Irrefutable Evidence by Michael Kurland explores the history of forensic science dating as far back as 475 B.C. in ancient China. He focuses attention on major criminal cases, using them to discuss advancements in crime solving techniques over the past 2500 years. Kurland provides illustrations of the evolution of crime scene investigation, physical evidence analysis and how modern technology is ... Read moreused to help solve criminal cases today. Kurland points out that forensic science must be reliable and based on fundamental scientific principles. He argues that there is a need to improve many forensic disciplines such as ballistics, latent fingerprint analysis, document examination, bitemark and impression evidence analysis up to the level of DNA analysis which is considered to be the gold standard for criminalistics. The history of crime solving comes alive in this extraordinary and exciting survey of forensic science.
Lawrence Kobilinsky, Professor of forensic science and chair of the department of sciences at John Jay College of Criminal Justice Thanks to the new gold standard of DNA, hundreds of innocent people have being exonerated, often after spending years behind bars. Searching the massive databanks of DNA profiles produced nowadays routinely results in ‘cold hits,’ fingering previously unsuspected perps. Fingerprints used to be thought infallible, but a miscall a few years ago by the FBI in the Brandon Mayfield case cost the US government a multi-million dollar settlement. And forensic scientists nowadays aren’t ‘cops in labcoats,’ but often have graduate degrees in biology and chemistry. What’s going on?? Unfortunately learning about this fascinating subject often comes down to a choice between the inaccurate (CSI), the overly technical (textbooks for professionals), and the unsatisfying. Michael Kurland’s Irrefutable Evidence avoids all of these, delivering an engaging, informative and highly readable picture of a field that is revolutionizing modern crime detection.
Sandy Zabell, Professor of statistics and mathematics at Northwestern University and author of Symmetry and its Discontents On any given week, 8 out of the 10 highest rated shows are CSI and Forensic productions. Michael Kurland tells us how we got there and why the public is now and historically has been fascinated by every aspect of Forensic Science and how it has been used or misused over hundreds of years. From Lizzie Borden to the Lindbergh kidnapping to the shabby conviction of Sacco and Vanzetti, we are given the complete history of the use of forensic science without commercial interruption. Unless you are one of the 8 people on this planet who is NOT interested in this subject, READ THIS BOOK!
Mickey Sherman, Criminal defense attorney, TV legal commentator, and author of How Can You Defend Those People? Forget what you thought you learned from CSI....Turn instead to Irrefutable Evidence.
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