While certain technical portions may be difficult for some readers, true-crime enthusiasts will find the payoff worth the...
The history of one of the foundational elements of entertainment media today—forensic evidence—and how it is that we make sense of it.
Former police officer and crime novelist McCrery (Tooth and Claw, 2009, etc.) worked for many years as a researcher and screenwriter for the BBC. In this history of forensic science, he dons all three hats at once. In the author’s note, McCrery explains that it was during his time as an officer that his interest in the field was established. “I was greatly impressed,” he writes, “that they could glean so much information from such a small amount of evidence.” What follows is a treatise on what the author considers to be the most important steps in forensic science. For example, “it is impossible to overstate the importance of DNA technology in the field of criminal investigation.” Rather than organize the book chronologically, McCrery structures it by sections focused on different aspects of forensic work: Identity, Ballistics, Blood, Trace Evidence, The Body, Poisons and DNA. In each section, the author presents meticulous research into the history of the subject. The “Blood” chapter teems with information about antigens, typing old blood and the many tests used throughout the centuries to determine if a stain was blood and then whether it was human or animal. The author also offers colorful anecdotes of investigations gone awry due to a lack of the correct scientific knowledge and murders that were eventually solved after forensic science methods developed enough. However, while the wealth of information is both interesting and important, it is often dry as well. Where McCrery really shines is in his storytelling, which is no surprise given his background as a successful crime novelist.
While certain technical portions may be difficult for some readers, true-crime enthusiasts will find the payoff worth the effort.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61373-002-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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