Rating: 
Summary: Must read for forensic science buffs
Review: I am from Knoxville, TN, and have grown up with the "mystery" of the body farm. The book is wonderful in its detail of how and why the research facility was started. I read the book in two days, and was left with wanting more. For those in the southeast area, you might recognize some of the case studies mentioned in the book, and it's interesting to find out how much UT's anthropology department was involved in those cases.It was also nice to learn more about Dr. Bass' personal life, not just his vital stats. He is a bit of a local legend, so it was nice to see the "human" side of him in this book. For anyone interested in forensic science, don't pass up this chance to learn more about it!
Rating:
Summary: Must read for forensic science buffs
Review: I am from Knoxville, TN, and have grown up with the "mystery" of the body farm. The book is wonderful in its detail of how and why the research facility was started. I read the book in two days, and was left with wanting more. For those in the southeast area, you might recognize some of the case studies mentioned in the book, and it's interesting to find out how much UT's anthropology department was involved in those cases. It was also nice to learn more about Dr. Bass' personal life, not just his vital stats. He is a bit of a local legend, so it was nice to see the "human" side of him in this book. For anyone interested in forensic science, don't pass up this chance to learn more about it!
Rating:
Summary: A easy entry level read for the beginner in Forensic Science
Review: I am only 130 pages into this book but I had to come online to write a quick review before I became even more engrossed in this book and forget that others might benefit from my review. I haven't been able to put it down since I opened the amazon shipping carton. I'm just starting to feed my curiousity about Forensic Sciences so this is my first book.
This book is very well prepared and an easy read. You won't have to keep a medical dictionary next to you while reading and you won't be bored by simplicity. The book cites specific examples of the authors forensic career, what lead up to the creation of the Body Farm and how Forensic science has benefited from day one and body 1-81.
If you want to satisy a curiousity about Forensics this book is for you. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Misleading Title
Review: I bought this book expecting it to be about The Body Farm. While it does contain a good bit of info and stories about the body farm, the main subject of the book is one of it's authors, Dr. William M. Bass, and his exploits in forensic science. While it made for an interesting story anyway, I didn't buy the book to hear about him, I bought it thinking it would be solely about the body farm, which it's not.
Rating:
Summary: Misleading Title
Review: I bought this book expecting it to be about The Body Farm. While it does contain a good bit of info and stories about the body farm, the main subject of the book is one of it's authors, Dr. William M. Bass, and his exploits in forensic science. While it made for an interesting story anyway, I didn't buy the book to hear about him, I bought it thinking it would be solely about the body farm, which it's not.
Rating: 
Summary: A quick read
Review: I found Dr. Bass's book to be a quick read, skimming along the surface of decomposition and decay, but providing a glimpse into the learning underway at the Body Farm. I have read extensively in the subject, and finding the same names crop up from time to time is like encountering old friends. It was interesting to read the history of the "farm", and of the adjunct sciences that are coming into study.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I found the topic fascinating, but the writing left something to be desired. Forensic cases that he labeled as the "most bizarre of his career" turned out not be so bizarre after all. In fact, some turn out to be rather mundane. Most of the cases seemed "rushed" and "over-edited". Believe it or not, the book turned out to be rather boring, mostly due to the overabundance of personal interludes - like when his wife is diagnosed with stomach cancer - sorry, Mr. Bass, but people are not buying this book to hear about your wife's illness. Especially when discussion of your wife has been limited to one or two sentences in chapter two. Mr. Bass should stick to forensics and leave writing to others.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Is Sick!!
Review: I read this book in a little less than a week. That's good considering that I'm usually too tired to read AND comprehend a book. I didn't even really know that a real body farm existed, but my mom insisted that it did because of Patricia Cornwell's novel. Maybe I thought the body farm in her book was fictional... I read it quite a few years ago when I was younger. Death's Acre contains a lot of information, but my brain finds it slightly lacking in some areas, which is why I'm looking for more books on the subject. It is NOT meant for people who are grossed out by bloated dead bodies, grave wax, and other "goo". If your morbid curiosity has gotten the best of you, buy this book!!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and fun war stories of Bass's career
Review: I very much enjoyed "Death's Acre". I'd describe it as a series of distinct war stories spanning the length of Bass's career in forensic investigation, emphasizing how these cases motivated the need for the "body farm" and how the results that come out of the farm assisted in future cases. The book sometimes felt a bit disjoint in that the overall chronological timeline is sometimes presented in non-sequential order, and some of the information presented in one chapter is occassionally repeated in other chapters as well. Also, I thought the chapter (2nd?) dealing with Bass's early anthropological exeriences researching indian graves on the prairie was BY FAR the least interesting part of the book and I almost set the book aside there. This chapter has very little to do with the rest of the book and I encourage readers to push past (or skip) this chapter. All in all, though, this book was a great "page turner". It is not overly gruesome and yet was informative and unflinching. It was a fast, enjoyable read; I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Forensic Favorite
Review: I was fortunate enough to have taken a seminar with Dr Bass at the beginning of my career. I learned a lot - he was an exceptional teacher. However I've never heard the facility addressed as the Anthropological Research Facility. We always called it what it was - the BARF Lab!
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