---
product_id: 199734
title: "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal Hardcover – Illustrated, April 1, 2013"
brand: "mary roach"
price: "A$57"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 19
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/199734-gulp-adventures-on-the-alimentary-canal-hardcover-illustrated-april-1
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal Hardcover – Illustrated, April 1, 2013

**Brand:** mary roach
**Price:** A$57
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal Hardcover – Illustrated, April 1, 2013 by mary roach
- **How much does it cost?** A$57 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/199734-gulp-adventures-on-the-alimentary-canal-hardcover-illustrated-april-1)

## Best For

- mary roach enthusiasts

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- Trusted mary roach brand quality
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## Description

Full description not available

## Images

![Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal Hardcover – Illustrated, April 1, 2013 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61MzuM9lJCL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    If you've never read a book by Mary Roach, you should, and here's why.
  

*by S***N on Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2013*

Mary Roach is one of my favorite science writers and I always buy her books and read them when they first come out.This book - Gulp - is all about the alimentary canal; that part of the body that begins at the point where food is consumed and ends where solid waste is expelled. Starting with taste and the mouth, she follows our digestive system all the way down. As with her other books, this one is replete with interesting and often bizarre facts and tales of eccentrics and misguided scientists and experiments gone awry. The author covers all sorts of "taboo" and sensitive subjects and both educates us and makes us laugh.At the start, we learn about the importance of our nose (our ability to smell) and what that has to do with taste. She also compares our tastebuds with those of cats and dogs -  showing how we often assume that they will like what we will. Well, it turns out that's really wrong.  We learn how different cultures throughout history have found different things palatable and that the foods consumed by the most privileged may not be the healthiest. She also goes on later on to compare the anatomy of man to those of various other animals and points out how we are the same and how we differ. We learn about the problems and benefits associated with our digestive system and the various theories and treatments over time for various intestinal ailments.In typical Mary Roach style, she candidly discusses such "taboo" topics as intestinal gas and our bowel habits. We read about the dangers of prisoners secreting contraband in their stomachs or their anal cavities and go from there to learning about the digestive systems of competitive eaters. We learn about the importance of saliva, all about acid reflux, and the various problems associated with indigestion among many, many other topics. We even learn why Elvis died, and yes it was on the toilet.  We even hear a theory why people believed in dragons; and yes it has to do reptiles with gas and combustion. We find out why we don't digest our own stomachs (well, while we're alive) and whether or not animals other than parasites can survive being swallowed and even forcibly make their way out.It's difficult to give a fair summary to this book because it covers so much. This may be favorite book of hers since Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and like that book this book will literally have you laughing out loud. For example, in trying to avoid the embarrassment of releasing intestinal gas, she writes:"Or perhaps to take the advice of a gastroenterologist I know: get a dog. (To blame.)"As a person who has GERD (acid reflux) and has spent time in the hospital for an episode of intestinal blockage (worst pain, ever), I was especially interested in this topic. But I think it's really something that would interest everyone. You will learn a lot and you will laugh a lot and you will end up wanting to make friends with this author because she is so amusing and so personable.Highly recommended. You just have to read the first few pages to see if this is something you would enjoy. I read this in one sitting; it was not only  entertaining but I'm smarter for having read it.

### ⭐ 







  
  
    Disappointing and juvenile
  

*by J***E on Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019*

Many years ago, I read Stiff and thought it was a good book, being that the subject matter was of interest to me. I primarily read non-fiction books, usually either science (mainly astronomy and biology) or history. I've spent most of my life studying criminology and forensics, with a focus on serial killers and criminal psychology, so no topic is off-limits or 'too gross' for me. Being that I'd already read Stiff and knew that Mary Roach remained a popular science writer, I thought Gulp would be a great read. I was wrong.Perhaps it's because the book I read immediately preceding this one was excellent (Bill Bryson - The Body), I thought Gulp was ridiculous by comparison. Or maybe Gulp is just a really, really weak book. Roach spends more time attempting to be clever than on writing anything truly informative. She also makes sure to describe the appearance of every person she interviews, and these pointless asides grew tiresome quickly. I'm not interested in the personal mannerisms of sensory analysts or wildlife biologists -- I'm interested in the data. Sadly, the book fails in this regard as well. Much of the information in the book doesn't pertain to the human body at all. There are entire chapters dedicated to mealworms, pet food, and whales (regarding whether one could actually survive being swallowed by one). And these chapters aren't short, mind you -- most are around 20 pages each.Perhaps most annoyingly, the second half of the book is dedicated solely to the elimination of solid waste, and not in a scientific, professional, facts-based way (which -might- have been interesting). No. It's written in an immature, giggly style which, by this point in what had already become a boring and irritating book, grew nearly intolerable. The final 80 pages (or so) consist of three short chapters on flatulence (basically, 20 tedious pages about farts), two chapters on items being inserted rectally (mainly drugs and food, but also other things) which totals around 40 pages, and nearly 20 pages more about constipation, all of it written in the same childish tone.If this sounds like an awesome read for you, go for it -- you won't be disappointed. I, on the other hand, will be donating my copy, and sorely regret wasting my time (and my twelve bucks).

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Yum?
  

*by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017*

When I worked at Frontier Communications (like working at Intel), I would eat lunch, then read for 30 or so minutes.This is a book that doesn’t really work as a post-prandial tome. Even though I can watch the DiscoveryLife channel while eating, Gulp brought me to the edge.It’s not that the book is badly written, but the author discusses subjects that aren’t usually the subject of medical tomes (spit) to a scientific discussion of feces. As I said, this was not the best choice of book to read after lunch.Despite having said that, this was a fantastic book, taking the reader on a trip through the alimentary canal from mouth to food’s final disposition.Highly recommended for those who are interested to what happens to that steak once you swallow it. I would suggest that you not read this before or after you eat. You’ll thank me later.4.8 out of 5

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-14*