Product Description
Ongoing advances in arson detection tools and techniques increase the importance of scientific evidence in related court proceedings. In order to assemble an airtight case, investigators and forensic scientists need a resource that assists them in properly conducting the chemical analysis and interpretation of physical evidence found at scenes of suspected arson. Analysis and Interpretation of Fire Scene Evidence introduces the techniques that determine the presence of ignitable liquid residues (ILRs) at fire scenes. It bridges the disciplines of investigation and forensic chemistry, enabling effective communication during critical periods of evidence detection, collection, packaging, and transport.The initial chapters are written from an investigator's perspective, allowing forensic specialists to understand fire dynamics, ignition, heat transfer, and investigations. Later chapters include a comparison of the use of canines versus new detection techniques, and an examination of laboratory facilities, equipment, and procedures that are essential to organizing a new lab or upgrading an existing one. By detailing the methods used to identify potential evidence at the scene of suspected arson fires, this volume also benefits attorneys and judges in preparing for prosecution and defense of arson cases. ... Read more

Product Description
Explore the exciting world of forensic science firsthand with this interactive, experiential approach that balances scientific concepts and hands-on lab activities with readings and access to the exclusive Gale Forensic Science eCollection database. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

sophmoric, not high school level.
both of my sons had this book for high school forensics. I was not impressed.
should be used for the junior high school level. no fault of the authors, just the school administrators who specified the text.

Great textbook for high school.
This textbook is well-written and extremely informative. I have used many other books but found this book to be much more readable. The illustrations and activities are phenomenal. The authors are very knowledgeable educators. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Just because you don't have all the tools and training of a full-time medical examiner, doesn't mean you can't learn your way around a crime scene.

In Forensics, award-winning author and TV show consultant D.P. Lyle, M.D., takes each area of forensics--from fingerprint analysis to crime scene reconstruction--and discusses its development, how the science works, how it helps in crime solving, and how you as a writer might use this technique in crafting your plot. This comprehensive reference guide includes:

• Real-life case files and the role forensic evidence played in solving the crimes
• A breakdown of the forensics system from its history and organization to standard evidence classification and collection methods
• Detailed information on what a dead body can reveal--including the cause, mechanism, and manner of death
• The actual steps taken to preserve a crime scene and the evidence that can be gathered there, such as bloodstains, documents, fingerprints, tire impressions, and more

Customer Reviews (9)

Very informative and easy to understand
"Howdunit: Forensics" is a basic course in forensics. Though the subtitle says it's a guide for writers, there's a lot more information in it than an author could use in a novel without bogging the action down (though I do highly recommend they read this!). It's actually a book for anyone interested in learning the basics of forensics. It doesn't say things like, "In your novel, you could do this..." but simply gives real life examples of how everything works or how real criminals act.

The book was well-written and interesting. I never had a problem following what the author was explaining even though it did get technical at times. A wide range of topics were covered with enough depth that most people would learn all they cared to know. Brief, real case files or made-up examples were used to demonstrate how a certain technique is used to reconstruct the crime scene or help identify a criminal. The book covered murders, but also theft, arson, and forgery. It talked about determining if a death was from natural causes, accident, suicide, or homicide. The author also gave a little history about how various techniques were developed and improved over the decades.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about forensics.


Topics covered: Medical examiners versus coroners; gathering evidence; the steps involved in an autopsy and what can be discovered; how to discover the identity of a dead body; determining the time of death; determining how the victim died; identifying what caused the wounds; what to look for in suffocation cases (including hanging and strangling); using blood and bodily fluids to help identify the criminal; using DNA to identify the criminal; how to identify when toxic substances (including drug overdose and poisons) caused death; fingerprints; using bloodstains to reconstruct the sequence of a crime; finding, preserving, and using impressions (of shoes, tires, tools, and fabric); finding and using trace evidence (hairs, fur, etc.); identifying the gun type and specific gun used in a crime from bullets, etc.; arson investigation; handwriting and forgery examination; and profiling. The appendix contained more information about the various tools used in forensics.

Great Ancillary book
I have been looking for books about Forensic Science, and this book brings the material down to a level that can be understood by all.

Speedy delivery.I'd use the seller again.
The product arrived earlier than expected, much to my pleasant surprise.The book is very attractive and helpful. It's the next best thing to interviewing the ME's office.

Excellent book; very informative.
I'm primarily a sci-fi writer, but I love incorporating elements of other genres into my stories to make them more believable and entertaining.If you are writing about any type of murder investigation or crime scene, you would benefit from this book.It's very concise and straightforward as a reference, but it's also interesting just to sit down and read.I highly recommend it.

Getting the Details Right
Have you ever read a book, and you know a certain detail is wrong? It can bring the entire story to a quick stop. You may even feel the author has violated that covenant between writer and reader.

DP Lyle has provided a wonderful assest to writers. His book helps a writer get it right. Those pesky forensics details that can bring a story up short are presented herein. No longer do writers have to worry about the process of preparing DNA or what blood splatter should look like from a certain distance.

Even moreso, the book is fascinating to read. It provides just enough of the science for anyone to understand without going so deep a lay person gets lost. This book should be on the bookshelf of every mystery/thriller writer. And if you have a child who has an interest in science, this book can only increase their interest in science. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book about the relationship between the development of forensic science in the nineteenth century and the new literary genre of detective fiction in Britain and America--from Poe, Dickens and Hawthorne through Twain and Conan Doyle to Hammett, Chandler and Christie. Ronald R. Thomas is especially concerned with the authority the literary detective manages to secure through the "devices"--fingerprinting, photography, lie detectors--and the way in which those devices relate to broader questions of cultural authority at decisive moments in the history of the genre. ... Read more

Product Description

Every three years, worldwide forensics experts gather at the Interpol Forensic Science Symposium to exchange ideas and discuss scientific advances in the field of forensic science and criminal justice. Drawn from contributions made at the latest gathering in Lyon, France, Interpol’s Forensic Science Review is a one-source reference providing a comprehensive literature review of each of the subject areas.

Divided into five sections spanning the spectrum of forensic analysis, the book begins with chemical criminalistics, starting with a chapter on the forensic examination of fibres. Next, it examines firearms and ballistics, toolmarks, footwear impressions, and other contact marks such as tire treads. A chapter on forensic geology includes related sciences such as palynology. The first section concludes with a review of articles concerning paint and glass and methods for analysis of these substances.

The second section focuses on drugs and toxicology. It examines improvements in the detection and analysis of abused substances, highlighting tests that are faster, more discriminatory, more sensitive, and less costly, providing hundreds of references to various studies conducted worldwide.

Shifting to an exploration of electronic evidence, the next section begins with forensic audio and visual evidence and then moves to digital evidence found on computers and telecommunication and electronic multimedia devices, an area that has exploded in technological progress since the last symposium.

The fourth section of the book begins with a discussion of hazardous materials, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear substances. It discusses new developments in environmental forensic science, with an increased emphasis on the field work necessary in investigation as well as advice on suggested equipment and online educational resources. The section concludes with a discussion of the analysis and detection of explosives and explosive residues, as well as scientific methods applied to fire cause and fire debris analysis.

Finally, the book focuses on individual identification. It examines biological evidence screening and advances in DNA profiling during the past three years and explores questioned documents with a discussion of ink analysis and handwriting. The book concludes with a survey of the literature concerning fingerprints, bitemarks, and other impressions.

The international scope of contributions to this volume makes it the most comprehensive source of information in the field today. Supplemented by hundreds of references to periodicals, textbooks, internet sources, and the proceedings of various working groups, the book identifies trends and their potential effects on forensic science and creates bridges with the international forensic science community supporting Interpol’s mission.

Product Description

Thanks to the O. J. Simpson case, not to mention the overwhelming success of the CSI franchise, the general public is both aware of and curious about the world of forensics, i.e., the investigation and establisment of facts or evidence in a court of law. The forensic sciences incorporate the application of principles and methods from a cadre of specialized scientific and technical disciplines, to a vast array of criminal and civil legal questions. To this end, Cynthia Holt has compiled a comprehensive bibliography of resources recommended to support research in the forensic sciences and its various subspecialties. Holt's introductory chapter clarifies the distinctions between the major forensic sciences specialties; in addition, it provides an overview of the hierarchy of various classification systems for the forensics literature. The bibliography itself is grouped by type of material (e.g., journals, abstracts and indexes, books). Topics include ballistics, DNA analysis, etymology, expert witnessing, and facial imaging/reconstruction, as well as contributions from academic fields such as anthropology, linguistics and engineering. Tools are primarily in English, with a few non-English titles included for reasons of significance. With a preface by Professor Moses S. Schanfield, Chair of the Department of Forensic Sciences at George Washington University.

Product Description

This new edition of the classic by America's leading forensic scientists gives you an insider's understanding of physical evidence at the crime scene.

Written in an easy-to-understand format, this outstanding guide, by the nation's foremost forensic scientists, introduces you to the basics of crime scene evaluation.They teach you excellent ways to make your investigation solid and successful. This extensive resource is packed with valuable information about the details of collecting, storing, and analyzing all types of physical evidence. You'll learn how to connect the victim(s) and suspect(s) to the crime scene, and to the physical evidence left behind. They also instruct you on how to use this information to provide convincing testimony based on scientific facts.

The book is divided into three parts plus appendices for easy access to the information you need. Part I offers an overview of forensic science and discusses the future path of forensic science and its applications in the courtroom and society. Part II gives you an exhaustive list of physical evidence typically left behind at crime scenes and explains the correct methods for processing this evidence. Part III discusses current issues in search and seizure, and how to effectively utilize it in court.The appendices discuss common blood screening test reagents and how to use the druggist's fold for sealing evidence in paper.

This in-depth reference provides you with a wealth of details regarding many different topics including light, smoke, bullet identification, transient and pattern evidence, postmortem lividity marks and other special imprints and indentations, odors, wet versus dry blood samples, crime scene reconstruction techniques, and recognition and coordination of all elements of the crime scene during and after investigation.

This new edition of a classic is a must have for all crime scene investigators, law enforcement agencies, trial lawyers, and others involved in the investigative process.

Topics include:

• Introduction to forensic science
• Arson
• Bite marks
• Blood and body fluids
• Bombs and explosives
• Computers and electronic data as evidence
• Chemical substances
• Crime scene reconstruction
• DNA analyses
• Documents
• Drugs and controlled substances
• Firearms
• Fibers
• Fingerprints
• Glass
• Gunshot residue
• Hair
• Imprint and impression evidence
• Fingerprints
• Paints
• Pattern evidence
• Plastics
• Sexual assault and sex crime evidence
• Soil
• Tape
• Toolmarks
• Video evidence
• Voice identification
• Legal aspects of forensic science
• Some screening test reagents
• The druggist's fold

Customer Reviews (2)

Very helpful for the beginner
This book covers a broad array of topics by physical evidence type, listed alphabetically.It is very easy to use and a good starting reference for determining how a particular type of evidence should be (or should have been) handled. A good reference for any attorney or investigator.

Quick Reference
This book is useful as a quick reference for attorneys and others with little to no forensic science backgrounds.It is not an in-depth text.It offers only the briefest of explanations and descriptions.Most information is presented in outline or listing forms only. ... Read more

Product Description

While we would like to believe that forensic science professionals are intrinsically ethical by nature, the reality is that these individuals have moral compasses as varied as those of any individual you may know. They confront ethical dilemmas every day, some with clear-cut protocols and others that frequently have no definitive answers. Ethics and the Practice of Forensic Science explores the range of ethical issues facing those who work in the field and highlights the complicated nature of ethical decision-making in this complex arena.

Ethics in the courtroom and the lab

Written by one of the leading researchers in forensic ethics, the book provides data-driven examples of the behaviors – both good and bad – that shape the forensic profession. It provides real examples of ethical behavior combined with research to demonstrate how ethics works (and sometimes does not) in this richly interesting scientific field. The book begins by exploring philosophical approaches related to ethical decision-making. It examines the ethics of the criminal justice culture, ethical issues in the courtroom, and ethics in science and research. Next, the book shifts to a discussion of unethical behavior, and provides actual case studies spotlighting ethical breaches, including the O.J. Simpson case and other reported examples.

Ethics codes in various organizations

The book concludes with a discussion of the code of ethics. Appendices discuss research data on ethics in forensic science and provide ethics codes from various forensic science organizations. Offering a lively source of debate for professionals and academics, this volume provides a window on a topic that is frequently fraught with uncertainty.

Customer Reviews (1)

ATS


I found this book to be a very interesting read on how Ethics is invovled with people in all walks of everyday life.It was well written with good examples of how ethics can be misunderstood in everyones life both personnel and professional.It clearly defines the true definition of the word Ethics in Forencis and all
other professions. A good read for all age groups. ... Read more

Product Description

"This is a monumental work."-- Science Books and Films (on the first edition)

"The writing is lively but succinct, complete without being morbid. The illustrations and photos complement the text and go a long way in explaining sophisticated techniques... Highly recommended for public libraries."-- Library Journal (on the first edition)

This revised and updated history of forensics is expanded to include eight recent high-profile cases. David Owen takes readers to the scenes of 50 infamous crimes and provides detailed accounts of the scientific procedures used to catch criminals.

The high-profile cases range from as early as 1775, when Paul Revere used dentures to identify a slain soldier, to as recent as the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Most cases will be familiar to readers, such as the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Kennedy investigation and Ted Bundy.

The book describes the established forensic methods -- dental records, ballistics, toxicology, hair sampling and blood typing -- and covers the latest technologies, including:

• Computerized fingerprinting and handwriting analysis
• Mass DNA testing and digital DNA analysis
• Familial searching and DNA screening
• Fiber and paint databases
• Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry
• Compound and electron microscopes.

Hidden Evidence presents the facts and steers clear of speculation. The book is comprehensive in scope, thoroughly researched and expertly compiled -- a timely update of a fascinating book that will attract a wide range of readers.

Customer Reviews (2)

Squint, you aging mutha
A compelling read.

But the youngsters doing the book's production (incl. layout) need to be chastised for placing, throughout the book, a modest, medium-light typeface against a screen (tinted background), and needlessly decreasing readability.It's what Mac users were accused of doing years ago: pretty trumping practical.

Good beginner reference point
This book is a good basic first introduction to criminal investigation techniques, illustrated with case files that made history as investigation techniques advance. It is written with great accuracy about the science involved, while keeping the focus on the 50 forensic advances involved in the cases chosen for illustration. Exceptional first starting place for those interested in learning more systematically about the sciences in forensic science solving cases.

There's a very nice terminology/definitions section. Ever wonder what the characters of CSI shows are talking about? This is the place to find out! Recognize the terms AFIS, CODIS, and NIBIN? CSI fans have heard these terms countless times; and readers of this book will understand these references as well as recognize the importance of the development of that system in criminology,as well as a famous case involved with it, if not solved with it! (A few of the crimes described in the 50 are still unsolved.) I have worded the sentences below with a clue about the meaning (AFIS, CODIS and NIBIN)

("The fingerprints were run through A.F.I.S.,...")
("I ran the DNA profile through C.O.D.I.S.")
("Ballistics used N.I.B.I.N. data to show....")
This book covers all of the above in its scope of the "50 true crimes and the how forensic science helped solve them." ... Read more

Product Description
Chemicalsare a part of daily life and can be found all around us. Many common chemicals when mixed improperly – whether intentionally or not – can pose serious consequences to those who come in contact with them. Written by an author who is an experiencedhazmat-qualifiedfirst responder,forensicspecialist, and educator, Explosives and Chemical Weapons Identification provides the means to quickly identify the type of explosive or chemical weapon at hand upon arriving at the scene.

A thorough and accessible reference, this book contains the identification capabilities for 468 different formulations for explosives and chemical weapons. It presents detailed descriptions for each of these formulations by breaking down their materials into five concise categories: common name, synonym, class, ingredients, and use. The materials are also indexed by common name, class, and ingredient.

A handy reference packed with critical information and over 350 illustrations and photographs to aid in visual identification, Explosives and Chemical Weapons Identification is an essential resource that every first responder and forensic professional must have within reach every time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice try - but lacks depth
The very best parts of the book are the glossary and the appendices. The rest is a bunch of information put together in the most sloppy way I have ever seen. In the unlikely event that an editor actually did go through the book before publishing - he or she ought to be fired.

The text is, as far as I can see, a lot of print-outs from a spreadsheet, collected in overall categories and given a spiral back. Then sold at $150 !!!

The information is given in a list-format, with a keyword and the appropriate factors of relevance for a given section
For example: On page 8, section "chemical compounds", dynamite is listed, as an explosive, not a chemical warfare agent, and as a secondary explosive.

So far, so good - but the very same information is repeated in the next 13 lines in the very same table (?!?).

There are numerous examples of such duplicate information, which all in all becomes very tiresome.

The format is a good idea, sections with overall topics, "compounds" "pyrotechnics" and so on, and then a keyword based 'look it up' list of basic information.

So in the end two stars: One for the format, and one for the appendices.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

From a chemistry newbie
This book was purchased for a college class in beginning chemistry and is far from the standard dry science text.

The author gives clear detail about chemistry with interwoven bits of forensic science to give body to the dryer chemistry information. I've found I can remember the chemistry better by remembering a comparison to soil samples or whatever else the author uses as an example. While one can learn chemistry by reading a dry text and practicing the problems given, the method this author uses is absorbed and understood with far more depth. Without going into gory detail, the author describes a crime scene and the case that sprouted from it. Then the author teaches chemistry by giving facts about chemistry. The information is easy to read and keeps the attention of the reader by comparing basic chemistry to applications of chemistry in forensic science.

The final word is the chemistry teacher did well by the students in choosing this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The O.J. Simpson trial. The Lindbergh kidnapping. The death of Marilyn Monroe. The assassination of the Romanovs. The Atlanta child murders. All heinous crimes. All investigated (sometimes again and again) with the latest techniques in forensic science.

Crime Science is the comprehensive guide to the highly visible field of forensic investigation. Without being overly technical or treating scientific techniquessuperficially, the guide introduces readers to the work of firearms experts, document examiners, fingerprint technicians, medical examiners, and forensic anthropologists. In aclear and understandable style, nationally respected authors Joe Nickell and John Fischer explain the science behind the criminal investigations that have captured the nation’s attention.

The authors provide step-by-step descriptions of classifying a fingerprint or performing an autopsy. They explain how fibers have been used to link victims to their killers, and they describe the science underlying DNA profiling and toxicological analysis. From weapons analysis to handwriting samples to shoe and tire impressions, Crime Science outlines the indispensable tools and techniques that investigators use to make sense of a crime scene and to convict a perpetrator. Each chapter closes with a study of a well-known case, revealing how the principles of forensic science work in practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Got it for a class
Needed and this place usually has the books that I need. Even better it comes quickly and most products are in great condition. Was a good read and will be a keeper for understanding crime scene analysis.

Case Studies of Famous Crimes
This book will provide an education to the general reader. Forensic science is "the study and practice of the application of science to the purposes of the law". Page 4 gives Newcomb's Rule, but provides no proof of verification. Eyewitness evidence is subjective and colored by attitudes and perceptions. If a witness is mistaken or lying, there is no way to tell. Physical evidence is objective, but may have subjective aspects. [The authors ignore the topic of planted evidence. They don't tell that expert witnesses support the side that pays them.] Forensic science dates from the early 19th century with modern chemistry and toxicology. Mistaken identification can occur from photographs as well as live persons (p.7). The paragraph on firearms examination omits the pioneering work done in Germany and first used by Earl Rogers in California (p.10). The paragraph on questioned document examination ignores work done in Europe centuries earlier (p.11). Page 14 tells that government forensic laboratories are usually unavailable to the defense. The book "Tainted Evidence" explains why this is a problem due to the lack of objectivity.

Chapter 2 explains the techniques of "Crime Scene Investigation". Fingerprints should be photographed before lifting (p.28). This prevents planting evidence, as in the Trial of Alfred de Marigny. The Case Study is the Jeffrey Macdonald case. I read that Cyril Wecht M.D., J.D. said some of his wounds could not be self-inflicted; the book "Fatal Justice" gives more details. This may not be the best example for a textbook case. Chapter 4 says placing firearms "in the hands of the peasant class" resulted in murders! Like with Robin Hood? The case study is the Sacco-Vanzetti trial (a controversial case - see page 103). Dr. Henry C. Lee's "Famous Crimes Revisited" says "the custody of all the bullets had never been traced". This case study proves Sacco & Vanzetti innocent IMO. One robber shot Berardelli, then chased Parmenter and shot him twice. The other robber shot Berardelli three times. But only one of the bullets submitted in evidence came from Sacco's gun! This suggests evidence planted to convict Sacco & Vanzetti. A third robber jumped into the getaway car that had two other men. This sounds like professionals who had a plan and left no witnesses. Were Sacco & Vanzetti posthumously rehabilitated by the State of Massachusetts? Chapter 7 covers questioned document examination. Suppose a suspect is asked to copy a ransom note 'to prove his innocence'. If somehow this becomes the state's evidence, would that prove innocence?

Chapter 8 tells about blood, the substance most commonly found at the crime scene, or on a person, clothing, or weapon. Tests to identify blood have been known since 1875 using various chemicals, to today's use of DNA. The case study is the O. J. Simpson trial, the most publicized case since Dr. Sam Sheppard. The authors admit "it would have been possible later to switch the collected evidence for faked evidence" (p.207). The Medical Examiner who did the autopsies on Nicole and Ron testified the forensic evidence said the murders occurred after 11pm. The red liquid blood was still leaking down the sidewalk when the police arrived at 12:15am (suggesting murder around 11:45pm). Since the limousine driver picked up OJ at 11pm, Simpson could not have personally murdered Ron and Nicole. The glove and blood evidence were both planted. Read Steven Singular's "Legacy of Deception" for the details. The 'Los Angeles Times' in June 1996 reported that the lead detective took blood samples from the morgue before evidence was turned in for analysis.

Re: An OK Read
Interestingly enough, the last paragraph of "Crime Science" (right before the 65 notes pertaining to the last chapter) contains an error. The author writes, "Russian officials concluded that the remains were those of the tsar, the tsarina, three of their children (excluding, they determined, Alexei and Marie), and four members of their retinue." The words on the pages before that specifically quoted Dr. William Maples writing that Marie's (or Maria's?) bones WERE among the discovered remains, but that Alexei's and Anastasia's bones were not. The two youngest children were burned, and the rest buried because certain factors prevented them from burning fast enough. Maybe Anastasia's name was too long to fit on that line in the book, so they lamely exchanged it for Marie's, hoping that the reader would not notice. I'm sorry, but if Anastasia's bones WERE present at the burial site, the whole Anastasia mystery would not have existed!

An OK Read
I read Dr. William Maples' book "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" before I read this one, and I would recommend Maples' book over "Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection." It is older (published in 1994), but it is extremely well-written by a gifted author. "Crime Science" has several notes at the end of each chapter and therefore a more than occasional mini superscript number at the end of sentences/paragraphs during each chapter. It even refers to Maples' book and recommends it for further reading. The author of "Crime Science" also refers to Maples as "the late Dr. William Maples." I did not know that he was dead before I read "Crime Science," so you could say that I learned something from reading it. Buy the late Dr. William Maples' book instead!

good
Compare to some other books on case studies, this book has less cases than others. However, it gives more details and explains by different forensic methods. It helped me a lot with my forensic-case-study paper. ... Read more

Product Description
The examination of human hairs in the forensic science setting is a highly specialist forensic discipline. To date the topic has not been covered in a single volume in which all aspects of hair examination are brought together. In this volume an international group of authors have dealt with all aspects of the examination of human hair. The volume opens with the basic foundation accidence covering the physiology, growth and structure of hair. Forensic specific aspects of hair structure are then dealt with and a protocol for examination is presented. The remaining chapters deal with non microscopy approaches to hair examination covering historical and contemporary knowledge. These chapters include biochemical approaches to hair examination, the use of elemental analysis, the analysis of cosmetic treatments, the analysis of hairs for drugs and the use of DNA analysis. In the final chapter the value of hair examination as evidence is assessed. The book will be of value to students forensic science, to members of the legal profession and to practitioners of forensic science. Written in an open accessible style it promises to be the standard text for human hair for the foreseeable future. ... Read more

Product Description
This invaluable text provides a concise introduction to entomology in a forensic context and is also a practical guide to collecting entomological samples at the crime scene.

Forensic Entomology: An Introduction:

• Assumes no prior knowledge of either entomology or biology
• Provides background information about the procedures carried out by the professional forensic entomologist in order to determine key information about post-mortem interval presented by insect evidence
• Includes practical tasks and further reading to enhance understanding of the subject and to enable the reader to gain key laboratory skills and a clear understanding of insect life cycles, the identification features of insects, and aspects of their ecology
• Glossary, photographs, the style of presentation and numerous illustrations have been designed to assist in the identification of insects associated with the corpse; keys are included to help students make this identification

This book is an essential resource for undergraduate Forensic Science and Criminology students and those on conversion postgraduate M.Sc. courses in Forensic Science. It is also useful for Scenes of Crime Officers undertaking diploma studies and Scene Investigating Officers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Who knows?
I might've bought this book if I'd've had a sample. The sample provided covers the table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, and half of the acknowledgements. Gee, thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the greatest challenges encountered by those in the forensic sciences is anticipating what the state and federal courts will – or will not – allow as valid physical evidence. With this in mind, the author of Forensic Evidence: Science and the Criminal Law, Second Edition analyzes and explains the judicial system’s response to the applicability of forensic science in the investigation, prosecution, and defense of criminal activity.

Each chapter of this comprehensive yet accessible resource provides an overview and analysis of the scientific and legal aspects of a particular forensic discipline. An important new feature of this second edition is that each chapter focuses on discussions of recent forensics literature reviews from Interpol’s 14^th Annual Forensic Science Symposium. This latest edition also updates previously discussed cases and presents the most recent applications of the Frye and Daubert standards, the admissibility of eyewitness identification, the upsurge of cases and statutes that involve post-conviction DNA, and the increased interest in re-examining cold cases.

As challenges to forensic evidence become increasingly rigorous, so does the need for intense  preparation. Forensic Evidence: Science and the Criminal Law, Second Edition is the book that those in the forensic sciences need to have on hand to successfully prepare for what may await them in the courtroom. ... Read more

Product Description
The aim of this book is to dissect forensic anthropology and forensic pathology in its various and valuable contributions to contemporary society. It gives answers and approaches key questions to this sciences' growing audience within different countries in the recent years. It aims to provide a practical approach to the investigation of bodies that are not fresh enough to be considered a normal forensic case. The specialists of both areas can have in a single book the useful tools and practical recommendations of these specialities (forensic anthropology and forensic pathology) that are spread among other textbooks.
It proposes original, illustrated, and updated articles on the four parameters of the biological profile; it discusses the factors of individualization; it explains the decay process of a body and the relevance of each step for forensic sciences, providing a useful approach to investigate such corpses; it reviews bone trauma; it facilitate the access to a number of international organizations and protocols related with the subject; it compares the perspectives of expertises from different countries, namely Europe, North America, and Latin America. The majority of the authors found in this volume have quite a lot of experience with the subjects that they discuss. Finally, this book provides a bridge between forensic anthropology and forensic pathology, and brings practical advice from physical anthropology.

Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death presents both forensic anthropology and forensic pathology in their various and valuable contributions to contemporary society. Providing original, illustrated, and updated articles on the four parameters of the biological profile, this text encompasses the factors of individualization; the decay process of a body and the relevance of each step for forensic sciences; bone trauma; access to a number of international organizations; and protocols related with the subject, all with perspectives of expertise from different countries, namely Europe, North America, and Latin America.

Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death strengthens the contributions of forensic anthropologists in the main stages of forensic work (recovery, identification, and determination of cause of death). Organized in five parts, Part I presents both disciplines-forensic anthropology and forensic medicine focused specially on forensic pathology. Part II contains techniques for age estimation of living individuals for reasons of imputability, one of the growing subfields of forensic anthropology. Part III discusses all the steps of forensic analysis, precisely from recovery to the cause of death. Part IV reviews the state of knowledge on assessing gender, age, stature, and ancestry from skeletal remains, discussing and reviewing the question of personal identity. Part V presents a clear example of the real value of a multidisciplinary investigation, with mass disasters and crimes against humanity highlighted.

Comprehensive and written by experts in the field, Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death offers forensic scientists, anthropologists, medical doctors, and police officers a bridge between forensic anthropology and forensic pathology that will grow and develop very closely in the future, whenever humanity has the need.

... Read more