Forensic Science

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

"One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year....Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting."—Entertainment Weekly

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science (College Edition) (9th Edition)

Written by a renowned authority on forensic science, this book introduces the non-scientific reader to the field of forensic science through an exploration of its applications to criminal invesigations, with clear explanations of the techniques, abilities, and limitations of the modern crime laboratory. The most current technologies, techniques, practices, and procedures highlight this book; the accompanying interactive crime scene CD-ROM puts readers in the role of crime scene investigations. Actual cases, including a new case study on the role of DNA evidence in the investigation of the World Trade Center crime scene, enable readers to see the integral role of forensic science in criminal investigations. Topics covered include: the crime scene, physical evidence, physical properties, organic analysis, inorganic analysis, the microscope, hairs, fibers, and paint, drugs, forensic toxicology, forensic aspects of arson and explosion investigations, forensic serology, DNA, fingerprints, firearms, toolmarks and other impressions, document and voice examination, and forensic science on the Internet. An excellent reference resource for members of the forensic science field, as well as others involved in criminal justice.

Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations, Third Edition

Master the skills necessary to launch and complete a successful computer investigation with the updated edition of this highly successful book, Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations. This text will teach readers how to conduct a high-tech investigation, from acquiring digital evidence to reporting its findings. Coverage includes how to set up a forensics lab, how to acquire the proper and necessary tools, and how to conduct the investigation and subsequent digital analysis. The comprehensive coverage and detailed know-how led to the book being listed as recommended reading by the FBI Forensics Communications the United States Certified reading room. The book features free downloads of the latest forensic software, so students become familiar with the tools of the trade.

The FBI Career Guide: Inside Information on Getting Chosen for and Succeeding in One of the Toughest, Most Prestigious Jobs in the World

In the three years following the September 11th attacks, 150,000 people applied to be Special Agents in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Only 2,200 got the job. The FBI Career Guide reveals strategies that radically increase the odds of getting hired, and that will prepare agents for a challenging, rewarding career at the Bureau. There may be no one in the world more qualified to help aspiring agents begin and excel at an FBI career than Joe Koletar, a 25-year Bureau veteran whose executive credentials are second to none. This ultimate insider's guide looks at:

* the application process * New Agents Training * field office and foreign assignments * pay, benefits, and career opportunities * educational and career decisions that improve the odds of being hired * how investigations, undercover and SWAT team operations, and specialty assignments work * and much more.

Readers will also learn how the job might affect them and their families, how to plan their career and climb the ladder, and even prepare for life after the Bureau. Above all, they'll find out what it takes to succeed-and how to show they've got it.

"In the three years following the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation hired 2,200 new Special Agents.

But that was out of more than 150,000 applicants, and you can be sure the successful candidates had not only relevant backgrounds, but also determination and a genuine desire to embark on one of the most coveted, rewarding, and challenging careers in the world.

The FBI Career Guide spells out exactly what the Bureau is looking for in Special Agent candidates, and how to maximize your chances of being selected from the huge applicant pool.

Joe Koletar, whose own blue-ribbon career at the Bureau is second to none, shows how to get the job—and how to thrive once you’ve got it. His inside look at the real FBI reveals:

* Smart educational and career decisions to improve your odds of being hired

* How to meet and network with current FBI agents

* What Special Agents do, day-to-day, in different roles and environments

* How undercover investigations, SWAT team operations, and specialty assignments work

* What agents earn, and what benefits they receive

* The prospects for advancement, and some typical (and not so typical) career paths

* How the job may affect your personal and family life

And much more

The FBI Career Guide also reveals the common mistakes applicants make, and shows how to avoid them. And it gives you detailed information on excelling in the Agent Training Program.

Finally, the book offers profiles of real agents who have gone on to successful post-FBI careers, and will help you lay the groundwork for a rewarding life after the Bureau. Above all, The FBI Career Guide will help you find out if you’ve got what it takes to succeed -- and if you do, how to show it."

Essentials of the Reid Technique: Criminal Interrogations and Confessions (Criminal Justice Illuminated)

Considered the Bible for interviewing and interrogation techniques, the book is currently in its forth edition and hundreds of thousands of investigators have received training on the Reid Technique. Now for the first time, an abridged and more affordable version of this best-selling book.

Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques, 2nd edition

Written by highly respected forensic scientists and legal practitioners, Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques, Second Edition covers the latest theories and practices in areas such as DNA testing, toxicology, chemistry of explosives and arson, and vehicle accident reconstruction. This second edition offers a cutting-edge presentation of criminalistics and related laboratory subjects, including many exciting new features. What's New in the Second Edition · New chapter on forensic entomology · New chapter on forensic nursing · Simplified DNA chapter · More coverage of the chemistry of explosives and ignitable liquids · Additional information on crime reconstruction · Revised to include more investigation in computer forensics · Complete revisions of engineering chapters · New appendices showing basic principles of physics, math, and chemistry in forensic science · More questions and answers in the Instructor's Guide · Updated references and cases throughout · An extensive glossary of terms

Psychological Evaluations for the Courts, Third Edition: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers

Forensics For Dummies

A plain-English primer on crime scene investigation that's a must for fans of CSI or Patricia Cornwell
Since the O. J. Simpson case, popular interest in forensic science has exploded: CBS's CSI has 16 to 26 million viewers every week, and Patricia Cornwell's novels featuring a medical examiner sleuth routinely top bestseller lists, to cite just a few examples. Now, everyone can get the lowdown on the science behind crime scene investigations. Using lots of fascinating case studies, forensics expert Dr. D. P. Lyle clues people in on everything from determining cause and time of death to fingerprints, fibers, blood, ballistics, forensic computing, and forensic psychology. With its clear, entertaining explanations of forensic procedures and techniques, this book will be an indispensable reference for mystery fans and true crime aficionados everywhere-and even includes advice for people interested in forensic science careers.
D. P. Lyle, MD (Laguna Hills, CA), is a practicing cardiologist who is also a forensics expert and mystery writer. He runs a Web site that answers writers' questions about forensics, dplylemd.com, and is the author of Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Writers, as well as several mystery novels. John Pless, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Indiana University School of Medicine and former President of the National Association of Medical Examiners.

The Forensic Casebook: The Science of Crime Scene Investigation

THE ULTIMATE READERS’ GUIDE TO THE ART OF FORENSICS!

An intrepid investigator crawls through miles of air conditioning ducts to capture the implicating fibers of a suspect’s wool jacket . . . A forensic entomologist discovers insects in the grill of a car and nails down a drug dealer’s precise geographical path . . . A gluttonous criminal’s fingerprints are lifted from a chocolate truffle. . . .

Filled with these and many other intriguing true stories, and packed with black and white illustrations and photographs, The Forensic Casebook draws on interviews with police personnel and forensic scientists—including animal examiners, botanists, zoologists, firearms specialists, and autoposists—to uncover the vast and detailed underworkings of criminal investigation. Encyclopedic in scope, this riveting, authoritative book leaves no aspect of forensic science untouched, covering such fascinating topics as:

• Securing a crime scene
• Identifying blood splatter patterns
• Collecting fingerprints—and feet, lip, and ear prints
• Interpreting the stages of a body’s decay
• Examining hair and fiber evidence
• Trace evidence from firearms and explosives
• “Lifting” DNA prints
• Computer crime and forensic photography
• Career paths in criminal science

Lucidly written and spiked with real crime stories, The Forensic Casebook exposes the nitty gritty that other books only touch upon. Here is a reference book as addictive as a page-turning novel of suspense.

Criminal Investigation

Widely recognized as the most accurate and comprehensive text in the field, this practical, step-by-step introduction to criminal investigation gives students a logical framework for understanding the investigative process. Major sections cover current issues such as environmental crime, the looting of archaeological sites, videotaping of crime scenes, street gangs, and drugs. Case studies throughout the text emphasize the applied technique of criminal investigation. Graphs, charts, and arresting photographs found throughout the text depict the practical aspects of investigation and help to clarify difficult scientific concepts. The tenth edition has been significantly updated with new content to reflect new statistical data, technology, procedures, and law.