They lost their heads! : what happened to Washington's teeth, Einstein's brain, and other famous body parts / Carlyn Beccia.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 172-178) and index.

Age 10-14.

"From the kidnapping of Einstein's brain to the horrifying end of Louis XIV's heart, the mysteries surrounding some of history's most famous body parts range from medical to macabre. Carlyn Beccia explores the misadventures of noteworthy body parts through history and uses them as springboards for exploring topics such as forensics, DNA testing, brain science, organ donation, and cloning. The engaging, conversational tone of the text, the wonderfully creepy subject matter, and the delightfully detailed art are sure to capture even the most reluctant readers. The famous people and their body parts include: Galileo Galilei / Fingers Louis XIV / Heart George Washington / Teeth Franz Hayden / Head Beethoven / Hair Abraham Lincoln / Body Cheng and Eng Bunker / Liver Phineas Gage / Skull John Wilkes Booth / Neck vertebrae Vincent Van Gogh / Ear Sarah Bernhardt / Leg Mata Hari / Head Albert Einstein / Brain Elvis Presley / Wart Thomas Edison / Last Breath"-- Provided by publisher.

The beginning or the end? -- Dead bodies 101 -- Inês de Castro: till death do us part -- Loved to death -- Galileo Galilei: hanging by his fingernails -- Invasion of the body snatchers -- King Louis XIV: eat your heart out -- Bon appétit! Bites and bits -- George Washington: straight from the horse's mouth -- Buried ... but not quite dead -- Franz Joseph Haydn: a piece of his mind -- Phrenology -- a bumpy history -- Ludwig van Beethoven: splitting hairs -- Some hairy history -- Abraham Lincoln: from the cradle to the grave -- Pickling picks -- Chang and Eng Bunker: stuck on you -- It's fun to share -- Phineas Gage : a hole in one -- Bury the hatchet and then some -- John Wilkes Booth : saving his neck -- Another spiny tale -- Sarah Bernhardt : break a leg -- You're pulling my leg -- Vincent van Gogh : lend me your ear -- Artsy extras -- Mercy Brown : a heartless vampire -- The dead vs. the undead (a field guide) -- Mata Hari : I spy a head -- Lost and never found -- Albert Einstein : picking his brain -- Bits on brains -- Elvis Presley : warts and all -- Cloning body parts -- Recycling bits : first steps -- A happily ever afterlife -- The most wanted -- Corpse medicine -- Deathly decor -- Dead-end jobs -- Unloved bits -- Thomas Alva Edison : last gasps.