Customer Reviews

Handbook of Forensic Pathology, Second Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While this is only a soft cover book, it is a terriffic resource. It's outline format lays out all of the common issues seen in forensic pathology, with all of the various arguements made by other forensic pathologists described in easy to understand terms. I am a trial attorney who tries murder cases for a living and this book is a tremendous resource - the best I've ever seen.

My primary text book was a very high level book that appeared as if it were written for experienced medical professionals. This text book covered almost the exact same information but was written in a manner that those outside of the medical profession could easily follow along with and comprehend.

I am only as disappointed as I am with this book because of the price. Starting with the positives, the book is organized well, with a middle section of 10 or so colored photos. It is well written and easy to understand. However, it is miniscule. The book has 200 pages of actual text, thinner than most novels. It reads like a study book, or an outline you would make for class. Each subject has the bare minimum of information needed. No actual case studies or examples. I am most disappointed with the images. Most are hand drawn line images, there are only 10 or so actual photographs in the book. They are black and white in the pages but the middle section has them in color, but they are the same images! Why bother to print them twice? I am also comparing this to the Spitz and Fisher's book, but for half the price I was expecting a little better than an image of a stab wound and a few sentences on it in a chapter. If you need the bare minimum of information on forensics, or you are just looking to explore the topic a little more than for $20-30 this would be fine. But for $50, this book with its lack of examples, explanations, case studies and photographic images is really a bit steep.

Thanks to books like this and Amazon, I am now a Criminalist without being broke.

My wife needed this book for her CMI-III course. Thanks to the material (and a lot of hard work on her part), she achieved her certification.

very good outline--but remember that it is just an outline, a good place to start.

This is a great book and will be helpful in my daughter's future library for referral.