Forensic Science : An Introduction to Scientific and Investigative Techniques

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 upon qualifying course adoption.

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.