Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 304 pages
• Published by: William Morrow September 4, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0060875291
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0060875299
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 15.2 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Forensic anthropologist Bass nicely complements his memoir, Death's Acre, with this unnervingly cheerful collection (ably co-written by science journalist Jefferson) of case studies and anecdotes from the field of corpse identification. With careful attention to detail and the occasional darkly humorous aside, the authors describe charred maggot cocoons; the grotesquely dismembered victims of a fireworks factory explosion; and the forensic uses of sonar, scanning electron microscopes and computer databases. Disparaging the CSI effect on jurors who expect DNA testing to be quick and exact,Bass extols the virtues of old-fashioned legwork and gut reactions, though he's always quick to admit when his methods and intuition fall short. The authors keep the narrative flow moving nicely, and Bass's voice is practical, passionate and eminently Southern—and his decades of teaching experience at the University of Tennessee come through strongly in such helpful suggestions as If you decide to murder somebody, don't think that you can completely cover your tracks with fire. Strong-stomached readers who like to get dirt under their nails will gladly follow the UT forensic anthropology team up mountains and into rivers as they put names and faces to long-decayed bodies. 16 pages of b&w photos. (Sept. 4)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Reviews
"Theres much to enjoy here"

Reader Reviews
Dr. William M. Bass is one of the world's most renowned forensic anthropologists, and expert in the study of what happens to the human body after death. He was made famous by his novels ("Carved in Bone" and "Flesh and Bone") and by his memoirs ("Death's Acre: Inside the Body Farm, the legendary forensic lab"). In this fascinating book, Dr. Bass looks back on some of his more interesting cases - everything from examining ancient skeletons at an archaeological dig in Iran, through identifying a person by looking at a disembodied skull, watching bugs, what happens to people who were caught in a fatal explosion, and so much more. (Including such interesting things as what he found when he examined the body of Jiles Perry "The Big Bopper" Richardson.) This is a fascinating and very entertaining book. You would think that a book about dead bodies would be creepy, or perhaps dull and academic, but this book is anything but! The authors do an excellent job of presenting Dr. Bass's cases in an interesting manner, teaching you about forensic anthropology at the same time that it entertains you with fascinating events and witty dialog. I loved this book and don't hesitate to recommend it to everyone! Comment | | (Report this)