Gross Anatomy: Dispatches from the Front (and Back) Audiobook

An honest, funny, neurotic, and totally gross love child of Mindy Kaling and Mary Roach. Mara Altman's volatile and apprehensive relationship with her body has led her to wonder about a lot of stuff over the years. Like, who decided that women shouldn't have body hair? And how sweaty is too sweaty? Also, why is breast cleavage sexy but camel toe revolting? Isn't it all just cleavage? These questions and others like them have led to the comforting and sometimes smelly revelations that constitute Gross Anatomy, an essay collection about what it's like to operate the bags of meat we call our bodies. Divided into two sections, "The Top Half" and "The Bottom Half," with cartoons scattered throughout, Altman's book takes the reader on a wild and relatable journey from head to toe--as she attempts to strike up a peace accord with our grody bits. With a combination of personal anecdotes and fascinating research, Gross Anatomy holds up a magnifying glass to our beliefs, practices, biases, and body parts and shows us the naked truth: that there is greatness in our grossness.

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“With fearlessness and charm, Mara Altman narrates her personal journey of biological exploration…Altman’s voice is slightly nasal and is pitched high, lending a youthful exuberance to her storytelling. Like a best friend, she is honest and thorough as she details what she’s learned about public and private parts, literally warts and all…Altman’s pointed reckoning with this reality offers humor, insight, and greater acceptance. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

— AudioFile