Forensics For Dummies

Understand the real-life science behind crime scene investigation

Forensics For Dummies takes you inside the world of crime scene investigation to give you the low down on this exciting field. Written by a doctor and former Law & Order consultant, this guide will have you solving crimes along with your favorite TV shows in no time. From fingerprints and fibers to blood and ballistics, you'll walk through the processes that yield significant information from the smallest clues. You'll learn how Hollywood gets it wrong, and how real-world forensics experts work every day in fields as diverse as biology, psychology, anthropology, medicine, information technology, and more. If you're interested in a forensics career, you'll find out how to break in and the education you'll need to do the type of forensics work that interests you the most. Written for the true forensics fan, this book doesn't shy away from the details; you'll learn what goes on at the morgue as you determine cause of death, and you'll climb into the mind of a killer as you learn how forensic psychologists narrow down the suspect list.

Crime shows are entertaining, but the reality is that most forensics cases aren't wrapped up in an hour. This book shows you how it's really done, and the amazing technology and brilliant people that do it every day.

• Learn who does what, when they do it, and how it's done

• Discover the many fields involved in crime scene investigation

• Understand what really happens inside a forensics lab

• Examine famous forensics cases more intriguing than any TV show

Forensic scientists work in a variety of environments and in many different capacities. If you think television makes it look interesting, just wait until you learn what it's really like! Forensics For Dummies takes you on a tour of the real-world science behind solving the case.
P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you re probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Forensics For Dummies (9781119181651). The book you see here shouldn t be considered a new or updated product. But if you re in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We re always writing about new topics!

Auteur

D.P. Lyle, MD, is the award-winning author of many nonfiction books and works of fiction. He is the co-host of Crime and Science Radio, and has worked as a forensics consultant with the writers of popular television shows such as> Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, Judging Amy, House, and Pretty Little Liars. Find him online at www.dplylemd.com.

Texte du rabat

• Evaluate crime scene evidence
• Grasp forensics basics, from ballistics to fingerprinting

• Identify careers in forensics The science behind criminal investigation Fascinated by forensics? From fingerprints and fibers to blood and ballistics, this book will have you solving crimes alongside your favorite TV shows, books, and podcasts in no time. Get a look behind the scenes to understand how evidence is collected and protected. Find out how forensics is used to identify unknown victims, estimate a time of death, and analyze traumatic injuries. From the crime scene tape to the lab, this book reveals the technology and people who work in forensics and shows you how it's really done. inside...

• Discover why forensics is necessary
• Get the deal on DNA analysis
• Look inside the toxicology lab
• Analyze firearms evidence
• Delve into the criminal mind
• Uncover how Hollywood gets it wrong

Résumé
Understand the real-life science behind crime scene investigation

Forensics For Dummies takes you inside the world of crime scene investigation to give you the low down on this exciting field. Written by a doctor and former Law & Order consultant, this guide will have you solving crimes along with your favorite TV shows in no time. From fingerprints and fibers to blood and ballistics, you'll walk through the processes that yield significant information from the smallest clues. You'll learn how Hollywood gets it wrong, and how real-world forensics experts work every day in fields as diverse as biology, psychology, anthropology, medicine, information technology, and more. If you're interested in a forensics career, you'll find out how to break inand the education you'll need to do the type of forensics work that interests you the most. Written for the true forensics fan, this book doesn't shy away from the details; you'll learn what goes on at the morgue as you determine cause of death, and you'll climb into the mind of a killer as you learn how forensic psychologists narrow down the suspect list.

Crime shows are entertaining, but the reality is that most forensics cases aren't wrapped up in an hour. This book shows you how it's really done, and the amazing technology and brilliant people that do it every day.

• Learn who does what, when they do it, and how it's done
• Discover the many fields involved in crime scene investigation
• Understand what really happens inside a forensics lab
• Examine famous forensics cases more intriguing than any TV show
  Forensic scientists work in a variety of environments and in many different capacities. If you think television makes it look interesting, just wait until you learn what it's really like! Forensics For Dummies takes you on a tour of the real-world science behind solving the case. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Forensics For Dummies (9781119181651). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!

Contenu

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 2

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Cracking Open the Case 5

Chapter 1: Understanding the World of Forensic Science 7

Defining Forensics: The Science of Catching Criminals 8

Integrating science into the practice of law 8

Drawing from other sciences 9

Getting the Big Picture: Forensic Science in Action 9

Starting out small: Basic forensic services 10

Looking at physical forensic science 11

Delving into biological forensic science 11

Investigating the Crime Lab 12

Creating the first crime lab 12

Identifying common procedures 13

Peeking Inside the Criminalist's Toolbox 15

The Cornerstone of Forensic Science: Locard's Exchange Principle 15

Looking at Locard's principle in action 16

Reading the trace evidence 17

Determining who did what where 17

Chapter 2: Getting to Know the Forensics Team 19

Gathering the Evidence: The Criminalist at Work 20

From Analyzing Blood to Identifying Bugs: Forensic Science Specialists 22

Forensic Investigation's Head Honcho: The Medical Examiner 24

Looking at two forensic systems 24

Checking out the duties of a coroner or medical examiner 25

Following the medical examiner in action 26

Dealing with the Dead: The Coroner's Technician 27

Testifying as an Expert 28

Understanding the court system 28

Getting to the heart of the truth 30

Understanding the role of expert testimony 30

Chapter 3: Collecting and Protecting the Evidence 33

Assessing the Scene of the Crime 33

Distinguishing between primary and secondary crime scenes 34

Arriving at a crime scene 34

Preserving and processing the scene 35

Documenting the procedure 36

Reconstructing the crime scene 37

Recognizing a staged crime scene 39

Classifying the Evidence 39

Determining whether evi…