Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

Mary Roach was born in 1959 in Hanover, New Hampshire, and attended Hanover High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wesleyan University in 1981. After college, Roach moved to San Francisco, California. She worked as a freelance copy editor for a few years and was later hired by the public affairs office of the San Francisco Zoological Society to write press releases. For this job, she initially worked in a trailer next to the gorilla exhibit. Roach has written for publications such as Vogue, GQ, The New York Times Magazine, Discover Magazine, National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and Wired.

Roach’s approach to researching Gulp exemplifies her hands-on methodology and willingness to investigate uncomfortable subjects that others avoid. Her lack of formal scientific training inspired her to ask fundamental questions that experts might overlook and to translate complex concepts into accessible language. The book demonstrates her characteristic technique of embedding herself within research environments, from pet food laboratories to medical facilities performing fecal transplants.

Roach has published seven New York Times bestsellers: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003), Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife (2005), Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex (2008), Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (2010), Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal (2013), Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War (2016), and Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law (2021). Her books have been published in 21 languages, and her second book, Spook, was a New York Times Notable Book.

Gulp fits within Roach’s broader pattern of investigating subjects that combine scientific rigor with cultural taboos. Like her other works, it focuses on aspects of human existence that are simultaneously universal and uncomfortable to discuss. The book follows Bonk in examining bodily functions that are essential yet socially awkward, while preceding Grunt in its investigation of practical applications of scientific knowledge.

Professional honors reflect Roach’s contributions to science communication. She received the Harvard Secular Society’s Rushdie Award in 2012 as well as a Special Citation in scientific inquiry from Maximum Fun, a podcast and radio show. She was a guest editor of the Best American Science and Nature Writing series and an Osher Fellow with the San Francisco Exploratorium.

In Gulp, she transforms potentially off-putting scientific content into engaging narrative. The book addresses practical health questions while highlighting the sophisticated biological processes that most people never consider. Through detailed investigation of digestive research, Roach reveals how cultural squeamishness may hinder important medical advances, particularly in areas like fecal microbiota transplantation where effective treatments face regulatory and social obstacles.

Her approach involves extensive primary research, interviewing scientists and medical professionals while participating directly in experiments and observations. This methodology produces books that function simultaneously as entertainment, education, and advocacy for scientific curiosity.