CRIME SOLVING WITH CHEMISTRY
José R. Almirall · Chemical & Engineering News · 2008
THE WIDESPREAD popularity of both factual and fictional television drama based on forensic science has resulted in a tremendous interest from the general public on how science is applied to solving crimes and, in particular, how chemistry tools are used in the forensic laboratory. The new, aptly titled book “Crime Scene Chemistry for the Armchair Sleuth,” by Cathy Cobb, Monty L. Fetterolf, and Jack G. Goldsmith, is aimed at this general audience of adults with little or no previous background in chemistry. The light, informative, and often humorous book hits the mark on several levels and should also be of interest to the more chemistry savvy readers of Chemical & Engineering News . The book is divided into four parts, with the first part providing a basic background to chemical principles over eight chapters and introducing such topics as uncertainty in measurements, atomic structure, and the notion of presumptive chemical testing of drugs, for example. Part ...