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| Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab, The Body Farm, Where the Dead Do Tell Tales (includes 16 pages of B&W photos) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bill Bass, Jon Jefferson
Creator: Patricia Cornwell
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $2.25
You Save: $22.70 (91%)
New (39) Used (38) Collectible (3) from $2.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  78 reviews
Sales Rank: 175537
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.1
ISBN: 0399151346
Dewey Decimal Number: 614.1
EAN: 9780399151347
ASIN: 0399151346
Publication Date: October 27, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A pioneer of modern forensic anthropology reveals secrets of the world's first-and only-laboratory devoted to death.
Forensic science and murder investigations are among the most fascinating topics of our time. Dominating television and print media every season, both as fiction and nonfiction, the subject could not be hotter. As one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, Dr. Bill Bass is the premier guide to this unusual world.
Nowhere is there another lab like Dr. Bass's: on a hillside in Tennessee, human bodies decompose in the open air, aided by insects, bacteria, and birds, unhindered by coffins or mausoleums. At the "Body Farm," nature takes its course with corpses buried in shallow graves, submerged in water, locked in trunks of cars. As scientific stand-ins for murder victims, they serve the needs of science-and the cause of justice.
For thirty years, Dr. Bass's research has revolutionized the field of forensic science, particularly by pinpointing "time since death" in murder cases. In his riveting book, he investigates real cases and leads readers on an unprecedented journey behind the locked gates of the "Body Farm." A master scientist and engaging storyteller, Bass shares his most intriguing cases: his revisit of the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder fifty years later; the mystery of a headless corpse, whose identity astonished police; the telltale bugs that finally sent a murderous grandfather to death row-and many more.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 73 more reviews...
 Good Author November 28, 2008
Dr. Bass is very knowledgeable about the subject he has studied and taught to others for many years. It is a pleasure to read his recollections and to have the privilege of if only slightly, but of receiving first hand teachings of forensics.
 A Great Book by a Forensic Science Legend October 3, 2008
Despite its title and subtitle, this book is really a chronicle of some of Dr. Bill Bass's professional experiences in the world of forensic science. In recounting these fascinating stories, Dr. Bass, an anthropologist, briefly explains how the idea of the Body Farm was conceived and how that facility evolved into reality. Some of the scientific research that takes place within the Body Farm is described but not belabored; it is made clear that the Body Farm is an important scientific tool (one of many) that is used in solving crimes. Consequently, most of the book is comprised of gripping descriptions of some of the cases in which Dr. Bass has been involved and in which he used everything he could in his forensic science armory to solve them, including the Body Farm. Also included in this book are a few tragic episodes that have occurred in Dr. Bass's personal life. The writing style is friendly, lively, authoritative, accessible and quite engaging. This is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, although those fascinated by true crime and forensic science would likely relish it the most.
Death's Acre a Delight August 14, 2008
Having read Patricia Cornwell's and then all the Jefferson Bass (Jon Jefferson and Bill Bass) novels, it was a foregone conclusion that I would have to read Death's Acre and I'm glad I did. Bass and Jefferson are excellent a writers as well as researchers and this book kept me page-turning far into the night (and yes I slept well afterword). It reads just like a novel and keeps you interested with facsinating information but never grossed out. I'm now over halfway through their next one printed in 2007 "Beyond the Body Farm". What's next?
 Is a little bit racist like being a little bit pregnant? April 29, 2008
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
I do not question this Author's intelligence or scientific knowledge. I do however, find this author's racial biases at times to be a little more than I can handle. Had he just stayed with pure scientific explanations regarding skeletal differences among the three main classifications: caucasiod, negroid and mongloid this book would have been rated by me as 6******'s However, when one is subjected to hear that the reason there are no black olympic swimmers is because their skulls are a tad thicker than a white person's I get more than annoyed and irritated.
I would think the Editor should have been a little more diligent and deleted the more obvious comments.
So Much To Learn - This Is A Wonderful Forensic Resource February 21, 2008
Death's Acre
Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
I am fascinated by forensics and the details that can be discovered through forensic work. So, when I got a chance to interview Dr Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson on a book panel, I was thrilled. I have to admit that neither of the men were what I expected, but that's all right. But, I was very impressed with both of them and I've enjoyed the books they have written together.
For people who aren't familiar with Dr Bill Bass, he is a world renowned forensic anthropologist and he has worked on a huge number of cases. At one point in those cases, he realized that it would be beneficial if there was a scientific way to determine how long a body had been dead. This would make it much easier for police, attorneys etc to make a case against a suspect. If the time of death is narrowed down to several days - it can be hard to debate an alibi, but if the time of death can be narrowed down to a more limited time frame, that makes an alibi more necessary and more useful.
This is one of the things that prompted the development of the "Body Farm" at the University of Tennessee. The Body Farm was started by Dr Bass and it was originally an acre - therefore "Death's Acre". Dr Bass and the UT students study the various stages of death and decomposition in a wide variety of conditions. It is fantastic research which is very helpful in crime solving.
I could rattle off all kinds of great stories and examples that were in the book, but that would take the fun out of it for you. I will tell you that there is death, gore and sorted details. It could be more gory, but there is plenty of detail. I think it was handled very well and should appeal to many people who are interested in forensics and forensic anthropology. I highly recommend the book and it gives you an interesting overview of many aspects for Dr Bass' life.
I admit that I had a tough time getting into the beginning, but give it a chance. The case studies are great. When I talked with Dr Bass, he looked at my copy of the book and noticed all the paper clips on the pages (there are a lot). He asked me what they meant. When I told him those were all the examples that I want to include in my future mysteries. He gave me a huge smile and said he was very glad he could get me thinking. Its a fantastic resource for mystery writers and entertaining for people who are interested in forensics.
Nikki Leigh
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