Rating: 
Summary: "Some reading between the lines for the TV series CSI."
Review: "The Forensic Science of C.S.I." by Katherine Ramsland, ISBN 0-425-18359-9 (ppb), Berkly Blvd. Books 2001 - is a 242 page exposition by established writer (15 books plus masters in forensics) cleverly utilizing the characters, plots and forensics presented in the popular TV series "C.S.I." It is helpful (but not essential) to have followed "CSI" on TV as Ramsland's reference to the TV shows' titles and characters is merely a ploy in her easy-to-read presentation of basic modern forensics. Indeed, she skillfully introduces and outlines, in a series of 11 chapters, the crime scene and the elements of crime scene reconstruction including criminal logic, deceptions, and forensic puzzles & methodology in up-to-date evidence collection. Indeed, the last chapter "Evidence Response" is especially well presented. Aside from the oft encountered confusion in definition of "trace evidence", the book is excellent from the standpoint of crime scene coverage, categorization of forensic methodologies, and readability. It has an excellent glossary (13 p.), consequential references (4 p.), and helpful index (11 p.). The book is informative, well organized, priced fairly and is thusly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: "Some reading between the lines for the TV series CSI."
Review: "The Forensic Science of C.S.I." by Katherine Ramsland, ISBN 0-425-18359-9 (ppb), Berkly Blvd. Books 2001 - is a 242 page exposition by established writer (15 books plus masters in forensics) cleverly utilizing the characters, plots and forensics presented in the popular TV series "C.S.I." It is helpful (but not essential) to have followed "CSI" on TV as Ramsland's reference to the TV shows' titles and characters is merely a ploy in her easy-to-read presentation of basic modern forensics. Indeed, she skillfully introduces and outlines, in a series of 11 chapters, the crime scene and the elements of crime scene reconstruction including criminal logic, deceptions, and forensic puzzles & methodology in up-to-date evidence collection. Indeed, the last chapter "Evidence Response" is especially well presented. Aside from the oft encountered confusion in definition of "trace evidence", the book is excellent from the standpoint of crime scene coverage, categorization of forensic methodologies, and readability. It has an excellent glossary (13 p.), consequential references (4 p.), and helpful index (11 p.). The book is informative, well organized, priced fairly and is thusly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: The Forensic Science of C.S.I.-great book!
Review: Excellent book! I liked the ties to the show. It helped a lot because you could think back to the episode and remember what the gang did, or what the process looked liked. This book was well written. It was very descriptive, and it goes in to so much detail I think anyone, fan or not, can understand. It was small and light, which was helpful considering I couldn't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: this book is a 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I found this book to be marginal at best. That may have something to do with my education and the amount of reading I have done in real forensics books. It would be a good read for teens interested in a possible career in this field, or for adults whose primary exposure is through the TV series. I'm sure that the writer knows much more than is in this book, and I would like to see a more in-depth coverage written for those who aren't in medicine or law enforcement but who have a genuine interest in the science. If your teen likes the show, it might be an excellent way to get them interested in reading science outside of that dull text from high school.
Rating: 
Summary: Might be good to get your teen into reading science
Review: I found this book to be marginal at best. That may have something to do with my education and the amount of reading I have done in real forensics books. It would be a good read for teens interested in a possible career in this field, or for adults whose primary exposure is through the TV series. I'm sure that the writer knows much more than is in this book, and I would like to see a more in-depth coverage written for those who aren't in medicine or law enforcement but who have a genuine interest in the science. If your teen likes the show, it might be an excellent way to get them interested in reading science outside of that dull text from high school.
Rating:
Summary: A fun read for fans of the show and armchair detectives
Review: I wasn't looking for a manual of forensic science. I'm just a fan of CSI and true crime in general. This book supplied fascinating details about the equipment and procedures that are featured on the show, and even included real cases that many of the shows seem to depict. I highly recommend it to anyone who's as curious about the investigation process as I am.
Rating: 
Summary: not bad at all
Review: If you are a serious fan of CSI or if you are fascinated by forensic science then this book might belong in your collection. The author actually has a degree in the subject so she really knows what she's talking about. The good points about the book are: You get a quick overview of how crimes are really solved. It's not by the flashy cop like in the movies it's by the CSI person in the lab. The author liberally sprinkles examples real life crimes and how use or misuse of evidence affected the outcome. For instance she shows how the JonBenet Ramsey crime scene was ruined and why the coroner will never be able to get an approximate time of death. She also mentions the O.J. Simpson case. Poor handling of physical evidence turned the tide there. The only objections I have to the book are the design problems. The brittle paper feels horrible... your visible fingerprints will be left on it... frankly for the cost of this book I think the publisher could've made a better looking product.
Rating: 
Summary: criminal waste of paper
Review: In purchasing this book I hoped to find an up to date technical handbook of crime scene analysis. Instead what I found was a companion manual for a T.V. series. Now I'll agree that while the TV show is very interesting, the book was not. The main focus was geared at retelling the series episodes with just a tiny tiny bit of scientific background thrown in for good measure. Die hard fans of the series will no doubt find this very entertaining, but if your goal is; as mine; to explore the scientific and technical field of forensic's this is not the book to buy.
Rating:
Summary: A very entertaining and educational read.
Review: Ramsland knows both of her subjects well and does a fine job of weaving the non-fictional forensics information with the fictional examples from the television program. A great book for anyone who is interested in forensic science or just a fan of the show!
Rating:
Summary: Cashing in on CSI's popularity
Review: This book is a clear attempt at cashing in on CSI's popularity. It is (if you note the fine print on the cover) not affiliated or sanctioned by anyone with CSI. The most annoying thing about the book are the constant cryptic references to episodes. If the author wanted to reference episodes, an episode guide would have been helpful. I enjoy the show very much, but could rarely tell you the name of any episode. I also found the book very scattered in terms of what it was talking about. It jumped all over the place, from topic to topic. If you are truly interested in forensic science, keep shopping. If you are a CSI junkie, this book might be for you.
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