Cannibal Book Author Eats Her Own Words

Santa Monica Press

Author Carole Travis-Henikoff was skeptical about writing a book about cannibalism, but now eats those words.

"Dinner with a Cannibal: The Complete History of Mankind's Oldest Taboo" (Santa Monica Press), chronicles the history of cannibalism, and researching the juicy, stomach- churning story was a delicious task for author Carole Travis- Henikoff.

"At first it was disgusting, but I've never had as much fun! I got to have doctors over to lunch -- not for lunch -- and pick their brains!" she said.

The book outlines nine types of cannibalism, including survival cannibalism, iatric cannibalism -- prescribed by a doctor -- and endo-cannibalism, or eating your own dead.

Travis-Henikoff calls cannibalism "the oldest eating habit on the planet," and though it'll always be taboo, she isn't against putting a person on her plate.

"If I was starving and it was the only way to survive, I'd do it in a heartbeat," she admitted.