- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (Oct 10 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 073820336X
- ISBN-13: 978-0738203362
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 15.7 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,771,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Corpse explores just one of the fascinating histories of forensic science. In 44 BC, a physician named Antistius examined the fresh corpse of Julius Caesar and, in science journalist Jessica Sachs's words, "announced that he knew which of the would-be emperor's twenty-three stab wounds had proved fatal", thus giving birth to a new science.
In making his announcement "before the forum"--the origin of the term forensics--Antistius relied on the medical knowledge of the day, which was none too developed. His modern counterparts have much better science at their disposal to account for causes of death, which, Sachs notes, tend to be "usually more than obvious to every police officer responding to the scene." Less obvious, and far more elusive, is the exact time death occurred, the datum that forensic pathologists seek to obtain but usually have to guess at, hampered "by death's infinite variations." Examining a dozen case studies that touch on the contents of Nicole Brown Simpson's stomach, a felled Confederate soldier's skull, the methods ofan English serial killer, and the contribution of an Indiana-based student of maggots to the forensic ecology of human remains, among other matters, Sachs explores the means by which those pathologists measure the interval between death and a body's discovery--a determin!!ation with often profound implications.
Sachs's book is a lucid, oddly fascinating work of popular science, though it's not for the queasy of stomach or the faint of heart. --Gregory McNamee
From Publishers Weekly
In 1932, Arthur Koehler helped catch a notorious suspect wanted for the Lindbergh baby murder by tracing a wooden ladder from a sawmill to a lumberyard and finally to the killer thereby giving rise to forensic botany. By elucidating such rare moments in history, Sachs, a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Discover, Parenting and Redbook, examines the often distasteful world of the forensic sciences. And while this first book is a serious scientific investigation, it also manages to bring forensic science (specifically, forensic ecology) into the layman's arena, pursuing what Sachs calls "the postmortem stopwatch" namely, the means by which investigators can better determine the time of death. Following various forensics experts on investigations, she conducts an intense study of the differences between rigor, livor and algor mortis; the analysis of stomach contents; the discerning tastes of flies; and bodily juices sluiced into soil. The book is sure to please readers interested in the processes of death and decomposition: this is the world of maggot instars and the generational cycles of "Great Sarcophagi." Appearing on the tail of Michael Baden's Dead Reckoning (Forecasts, July 23), the book brings to the fore some familiar characters (entomologist Wayne Lord and Bill Bass of the University of Tennessee's "Body Farm," among others), and in comparison, Sachs doesn't give enough time to the link between the forensic sciences and criminal investigative tactics. While the second half of the book examines practical applications of such methods, readers might not get the sense of what all this forensics hullabaloo amounts to in a court of law or anywhere else outside of the laboratory.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not For the Squeamish,
By Jade Galaxy "jadegalaxy" (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corpse: Nature, Forensics, And The Struggle To Pinpoint Time Of Death (Hardcover)
"Corpse" is nauseating on two counts. First, it includes grisly details of murders so heinous they will haunt your waking hours, if not your nightmares. Second, it describes step-by-step, many times, exactly what happens to a rotting corpse. If you are unaccustomed to reading or thinking about such things on a regular basis, it will turn your stomach. Despite my disgust for the subject matter, I found the book hard to put down. It was entertaining to read about how experts in various academic fields--entomology, anthropology, and botany--have been recruited for time-of-death determinations. Some of these engaging personalities became the first forensic ecologists. The book describes some of their research projects as well as the crimes they helped solve. Although "Corpse" gives center stage to the entomologists and anthropologists, the three chapters near the end about botany and chemistry show the reader that these lines of research are equally credible and promising. I didn't really know anything about this subject before reading the book, and now I know almost too much about it for my own peace of mind. I find myself remembering all the crime scenes I've ever read about or seen in movies, and critiquing them in light of what I've just read. In summary, "Corpse" is fascinating, memorable, and informative, but definitely not for the squeamish.
4.0 out of 5 stars
fabulous anthology of forensic ecology,
By "lvngnclip" (Summit, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time Of Death (Paperback)
reading Corpse was a joy. having read books by nearly all of the scientists she discussed, i felt privy to a fascinating universe of emerging death science. for those with a genuine interest in death examination, i definately reccommend reading books such as bill bass's Death's Acre and m. lee goff's A Fly For the Prosecution to supplement your knowledge. for other who would much rather read a simple overview, Corpse will do just fine. well written and not sensationalist, Corpse is a great introduction to forensic ecology.
5.0 out of 5 stars
all we are is dust in the wind ...,
By doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time Of Death (Paperback)
Corpse is grisly, graphic reading. As one reader remarked, it is certainly not for the squeamish, as Sachs describes week by week what happens to our bodies as we gradually decompose. The book is much more than a mere cataloguing of which insects devour us in which order, though. At the root of the book is the important question of determing time since death - critical in the correct prosection of murder crimes.I found the details fascinating of how forensic scientists (entomologists, anthropologists and even microbiologists) are learning more about the decompostion, dessication and eventual disintegration of human bodies. I was similarly riveted to the numerous stories of how the science was evolving and gradually coming into use in the courtroom. The book is certainly not for everyone, and be prepared for the odd sideways glances from those who see you reading it. But it is a guilty pleasure (pardon the pun) for those who have the guts (sorry, had to do it) to read it through. Highly recommended.
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