Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book and thoroughly entertaining even for a tyro like me, January 13, 2009
This review is from: To Be a Crime Scene Investigator (Paperback)
This book caught my attention as I browsed around the bargain books section, and the attractive price of six bucks won me over for the heck of it. I started reading To Be a Crime Scene Investigator, and it is a very entertaining and also informative read. The book is broken down into five parts and is very well-organized read. Part One deals with how somebody can become a Crime Scene Investigator in several ways via stepping stones, and the author suggests a few easiest routes to that although college education is strongly emphasized as long as the majors are the right ones. There is also an outline how one can become a police(wo)man. There is a detailed, although not in depth, array of information applying to several areas such as physical regimen, battery tests, and firearms experience that serve as a warning to be prepared for if one is interested in becoming a Crime Scene Investigator. Mind you, I am pretty much a novice when it comes to knowing information like this, so I am only placing myself in the shoes of a high school kid who is exploring future careers in law enforcement. The second part gets into the main point of the book: Becoming a Crime Scene Investigator. This part covers the basic ideas of training and education that makes one a Crime Scene Investigator although the book is more geared toward to interested readers from New Jersey, but that shouldn't deter anyone else at all. At the same time, the author lays out many of the basic principles and techniques of forensic science which make up the bulk of the book along with many colorful pictures including some macabre and gruesome ones. As for anyone else who is very interested in becoming a photographer for a law enforcement agency, To Be a Crime Scene Investigator is an excellent start because the author really gets into that area in an extensive detail. The third part deals with the crime scene and how the procedures are applied in a very matter of factly way. I thought at this point I really learned the system in a step-by-step method; of course, this is only a beginner's book which at any time of the reading would give you an idea of a good start to further explore the subject the author brings up. Yet in To Be a Crime Scene Investigator, the author is very good in laying out the points that don't feel over-explained or too short of information. In a way, I can't help but feel that a criminal could be benefitting too much from reading this sort of a book as way of how to avoid detection. I am sure that kind of thinking applies well to serial killers. Also, in this chapter and elsewhere, there is a definition of different technicians and the description of the job. The author covers also the stages of body decomposition, the different ways of detecting blood, fibers, materials, and DNA to name a few; the science of them, the technology used, the ideas of how they can be found, and how to procure the samples without contamination or being declared inadmissible in the court of law. As I mentioned about the photography, the author goes ahead and explains how one ought to take pictures, how go to do the job, and how to do it the right way in many ways possible including the technical details of the camera and the rolls. Part Four deals with the transition from crime scene to lab; obviously, in short, what to do with the evidence and how to transport it are covered. As 9/11 happened in NYC, the author makes a special mention about it as 21st century has come which has changed the thinking of law enforcement when it comes to dealing with terrorism, so the author feels compelled in incorporating ways of battling the new problem in terms of crime solving skills. In this part, the author makes a mention of the bomb department which plays an important role in a crime solving team. Two more things I forget to mention is that the author explains the interrogative tactics used by the police for both criminals and victims and the job of the forensic pathologist and what officially happens during the autopsy. Last part of the book deals with serial crimes which has usually gotten the most attention over the years and have served as a fascination by the audience but has really lost its flair. When you think about this fifth part, you think of Noah Cross played by Morgan Freeman. That's what the author explains about especially in terms of behavioral analysis and profiling. Speaking of movie characters, the author from time to time dispels myths spurned out by the Hollywood films just to clear things up. I think I've covered a lot of areas as possible, but whatever else not mentioned, the book will already have covered it. All in all, To Be a Crime Scene Investigator is an excellent book that shouldn't fail to satisfy anyone's curiosity and/or desire to become a Crime Scene Investigator, and for me, I feel like I got a bang out of my money.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wasn't What I Thought It Was, March 23, 2009
This review is from: To Be a Crime Scene Investigator (Paperback)
I've been exploring civilian career possibilities in the field of forensics and saw this book advertised. However, after reading through it, I got the impression that it is written for people who want to become sworn police officers. Unfortunately, due to a variety of physical disabilities, I am unqualified to be an officer of the law. However, even though I may not have the "brawn" to be a cop, I still have the brains to do this type of work. If there is another book, geared for civilians, I would like to locate it so I can continue my research into this possible career.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An essential guide., November 6, 2006
This review is from: To Be a Crime Scene Investigator (Paperback)
The crime scene investigator collects evidence, photographs the scene, and uses every particle of evidence to reconstruct events - but few books reconstruct the progress of the career of a crime scene investigator. Here's a survey that covers both the process of the investigation and the progress of a career in the field, surveying training, applications of ideas, and methods of processing and locating evidence. Color photos throughout and sidebars of crime-specific detail make for an essential guide.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
|
