There is no scientist in the world like Dr. Bill Bass. A pioneer in forensic anthropology, Bass created the world’s first laboratory dedicated to the study of human decomposition—three acres of land on a hillside in Tennessee where human bodies are left to the elements. His research at “the Body Farm” has revolutionized forensic science, helping police crack cold cases and pinpoint time of death. … death. But during a forensics career that spans half a century, Bass and his work have ranged far beyond the gates of the Body Farm. In this riveting book, the bone sleuth explores the rise of modern forensic science, using fascinating cases from his career to take readers into the real world of C.S.I.
Some of Bill Bass’s cases rely on the simplest of tools and techniques, such as reassembling—from battered torsos and a stack of severed limbs—eleven people hurled skyward by an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory. Other cases hinge on sophisticated techniques Bass could not have imagined when he began his career: harnessing scanning electron microscopy to detect trace elements in knife wounds; and extracting DNA from a long-buried corpse, only to find that the female murder victim may have been mistakenly identified a quarter-century before.
In Beyond the Body Farm, readers will follow Bass as he explores the depths of an East Tennessee lake with a twenty-first-century sonar system, in a quest for an airplane that disappeared with two people on board thirty-five years ago; see Bass exhume fifties pop star “the Big Bopper” to determine what injuries he suffered in the plane crash that killed three rock and roll legends on “the day the music died”; and join Bass as he works to decipher an ancient Persian death scene nearly three thousand years old. Witty and engaging, Bass dissects the methods used by homicide investigators every day, leading readers on an extraordinary journey into the high-tech science that it takes to crack a case.
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Very interesting book with great information. The book is from 2008 (or maybe earlier) but still very engaging and includes some really cool investigations.
Bill Bass, creator of the legendary Body Farm, tells the stories of many of his more memorable cases with help from co-writer Jon Jefferson in this true crime collection. Ancient warriors, unidentified bodies, murder victims and those lost to misadventure all have pride of place in one of the pioneers of modern forensic science recollections.
This book covers a wide range of topics, from what happens to a body when flies find it and lay their eggs to forensic reconstruction of an unknown victim’s skull. Bill Bass is a scientist, first and foremost, and the book is filled with plenty of scientific terms and information. Some of it can be richly detailed, so if you are squeamish about decomposition, insect activity, corpses, or the science of death you might want to skip this book. While there is no violence or grisly descriptions of terrible crimes, the matter-of-fact treatment of what happens to bodies after death may be difficult for more sensitive readers.
That being said, the book is written with a great deal of poignancy and sensitivity to each of the victims and their families. Each case discussed whether an ancient burial site in a fortress in modern day Iran, or a plane crash victim in 1990s Tennessee, is treated with dignity and respect. Dr. Bass may deal with the unsavory aspects of death on a daily basis, but it has not dimmed his conviction that each body was once a person who was loved and who left behind people who still care what happened to them. He is both grateful for the contributions these people made towards his work and humbled by the opportunity to give some measure of closure to the families of those he studies.
There is a great deal of scientific jargon in these cases. Sometimes this is necessary to give the reader the full picture of the work he is doing and why it is important. Sometimes it is unavoidable because there is just no other way to describe what is happening. If you have a basic knowledge of medical terms and forensic procedures, this shouldn’t be a problem. If this is your first time reading a book about forensic science, you might want to keep a dictionary (or Google) handy.
This is an excellent addition to any true crime lover’s library. Although it has been some years since its original publication, Dr. Bass lays a solid foundation in forensic studies and the various branches associated with it. It isn’t as exciting as fictional CSI, or as quick and easy, but it is compelling reading if you want to deepen your fascination with this genre.
Love anything by Dr Bass. He’s the real deal.
I teach high school forensic science and found this very informative.
The author is a forensic scientist who founded a research center at the University of Tennessee.
Educational but entertaining book dealing with dead body science as a tool or clue to crimes
From the way he writes about his wife, the author is a male chauvinist. Ick. Had to put it down.
Great book (again) by Jefferson Bass. Living in Knoxville, not far from the Body Farm, I find his books fascinating and informative. A great read.
Great read if you are into forensics. Fascinating, nothing else like it.
I couldn’t put this book down. Real life cases
It’s a great book if you like forensics
I love all books by Jefferson Bass!!!
educational
Really great series. So interesting. Written by the creator of the Tennessee University’s “body farm”. Interesting forensics angle.
Great stories. Plot, action, mystery, detailed. Written well.
Awesome for anyone interested in forensic science!
Excellent basic discussion of forensic anthropology.
I love the fact that it’s based on true forensic science.
I work in the field of law enforcement in Northeast TN & have seen Dr. Bass speak several times. Professionally it’s very interesting to learn about the other side of crime investigations. As a life-long reader of true crime procedural it’s fascinating to read first hand experiences.
Great read about forensics!
Facinating work, goes way beyond CSI in forensic science.