Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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