You are not signed in. Sign in.

List Books: Buy books on ListBooks.org

Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques » (3rd Edition)

Book cover image of Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques by Stuart H. James

Authors: Stuart H. James, Jon J. Nordby, Ph.D. Jon J.
ISBN-13: 9781420064933, ISBN-10: 1420064932
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Date Published: February 2009
Edition: 3rd Edition

Find Best Prices for This Book »

Author Biography: Stuart H. James

Stuart H. James is a forensic consultant with James and Associates Forensic Consultants, Inc., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has been a consultant on cases in 47 states as well as in Australia, Canada, England, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has given expert testimony in state, federal, and military courts. Mr. James is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a charter and distinguished member of the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and a member of the FBI’s Scientific Working Group on Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (SWGSTAIN).

Jon J. Nordby works as a forensic science consultant for Final Analysis Forensics, an independent consulting practice in death investigation, forensic science, and forensic medicine. He specializes in scene reconstruction, evidence recognition, collection, and analysis, as well as bloodstain pattern analysis and the investigation of police shootings. His many publications include the book Dead Reckoning: The Art of Forensic Detection. Dr. Nordby is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and belongs to the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts.

Book Synopsis

Now revised and updated, this comprehensive work, long considered the top textbook in the forensics field, reaches far beyond the scope of those introductory texts that concentrate primarily on criminalistics. Covering a range of fundamental topics, it introduces newcomers to the field while providing the technical detail necessary to understand the field as a science. To this end the book is compatible with CRC lab manuals, including Forensic Science Laboratory Manual and Workbook, Third Edition (87193) and Crime Scene Processing and Laboratory Workbook (85425).

Praise for the Previous Edition:
"The first-hand experience of the authors and the use of real case studies, including photographs, captivate the reader. Even non-forensic science students and the general public would find this book interesting reading."
—Kieran F. Lim, Physical Sciences Educational Reviews, Vol. 7, No. 1

This updated third edition includes:

  • New material on forensic photography, crime scenes, and forensic pathology, including a chapter on Forensic Digital Photo Imaging

  • Simplified, easy-to-understand chapters on computer forensics and DNA analysis

  • Revised materials in each chapter to reflect advances in the field

New and More Extensive Teaching Materials:
An instructor’s guide with objectives, questions and answers, suggested activities, and material in electronic format is available to qualifying instructors. This ancillary material is available on the convenient website classwire.com or on CD-ROM.

Booknews

Encompassing classic criminalistics and the latest techniques, this introductory text presents forensic science with cases and techniques made accessible to nonscientists at the advanced high school and undergraduate level. The text covers forensic pathology and related specialties, evaluation of the crime scene, forensic science in the laboratory, forensic engineering, cybertechnology and forensic science, forensic application of the social sciences, and legal and ethical issues in forensic science. Learning features include quizes, an extensive glossary, numerous color photos, and appendices on professional guidelines, safety precautions, and web sites. The authors are forensic consultants. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Table of Contents

Ch. 1Here we stand : what a forensic scientist does1
Ch. 2The role of the forensic pathologist15
Ch. 3Forensic nursing27
Ch. 4Investigation of traumatic deaths43
Ch. 5Forensic toxicology61
Ch. 6Forensic odontology79
Ch. 7Forensic anthropology99
Ch. 8Forensic taphonomy119
Ch. 9Forensic entomology135
Ch. 10Crime scene investigation167
Ch. 11Recognition of bloodstain patterns189
Ch. 12The forensic laboratory219
Ch. 13Identification and characterization of blood and bloodstains237
Ch. 14Identification of biological fluids and stains261
Ch. 15Techniques of DNA analysis279
Ch. 16Microanalysis and examination of trace evidence315
Ch. 17Fingerprints341
Ch. 18Forensic footwear evidence361
Ch. 19Forensic tire impression and tire track evidence377
Ch. 20Firearm and tool mark examinations391
Ch. 21Questioned documents423
Ch. 22Analysis of controlled substances441
Ch. 23Structural failures471
Ch. 24Basic fire and explosion investigation489
Ch. 25Vehicular accident reconstruction511
Ch. 26Use of computers in forensic science535
Ch. 27Investigation of computer-related crime553
Ch. 28Forensic psychology573
Ch. 29Forensic psychiatry593
Ch. 30Serial offenders : linking cases by modus operandi and signature605
Ch. 31Criminal personality profiling615
Ch. 32Countering chaos : logic, ethics, and the criminal justice system637
Ch. 33Forensic evidence649
Ch. 34Legal issues in forensic DNA667
App. ADNA Advisory Board (DAB) guidelines683
App. BBiohazard safety precautions695
App. CForensic Websites701
App. DTrigonometric tables : sine and tangent functions707

Subjects