Rating: 
Summary: Forensic Perfection
Review: This book, clearly and in laymens terms, describes the world of the forensic pathologist. Dr. Baden takes us behinds the scenes of his every day world to inform, educate, and enlighten us as to the latest forensic techniques. Its an extremely difficult task to discuss complex scientific methods to the non-scientist. However, Dr. Baden fully succeeds in this task. I highly recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in the world of forensic science
Rating: 
Summary: Run of the Mill
Review: This is just like so many other books on forensic sciences. The real interesting reading is Dr. Baden's first book, "Unnatural Death." This isn't a bad book, as Dr. Baden has had a very interesting career, it's just not the fascinating stories he's told before. In fact, most of the book is about his colleagues.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning information, entertainingly delivered!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Very interesting, but a bit political at times
Review: This was a very interesting book. If you have it, the book will help satisfy that aptly named term, morbid curiosity. If you're squeamish, skip it though.I liked the organization of the book. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the field. For example, there are chapters on the autopsy itself, blood, and bugs. The authors could have left the last chapter out, as far as I was concerned. It discussed a forensic convention held in Reno. That chapter described some of the personalities and interests that exist in forensics. It also tended to lighten the tone of the book. I still didn't think it was necessary. My one, small complaint is with how political this book is. For example, Baden seems to use almost every other paragraph to remind us of how awful the LAPD is, the LAPD crime lab is, and everyone involved with the prosecution of OJ. I think he has a point; it simply became rather painfully repetitious. There are other examples of Baden expressing is political perspective on everything including Clinton. He's certainly entitled to his opinions and entitled to express them. He just doesn't seem to understand that he could use something other than a sledgehammer to drive his point home. But that's a small complaint. Overall, it's a very good book, worth the price and the time.
Rating:
Summary: The dead do speak
Review: Very well written would have liked to have seen a few more photo's though.
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