Customer Reviews

Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is what you get when you mix a brilliant and principled scientist with a passionately curious and witty writer. Dr. Baden and Ms. Roach educate and entertain the reader, yet never let you forget that these are the stories of real people, victims and their families who deserve justice. How science can serve up justice in many new and old cases and why it has failed, or been prevented from doing so in others, makes for some very good story-telling. I was fascinated to learn about "Blood School" in Corning, New York and the eccentric, fun-loving forensic entomologist who teaches the relationship between corpses and bugs on his farm in Indiana. There is new information on the Nicole Brown/Ronald Goldman and the Jon Benet Ramsey murder cases, as well as details about Princess Diana's death, but the writing is never exploitive or sensational, just an honest review of mistakes made and lessons learned. Anyone whose work brings them this close to deep and devastating tragedy on a daily basis could be forgiven if they exhibited a "scientific detachment" or even a degree of dark humor about the work. I was however impressed throughout with what I would describe as Dr. Baden's "scientific attachment" and non-waivering respect in handling and describing the remains of victims. There is welcome dark comic relief mixed into Ms. Roach's descriptions of the aformentioned Blood School, Bug School and the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Reno, Nevada which will let you in on a secret passion of Wayne Newton's that I promise will surprise and amuse. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, was educated by it and comforted by the dedication to justice of the authors and their colleagues in this fascinating profession.

I think I read this book over a weekend. It just kept me glued to the chair; the book was just that interesting. The book talks about what the medical examiner does to determine the cause of death and what evidence he / she can gather from the body. The book is not for the very week at heart, but it is not overly graphic or gross. The author just details so many interesting procedures and processes that you want to learn more. If you are interested in true crime or even the fictionalized versions this is a must read book. Even general reader's will like this book, it is that fast paced and gripping.

I'll admit it. On Tuesday nights, I am glued to Discovery to watch the forensic scientists at work. I am not in law enforcement and am not a scientist, I just love how they do the job of catching criminals. Dr. Baden's book is one of those that you have to keep reading once you get started. It is full of science, but doesn't overwhelm you. It is full of interesting people like Dr. Henry Lee. It is full of criminals and how they were caught or how the innocent were set free using science. I was so impressed, that I immediately ordered four more books on the subject, including one of Dr. Badens. This is a must read!

Dead Reckoning is not a book for the faint of heart. Forensic examiner Michael M. Baden doesn't shy away from the facts; he tells his readers EVERTHYING about what his job consists of.

The book has various chapters, all of them written with great care and professionalism. But the book is always fun to read. The best chapters are the ones on maggots, on heads and on the autopsies themselves. Baden recalls his experience while on the OJ Simpson case and during the autopsy of a corpse that could have been Princess Anastasia. He tells us about the strangest and dumbest things he has seen during his very long career, all the while sharing every single gruesome detail with his readers.

This is a great nonfiction book that tells us a lot about this strange and fascinating profession. It's also a great true-crime collection of anecdotes and stories. A must for any fans of the true crime genre.

Baden is a great guy. If you like HBO's autopsy, you should read the book. It is a fascinating exploration of science that I found enlightening and engaging. It is great for those, like me, who know very little science. I find investigations into crimes endlessly fascinating and this volume just adds to the intrigue of crime literature. The last two chapters are not as good as the rest of the book, but still worth your money.

Fasten your seatbelts. Get ready for the exciting trip into the world of a medical examiner, who is known for having a part in the investigation of some of the country's most recent and most publicized criminal cases. There is nothing better than reading an excellent book, capable of sending chills down your spine. In this informational, attention-grabbing paper-back, Dr. Michael Baden walks us science lovers through various crime scenes and popular crime cases, throwing us readers into a frenzy as we try to speculate the truth. With the help of Baden's colleagues, this book gives an amazingly interesting insight into crime scene investigation and "the new science of catching killers".

As part of our human nature, there is some part of us that finds the death of a human somewhat intriguing. Especially me, a freshman in college, hoping to one day become a forensic pathologist myself, the readers' mind is almost over stimulated with the cracking open of this piece of work. I could barely wait to turn the page to absorb the interesting facts reiterating the importance of blood stain patterns and even bugs to the determination of time of death or even the solving of a crime case.

I must admit, this grisly text is almost guaranteed to churn the stomachs of the weak and frighten away even the average medically-curious individual. Dr. Baden seamlessly depicts images of corpses and their appearance after the decomposition process has begun. He is not ashamed to throw at you the monstrous illustration of a single head apart from its being.

Even for those readers that have no prior interest in forensics, this book is capable of quickly persuading the minds of the vulnerable. Things that one may have once found horrid and gruesome may now be the motivation to read on. This book is an open door that provides the reader an enormous opportunity to explore a completely new world in medicine.

For those that are even slightly intrigued by the disgusting but amazingly tempting tone of this book, it is a must-read. But beware; the journey might be a rough one. Be sure you are wearing your seatbelts.

Marion Roach and Michael Baden take you into the autopsy room and lives of a foensic pathologist, while teaching and educating
readers the fascinating (and gruesome) aspects of forensic medicine. The book is a fascinating mix of humor, philosophy, history and science, ending in an odd, but appropriate chapter on the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of pathologists, criminalists and scientists at a convention in love with a craft the public finds both gruesome and fascinating. Their writing collaboration brings out the best of Roach and Baden in a surprising well written, and sometimes poetic, passionate recount of forensic cases carefully chosen to illustrate the science. Several chapters were dedicated around top experts in the fields of entymology and blood spatter evidence literally taking the reader to school under the tutelage of some entertaiining teachers
True crime buffs and pathology groupies will not find the
material old hat-and novices to this growing area of literature
will feel the passion and philosophy of the doctor who 'listens'
to the dead to help learn what happened during their life,and
more particularly how they came to their end.
Along the way ,you'll learn the personal history of both both Baden and his good friend, the legendary henry lee. Their stories as to how these legends arrived who and where they are
today makes great reading.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest at all in forensic pathology and the lives of those whom the
science and search for the truth about the dead is their passion---with one caveat for the faint of heart--- be aware
of maggots . . .

OK, I'll admit to already being a fan of Dr. Baden's from HBO's Autopsy series. He truly loves what he does and his ability to convey intricate scientific details in layman's terms is greatly appreciated.

I purchased this book after seeing him lecture, and let me tell you, this is a fascinating aspect of criminology. The 'clues' that no one would ever think of that are left behind will amaze you in their ability to accurately point to a murderer or a cause of death. He recounts some of him numerous consultations on cases, hi and low profile (O.J. Simpson's case for one. That alone will explain how he may have gotten away with it) and brings it home in a way that any reader can understand. Another thing that I found very helpful, is Dr. Baden's sincere respect for the dead. He's not simply recounting tales to be goulish, but to illustrate how crimes can be solved when it seems there is nothing to lead to.

It's not for everyone, granted. But Dr. Baden's book is fascinating if you have even the slightest interest in criminology.

I've read a few books on forensic science. Because I am biased for reading science anyway, I tend to like it when a scientist can manage to write a book which uses language well and who can do it with a sense of humor towards himself and his fellow scientists. Baden and Roach do this very well in this book. I inhaled the book, rather than merely reading it. It isn't the smallest tome on this stuff that I've picked up, but it definitely is the quickest I've read one of these. That I was disappointed at the end because it wasn't enough indicates the
wealth of the writing and the abilities of the authors.

Along with other reviewers, I really got a kick out the forensic entomologist in Indiana. He sounds like my kind of scientist. Anyone going into this field had better have a strong stomach and a good sense of humor. Apparently the field is loaded with practical jokers, which doesn't surprise me. Having been in classes in the morgue with a doctor who loved to torture my sign language interpreters...I totally understand the need for humor in these situations. This entomologist sounds like subject matter for a book of his own. I also enjoyed the section on Henry Lee, probably the most famous forensic criminologist. I'd read his stuff before, and it was not as enjoyable as this book. But I gained a lot of respect for his talents from Baden's obvious admiration for the man.

This book is an excellent educator. This is an expanding field of endeavor for several reasons, not the least of which is more people equals more deaths. And our society is not getting any less violent. I think the happenings of September 11th and the subsequent need to be able to identify the victims of terrorist attacks has made it clear we need more scientists in this area. I would wish that Baden and his colleagues who are able to write well and speak well would make themselves available to speak to large groups of young people. He treats his 'patients' and their families with respect. We need that respect filtered down to high school and college students, to perhaps make them think more carefully about their life choices and the impact they have on others.

Great book!...

After reading Confessions of a Medical Examiner I eagerly expected Dead Reckoning to be better. (Wouldn't you?) Confessions was written in 1989 and Dead was written in 2001. Dr Baden proudly announces a few times how many autopsies he has conducted (20,000), yet he mostly talks about other people's accomplishments. He is green with envy over Dr Lee. (whom a lot of us have seen at lectures- Baden uses his jokes verbatim.) I don't mean to sound too harsh, as I did finish the book (at that $), but, I still expected more.. A large amount of information was given to us again (from Confessions), the Bugs and Heads chapters had some new stuff, the Junk chapter was interesting due to malpractices, and the Reno chapter gave one or two giggles. Overall, a 3 star rating is good for this book. Once again, "okay" for beginners, but redundant if your a forensic nut. (literally :) Now, I do want to say that he did a better job than I could have done,(not an MD), but check out his reading list "Sources". They make for some interesting reading.
(My library has 45% of them)