientific book written by Mary Roach about the possibility of life after death. In this book, Roach takes a scientific approach when she investigates what a "soul" is and what happens to it after one dies. There is also research on reincarnation, mediums, and out-of-body experiences. Roach, aside from reviewing books in the New York Times and working with the Mars Institute, writes many best-selling non-fiction books that cover a range of scientific topics, including Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places, and, more recently, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal. All of Roach's books, although written about seemingly-serious topics, are very lighthearted and funny.
     I chose this book because I am very interested in the supernatural and I'm interested to see a scientist's view of paranormal phenomenons, since many scientists probably do not believe in those kinds of things. By reading this book, I hope to learn about how Roach uses both humor and logical analysis to achieve her purpose throughout her discussions.