Cause of Death Atlas Series: Time of Death, Decomposition and Identification by Jay Dix MD, Michael A. Graham MD Paperback

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A postmortem X-ray of a male homicide victim reveals a bullet lodged next to his spine. That he was shot is clear. How recently? is what death investigators must determine. The answer: the absence of scar tissue surrounding the bullet proves the victim had been recently shot. And while the average person may find tattoos to be creative and aesthetic, to the trained death investigator, they can actually be the key to aiding in the eventual identification of a body. They say the dead can't speak. But in the fascinating field of forensic pathology, the deceased can tell an elaborate story, especially when death investigators know what clues to look for. The first volume in the new Forensic Pathology Atlases: Causes of Death Series, this book takes an in-depth look at the determination of the time of death, postmortem changes, and identification. In Time of Death, Decomposition and Identification, you'll learn through the extensive use of photographs and discussion how estimating the time of death can rarely be accomplished with scientific accuracy. You'll learn about the numerous changes the body undergoes after death, and how positive and probable identifications are made. For death investigators, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and anyone else involved in forensic death cases, Time of Death, Decomposition and Identification is a "must have" resource.

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Excellent, well written, August 18, 2015
By Victor Brown

Excellent, well written, and very informative. There's always so much more that could be written, especially pertaining to the conditions, both natural and man-made, that affect how time of death is established, and the decomposition of the body. This is an excellent over-view of what happens after death, and how this information is interpreted.

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Great book, better if it were in COLOR!, April 29, 2015
By 419_Girl

This is an excellent tutorial book. The only downfall is that the pictures should be in color to thoroughly depict the decomposition process. With it being in black and white the photos of the process can not accurately be portrayed so the lay person can follow. This is a very useful tool in teaching the decomposition process especially when considering the environmental and injury influences.

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Avoid this one! 24 pages of text, July 28, 2014
By Ashley-Keri Rosenberg

Informative but far too brief. The book is 112 (small) pages consisting of 24 pages of text (literally). The rest of the pages are some what useful reference photos, but are massively hindered by being black and grey. At times it can be hard to see what the author is trying to point out.

I am dumbfounded as to how the retail price can be $80!! luckily I got the book for $15 used, but even at that price it's only just worth it. All of the information presented can be found online for free. I realize the same can be said about most reference books, but this is pretty basic stuff and so minimal that you could find the information you need quickly and easily.

I'd recommend you avoid this one and put your money into a more comprehensive reference book.

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Geez it's awfully thin..., June 06, 2000
By Daryl W. Clemens

This is the first book in the Forensic Pathology: Causes of Death Atlas series.
My first thought when this arrived in the mail was geez it's awfully thin. The entire book is 112 pages. Having looked through the whole thing my opinion is that for $19.95 this would be a great book, unfortunately it's $35.00.
In the first chapter we have fourteen pages of text discussing time of death determination and decomposition. The text is not footnoted and there is no list of references or supplemental reading. The fourteen pages of text are followed by 71 pages of black-and-white photographs. The photographs would be far more useful if they were in color. One photograph in particular notes that one of the first signs of decomposition is green discoloration of the skin, especially in the abdomen. Unfortunately without a color plate none of these signs are visible in the photograph. The remaining photographs are of average quality but they do they do a good job of depicting various manner of death and decomposition subjects.
The second chapter on identification has seven pages of text and 24 pages of photographs. Chapter two includes nine references.
Chapter three consists of four pages containing three case studies.
The extensive collection of photographs used in the book cannot alone justify its cost. Were the photographs in color, or their production value of higher it might make a difference.
I would recommend the book for those of you that may be visual thinkers. However, for more in depth treatment I would recommend Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal investigation of Death which covers a far greater variety of death related issues and is more than worth it's somewhat higher price.

50 of 51 people found the above review helpful.

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