Beating the Devil's Game: A History of Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation

First time in paperback essential reading for the millions of fans of CSI and Cold Case Files.

Katherine Ramsland, a renowned expert in criminology, traces the story of the evolution of forensic science from thirteenth-century Chinese studies of decomposition through the flowering of science during the Renaissance and its veritable explosion during the era of Newtonian physics, to the marvels of the present day and beyond. Along the way, she introduces readers to such forensic pioneers as the father of toxicology; the criminal turned-detective who founded the Parisian Sureté; and trailblazers like William Bass whose integrated program in entomology, anthropology, and pathology at the Forensic Anthropology Center has galvanized the field.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland has master’s degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, and criminal justice, and a Ph.D. in philosophy. She is the author of 47 books including Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, The Criminal Mind: A Writer's Guide to Forensic Psychology, The Devils' Dozen, and The Forensic Science of CSI, as well as biographies of Anne Rice and Dean Koontz. She is also the coauthor, with James E. Starrs, of A Voice for the Dead: A Forensic Investigator's Pursuit of the Truth in the Grave, and co-author, with Henry C. Lee, of The Real World of a Forensic Scientist. Dr. Ramsland currently teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University in Pennsylvania.