Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner (Paperback)

~ Frederick Zugibe M.D. (Author), David L. Carroll (Author)
Key Phrases: crystal artifacts, face murder, leather mask, New Jersey, John Sullivan, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While not a household name, Zugibe, who was chief medical examiner of Rockland County, N.Y., for 35 years, has the experience and credentials to write meaningfully about his field: he developed numerous new techniques for forensic pathology and presided over an amazing variety of investigations. In this readable account, the doctor presents 10 challenging cases he encountered, as well as his insights as a self-described Monday-morning quarterback on two of the most notorious crimes of the 1990s: the brutal slaying of JonBenét Ramsey and the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. As Zugibe's own work is intriguing enough, the inclusion of those sensations seems like a ploy to widen appeal, and the authors' decision to include a section on the scientific accuracy of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ may strike some as odd. The writing is sometimes flat, and the book would have had more depth and resonance had Zugibe presented instances where, despite his skills and instincts, he was led astray. Nonetheless, Zugibe's detections in the 1981 Brinks robbery case and his pro bono work in the case of a young journalist who disappeared in El Salvador make compelling reading for fans of insider accounts of forensics. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Former Rockland County, New York, chief medical examiner Zugibe reveals how he helped solve some of the most complex murders in the county over the course of his 35-year career. Zugibe unwraps a body from 20 plastic bags and must determine what happened to the man's body after he died. In another case, he points out key evidence from a gunshot wound to disprove a suspect's claim that the victim was stabbed to death before being shot. He uses maggots found on a body to narrow down the time of death. Along the way he dispels assumptions about forensics and even delves into two of the most famous cases of the last 15 years, the JonBenet Ramsey murder and the O. J. Simpson trial, to show how the forensic evidence in those cases was mishandled or overlooked. Zugibe and Carroll's straightforward style makes for clear and fascinating reading, and the cases chosen are intriguing. With the popularity of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and other forensic science dramas on television, expect wide interest in this gripping book. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (July 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767918800
• ISBN-13: 978-0767918800
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #662,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Seeking truth to protect life.", July 17, 2005

By	E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner (Hardcover)

Frederick Zugibe, M. D., is the former chief medical examiner of Rockland County, a position that he held for thirty-three years. In his book, "Dissecting Death," Zugibe chooses the most noteworthy cases of his career to illustrate how forensic pathologists help prosecutors bring the perpretrators of violent crime to justice. Forensic pathology, says Zugibe, "is as much the study of human ways and human life as it is the dissection of death."

Zugibe presents ten cases, each in a separate chapter. He gives the particulars of each case and demonstrates how he used scientific methods to identify the body and gather clues about who might have committed the murder. Zugibe points out that there is no clear cut and satisfactory solution to every crime. For instance, when a reporter named John Sullivan went missing in El Salvador, the reporter's family wanted nothing more than to identify their loved one's remains. Justice for this young man was never an option.

Using clear and simple language, the author explains how forensic pathologists determine the approximate time of death, why lividity in a corpse is significant, how the modern science of DNA testing has revolutionized our criminal justice system, and the ways in which forensic anthropologists gather crucial information by examining skeletal remains.

Be forewarned. "Dissecting Death" is a dark and, in many ways, depressing book, in which the author graphically describes the appearance and physical condition of decomposed bodies. He also delves into forensic psychiatry, since many of the perpetrators who commit heinous crimes suffer from mental disorders. There are black and white photographs in the center of the book that illustrate some of the points made in the text.

If you enjoy the television show, "CSI: Las Vegas," this book will fascinate you. When the author cracks a case using forensic entomology (the science that uses the knowledge of insects reproductive cycles, nesting habits, and eating patterns to solve homicides), I pictured Gil Grissom in his Las Vegas lab studying his collection of entomology texts and insect specimens. Although all of the CSI programs are fictional and make liberal use of dramatic license, "Dissecting Death" shows that the science on which the programs are based is indeed used every day in forensic laboratories across the country.

Zugibe's writing style is objective and matter-of-fact. For some reason, he uses the present tense when describing crimes that happened years ago, a technique that I found artifical and a bit jarring. Zugibe also adds an unnecessarily sensational postscript at the end of the book in which he offers his opinion on two of the most controversial cases in recent memory--those involving JonBenet Ramsey and O. J. Simpson. However, the author deserves credit for skillfully breaking down complex scientific information into easily digestible snippets, so that even laymen will come away from this book with some basic knowledge of how forensic pathology works.

"Dissecting Death" is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. It is a hard-hitting and uncompromising look at the evil that men and women do to one another and the increasingly sophisticated methods that scientists are using to make sure that justice is done.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Gripping!, August 2, 2005

By	G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner (Hardcover)

Over the years, I have read a great many books on forensic science and this one is clearly one of the very best. The writing style is so engaging that the book is almost impossible to put down. The text is clear and flows by itself; any technical terms that are used are fully explained the first time that they are used; forensic science techniques and various processes, such as what happens to a body after death, are explained as the need arises, depending on the nature of the cases being discussed. Fortunately, each chapter presents a different case; this provides the reader with the opportunity to catch his/her breath and take a break before plunging into the next one. This book will be of great interest, not only to forensic science buffs, but also to anyone interested in thrilling crime stories. Highly recommended!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brother of Victim in the book, July 23, 2005

By	John D'Alessandro "John" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner (Hardcover)

I read most of the chapter on my sister Joan's case. The author gave the case the right respect and I liked that there were subheadings so I knew what I was getting into. I was able to avoid reading the details of my sister's death. I was also very glad the author included the story of my mother's work to make changes in order to insure children would not get murdered like my sister. The writing was very good and he explained what she has accomplished in a really clear, interesting way that I was able to understand better what she has done. From what I looked at in the rest of the book, I could see that Dr. Zugibe's expertise and I realized that we were lucky he worked on my sister's case.