Fundamentals of Forensic Science

Fundamentals of Forensic Science, Third Edition, provides current case studies that reflect the ways professional forensic scientists work, not how forensic academicians teach. The book includes the binding principles of forensic science, including the relationships between people, places, and things as demonstrated by transferred evidence, the context of those people, places, and things, and the meaningfulness of the physical evidence discovered, along with its value in the justice system. Written by two of the leading experts in forensic science today, the book approaches the field from a truly unique and exciting perspective, giving readers a new understanding and appreciation for crime scenes as recent pieces of history, each with evidence that tells a story.

Dr. Max M. Houck is an internationally-recognized forensic expert with research interests in forensic science, education, and the forensic enterprise and its industries. He has worked in all aspects of forensic science, including at the FBI Laboratory. Dr. Houck has published widely in books and peer-reviewed journals. His anthropology and trace evidence casework includes the Branch Davidian Investigation, the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon, the D.B. Cooper case, the US Embassy bombings in Africa, and the West Memphis Three case, among hundreds of others. He served for six years as the Chair of the Forensic Science Educational Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). Dr. Houck is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a founding Co-Editor of the journal Forensic Science Policy and Management.

Section I. Criminal Justice and Forensic Science CH1 Introduction CH2 Crime Scene Investigation CH3 The Nature of Evidence Section II. Analytical Tools CH4 Microscopy CH5 Light and Matter CH6 Separation Methods Section III. Biological Sciences CH7 Pathology CH8 Anthropology and Odontology CH9 Entomology CH10 Serology and Bloodstain Pattern Analysis CH11 DNA Analysis CH12 Forensic Hair Examinations Section IV. Chemical Sciences CH13 Illicit Drugs CH14 Forensic Toxicology CH15 Textile Fibers CH16 Paint Analysis CH17 Soil and Glass CH18 Fires and Explosions Section V. Physical Sciences CH19 Friction Ridge Examination CH20 Questioned Documents CH21 Firearms and Toolmarks CH22 Impression Evidence CH23 Forensic Engineering Section VI. Legal and Forensic Science CH24 Digital Evidence and Computer Forensics CH25 Legal Aspects of Forensic Science