Define Containing Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
| Title | : | The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York |
| Author | : | Deborah Blum |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 319 pages |
| Published | : | February 18th 2010 by Penguin Press (first published January 1st 2010) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. History. Science. Crime. True Crime. Mystery. Historical. Health. Medicine |
Deborah Blum
Hardcover | Pages: 319 pages Rating: 4 | 27024 Users | 2734 Reviews
Narration Supposing Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Deborah Blum, writing with the high style and skill for suspense that is characteristic of the very best mystery fiction, shares the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. In The Poisoner's Handbook Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. Drama unfolds case by case as the heroes of The Poisoner's Handbook—chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler—investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, Barnum and Bailey's Famous Blue Man, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler work with a creativity that rivals that of the most imaginative murderer, creating revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. Yet in the tricky game of toxins, even science can't always be trusted, as proven when one of Gettler's experiments erroneously sets free a suburban housewife later nicknamed "America's Lucretia Borgia" to continue her nefarious work. From the vantage of Norris and Gettler's laboratory in the infamous Bellevue Hospital it becomes clear that killers aren't the only toxic threat to New Yorkers. Modern life has created a kind of poison playground, and danger lurks around every corner. Automobiles choke the city streets with carbon monoxide; potent compounds, such as morphine, can be found on store shelves in products ranging from pesticides to cosmetics. Prohibition incites a chemist's war between bootleggers and government chemists while in Gotham's crowded speakeasies each round of cocktails becomes a game of Russian roulette. Norris and Gettler triumph over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry and the gatekeepers of justice during a remarkably deadly time. A beguiling concoction that is equal parts true crime, twentieth-century history, and science thriller, The Poisoner's Handbook is a page-turning account of a forgotten New York.
Itemize Books During The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
| Original Title: | The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York |
| ISBN: | 1594202435 (ISBN13: 9781594202438) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | New York City, New York(United States) |
| Literary Awards: | Macavity Award Nominee for Best Mystery-Related Nonfiction (2011), Agatha Award Nominee for Best Nonfiction (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History and Biography (2010), Society of Midland Authors Award for Adult Nonfiction (2011) |
Rating Containing Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Ratings: 4 From 27024 Users | 2734 ReviewsDiscuss Containing Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Mercury Rising : One Reviewer's Feverish Reaction to Annoying Trends in Non-fiction Book TitlesThrough our secret researches, we were able to discover some of the rejected titles for this book:Heavy Metal Madness : A Stroll Through Some of the More Insalubrious Back Alleys of the Periodic TableCSI Manhattan : Murder and Retribution in the Jazz AgeWhere's Fido? : Estimation of the Median Lethal Dose for Some Common Neurotoxins Under Severe Budgetary ConstraintsMoonshine and Giblets : ProhibitionTrigger warnings: death, murder, suicide, execution, death of a child, graphic medical procedures, animal experimentation.4.5 stars. This was absolutely phenomenal. Each chapter deals with a different poison prevalent in the 1920s, including carbon monoxide, wood alcohol, and radium. It was so compelling and well written, the perfect mix of forensics and history. I'm knocking off half a star simply because I could NOT deal with the number of times it was like "They needed to test their theory so
This was a book challenge read or I probably would have never picked it up. So, I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this....A LOT. I found the history fascinating. The author did a great job in detailing the information so it didn't sound like a wikipedia report. It amazes me how easy it was to poison people to get rid of them back in the day and how far research has come in determining certain causes of death regarding poison. I understand that research was important, but the dog experiments
DNF at 45%I had a great time read true crime books back at the beginning of 2019. But this one just dragged for me and I never picked it back up. I dont think Ill be getting to this one again, but it honestly was pretty dang cool. Id recommend it if you want to read about poisons and their histories.
Please note: this book is not actually helpful if you were looking for tips on how to poison someone (unless you are the U.S. government, in which case there are notes scattered throughout on how to poison industrial alcohols).I wanted to like this book. I wanted to rate it higher. I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I don't think it was this mix of science journalism, novel and research notes. I'm a biology nerd who enjoys science writing and have two years of chemistry under my
Good the second time through. Though the narrator sounded like Arnold Schwarzenegger when she used an Austrian accent and Pepe le Pew when she used a French accent. It's nonfic, sweetcheeks, it's okay to talk like a 'Murican. A 'Murican who can enunciate, anyway.
This is the story of Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler, who contributed much of the groundwork for modern forensics and toxicology. I absolutely loved this book but I feel the need to warn animal lovers that they that the research of poisons in that era involved animal testing. The book starts with Prohibition and the fight against wood alcohol. It also covers Cyanide poisoning, Arsenic, Mercury, Carbon monoxide, Radium, Nicotine and Thallium. But mostly it's a good portrait of the first half
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