Bodies We've Buried: Inside the National Forensic Academy, the World's Top CSI Training School

by Jarrett Hallcox and Amy Welch

Book Overview

Shocking, uncensored, and sometimes darkly humorous, Bodies We've Buried the true story of what goes on in the Harvard of hellish violence (Washington Post), also known as the National Forensic Academy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425207528
• ISBN13: 9780425207529
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

The Real CSI

The creators of the NFA in Tennessee did police departments in this country and the world a great service. Opened my eyes to the innovation and genius of the pioneers in this field. For any CSI show fans this book tells you the real story about forensic science. The world of a CSI is not as glamorous as the TV networks want you to believe. And with an upcoming shortage in forensic experts this book is a wakeup call that we need to encourage more people to go into this line of work if we want to continue to catch criminals.

A detailed peek inside the National Forensic Academy

The College Of Carnage. The Harvard Of Hellish Violence. The National Forensic Academy has earned many nicknames from its students. In this book, you'll find out why. 'Bodies We've Buried' takes us from day one of classes at this esteemed institution through all ten intensive weeks (two and a half months) of the program. From how to properly use a camera through an extremely detailed description of an actual autopsy (put on a glove and come feel this), the steps of a CSI investigator are outlined chapter by chapter. Down On The Farm, Diggin Up Bones, It's A Rigorous Job But Someone's Got To Do It, Vinyl Resting Place, Heart Strings, and Spatter Up! are the best chapters in the book, gruesome and filled with extremely grisly details. These are the chapters that focus on dead bodies, blood splatter, bones, and "human effluence" of crime scenes. There are also chapters on arson and bombings. (Did you know that there are five degrees of burns and not just three? The last two occur after death) The leading chapters tend to be the most boring, like the authors were warming up to a subject. Stick through the details of photography and fingerprinting to get to the "meat" of the subject. The authors themselves tend to become more relaxed as the subjects get gorier. There's lots of pictures, though very few are of the gruesome nature (but look out, some of them are!). The details of this book show the tremendous impact that a good CSI can have on a crime scene, and the problems that an untrained CSI can inadvertently cause. I can hardly imagine spending two and a half months in the intensive training program that these dedicated people go through. Though close to being a technical novel, I ate this book up in a single day - it's that interesting. There's a detailed Glossary of terms, a "Who's Who In Forensic Investigation" giving specific titles of who handles what evidence, a Resources bibliography, Acknowledgements, and an extensive Index. If your truly into the field of dead bodies, then this book is worth the hardcover price, otherwise wait for the paperback. Also, check out 'Stiff: The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers' by Mary Roach. Enjoy!

Great as a reference book too!

This gem gives readers a look inside the National Forensic Science Institute. This is where students are trained in burial recovery with actual human/animal remains. These are the things that are normally off-limits to anyone outside of law enforcements, medical fields, scientists, and the like. ***** Within these pages are detailed studies, complete with photos, on blood spatters, arson, organic decomposition, photo evidence, DNA, and so much more. It was written by two instructors, so all the information is dead on (no pun intended) and quite unnerving at times. I found this book to be so intense that I could have almost used it as a textbook. With the photos to show me exactly what was being explained (in text) to me, I could easily see everything being played out in my mind's eye. This is all VERY realistic and hard-hitting even though I was never (physically) at any real crime scene. One thing is for sure, I will never look at the world in the same way again. This book is going onto my Keeper Shelf and, I have no doubts, I will be referring back to it during many TV or movie scenes. (Why? To see if the evidence and the recovery of all the evidence, were really researched or simply thrown together in hope that no one above the intelligence of a slug would check behind the makers.) Highly recommended as a beginners reference or simply for those who want to know the truth. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Not What I Expected, But Still Good

I wasnt expecting the book to be about the school- I was more expecting it to detail the lessons etc ( which it did- just not as in depth as I thought it would). Overall though it was from a great seller and a good book.

Great book

I bought this for my wife, she went to UT and was a student of Dr. Bass. Very technical information, anyone with an interest in forensics should read this book.