Rating: 
Summary: Title is misleading.
Review: I would have enjoyed this book much more if it were about the reasearch done at the 'Body Farm'. Instead we get a flimsy biogrophy of Mr. Bass that deviates from the title of the book. There is also an entire chapter that kisses up to Patricia Cornwell. I found it very watered down compared to other forensic study books. No offense to Mr. Bass and his work.
Rating: 
Summary: The secrets of the dead, deciphered to save the living.
Review: I'm not a phenomenal writer, so please forgive me...
Dr. Bass is an incredible scientist who had a groundbreaking idea - LITERALLY! The Anthropology Research Facility, or Body Farm, is something that people either love or hate. However, no matter your personal, moral or ethical opinion, it must be recognized that the Body Farm has met and far exceeded any expectations, and solved more mysteries than ever expected.
Dr. Bass is a phenomenal storyteller with over 40 years of fascinating stories to tell. Forensics has long been a personal passion for me. I had no doubt that this book would serve me many short nights, as I would be unable to put it down. However, the true test of how good a book this is was to give it to my mother, who is not as excited by macabre murder mysteries as myself. Needless to say, she is now cursing me for giving her a book that she stays up all night to read!!!
Buy this book; you will enjoy it immensely - especially if you enjoy a good murder mystery. If nothing else, you will learn things that you never thought of, that will give you a whole new perspective on the secrets of the dead.
Rating:
Summary: Yay, Dr. Bass!
Review: I've lived in Knoxville all my life and attend the University of Tennessee. Growing up here, I have heard so many tall tales about the Body Farm from friends who had supposedly snuck in unnoticed so it was lovely to hear the truth about what really goes on inside the fence. When UT's student paper announced that Dr. Bass would be signing his books during finals, I was so excited that I fought through a rough Psych 310 final and Knoxville traffic in the rain to buy books for myself and two other friends who had finals all day and couldn't get off campus. After finishing the book, I was a little bit sad that it was over, because it was an entertaining and educating book. Dr. Bass wrote the book with great and understanding to those of us who aren't that familiar with forensics. I also enjoyed reading about Dr. Bass' private life, which was very interesting to the people of the Knoxville area who have been familiar with him and his work due to local news. So, yay to you Dr. Bass! You are, in fact, the man!
Rating:
Summary: very interesting work on forensics
Review: In all honesty, this book labours under a pretty distinct false pretence. Well, an implied one. From the blurb and the cover, you may infer this to be a book about the Anthropology Research Facility (or, to give it its more colourful soubriquet, the body farm) but it isn't really. The implied impression is misleading. Instead, it is really a biography of Dr Bill Bass who is, as the author info puts it, a "colossus of forensic anthropology". Among other topics, it charts his career in forensics, from when he first began excavating Arikara graves in South Dakota, to the present day. He presents us with some of his most striking cases, with several chapters almost turning into short forensic detective stories. As background along the way, we are also treated to a brief history of forensic anthropology. We see the development of the science, and how crucial techniques investigators now use in their work first came into being. The "body farm", of course, does feature, sometimes very heavily, but it is not really the focus of the book. Still, readers who pick this up solely for a book about the farm shouldn't be disappointed; we still discover plenty about it and its history, still get an insight into its workings, the methods of those who work there to investigate the processes at work on the body after death, and still get plenty of anecdotes about how the work at the body farm has helped in many forensic cases. There's a wealth of information, but there is a lot more about other general matters. "Death's Acre" is possibly the perfect book for anyone who is marginally interested in forensics. It doesn't glorify it by any means (anyway, is it possible to truly glorify decaying flesh?) or remove any of the unpleasantness, but it does present it in a riveting light. It treats its subject with respect, and goes into a detail that is fascinating but never brutal or exploitive. It is also a strangely warm book. There's a strong humanity which comes through from Dr Bass himself. He both loves his subject and hates that it is necessary. It is his personality which softens this book, gives it its compassion and humour and removes some of the harsh edge. Some may not welcome that, but I did. It may cover a sometimes unpleasant topic, but it is strangely comforting. Something else that makes this such an interesting and unthreatening read is the language. Techniques are explained well (even if the writing does feed off a truly American adulation of acronyms) and the science comes to life. There are a couple of downsides, though. At times, the descriptive writing is rather awkwardly melodramatic. Phrases are thrown in to add drama and instead had me rolling my eyes. "Dr Snow and I were located in Lexington, just thirty miles from the scene of that early-morning truck collision. Although I didn't know it at the time, I was about to collide head-on with my future," for example. This sort of overblown language just didn't sit right. For the most part, though, is well-told and entertaining to read, and I admit that I did think a one or two of the descriptions were rather inspired, as in the case of "a rattlesnake with a neck as thick as a grave-digger's wrist". I must also admit that by the finish the constant flow of unidentified bodies was growing tiresome. There are a quite of few of these sorts of cases covered in detail, and I got a little bored of our team of intrepid investigators receiving phone calls and tramping out to scenes, then having to undergo the arduous task of identifying skeletons again and again. It was interesting the first couple of times, but by the end I felt so acquainted with the process that I was keen to have a bash myself and get it over with. ("Ah, yes. The pubic symphysis has clearly ossified. From this I can conclude that our victim was...") Overall, though, this is warm, entertaining and informative trawl through the history and techniques of forensic anthropology, Dr Bill Bass's life, and the body farm. For those interested in the subject (and I imagine many who read crime fiction are) then this comes highly recommended.
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Summary: Thank God people like Mr Bass exist
Review: It's easy to overlook the vital importance of the work he does when getting lost in his gruesome descriptions of maggots, flies and decaying human flesh, but what it all comes down to is justice for the dead. That what shines through for me in this excellent example of forensic literature... when everything else is stripped away, all Mr Bass wants is for the perpetrators of violent crime to be caught and punished for their sick deeds, and let those who've met their ends so horribly rest in peace. It almost seems wrong to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I did, and I hope the Body Farm continues to play a pivotal role in solving the seemingly unsolveable.
Rating: 
Summary: Well done, easy read
Review: Just finished Death's Acre by Bill Bass, I found it quite well done, not overly technical, and an absolutely macabre subject presented with a good sense of humor to lighten it. Fascinating to read about the progression of forensic anthropology from the '50's to the present. Yes, if you have read Pat Cornwell's Body Farm, this is about the real place that inspired her.
Rating:
Summary: Example of useful cross-discipline science
Review: The writer (an anthropologist) clearly shows not only the practical application of his work, but how it evolved over the years with contributions from varied and sundry sources into an extremely useful tool to aid the criminal justice system. A great history (and fun for those who have watched CSI over the past couple years). Especially loved the new information he obtains from a "medical illustrator."
Rating:
Summary: Real life Sherlock Holmes
Review: This book is a compilation of various cases worked upon by Dr Bill Bass in his career in forensic anthropology. The "Body Farm", where he performed experiements on decaying corpses, features prominently in the book. The thing that struck me about this book was the resemblance between a forensic investigation and a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Aside from using the tools of forensic science, the author often had to use powers of deduction to determine plausible explanations for bizarre scenarios. For example, if a victim had allegedly crashed his car and been incinerated in the resulting inferno, why did the evidence point to his head being upside down on the floor while the fire raged around him?
The book contains some very interesting material, even for someone like myself with no particular interest in forensic science. The language of the book is easy to read and the author avoids using technical jargon in order to not intimidate the reader. The book itself is well written and engaging. Each of the twenty chapters is a short story and this structure works very well.
Although the topic itself is inherently disturbing and at times chilling, the author avoids sensationalising the topics and describes his subject matter in a matter-of-fact way. His sense of humour comes through and he manages to integrate it into the novel without trivialising or demeaning his subjects. Thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Forensics for the layperson
Review: This book is nicely done with a kind word from Patricia Cornwell. I would have preferred a chronological approach instead of the moving back and forth between past and present. It is an easy read and should not give anyone nightmares. It details some of the criteria used in identification of corpses, but is somewhat repetitive. Dr. Bass is an entertaining speaker and undoubtedly a quality teacher. The book should be read as an overview and the reader who wants more specific information should consult his library.
Rating:
Summary: Bass's Anthropological Research Facility: BARF.
Review: This book is written by the man who revolutionized the scientific study of death and what happens to our bodies when our spirit leaves and the blowflies move in.
Before reading this fine book, I never considered that the fly I shooed off my shoulder or off my food, may have been spawned inside of a dead corpse! (GAG!) Hoo-ballooo-ballooo!...that just gives me the willies.! My maw tole me flies were dirty creatures, but she never did tell me that they spawn on dead flesh! How totally disgusting! But, these are the facts according to one who knows; Dr. Bass set up this forensic research lab and studied the process of death - how a body can go from warm dead to cold, rigor mortis and rot all the way down to the skeletal level.
Evidently, the rotting down to the bone level is quicker when the temperature is warma and there is alot of moisture in the atomosphere. But if a corpse is inside a body of water, it tends to preserve itself a bit longer...nobody knew this fact until our kind Dr. Bass conducted actual experiementation on the subject. So now we know.....
He needed to do this in order to pinpoint the time of death that a human being died. This is extremely applicable to those unfortunate souls who were victims of violent crimes.
One day you read in the newspaper that person was found dead in their home; bloated, smelly and laying in a pool of black oil.
The first question from the coroner and the family is, "How long have they been dead?" Nobody could estimate this with any accuracy until Dr. Bass's studies began in the Anthropology Research Facility in Tennesse....Patricia Cornwall dubbed it, "The Body Farm," and made it famous around the globe.
I'd sure like to visit the place someday, but only while I am still alive!
Nobody had ever done this research prior to Dr. Bass, because, quite frankly, it's revolting and disgusting work.
Thank God that Dr. Bass can look beyond the gore, and get to the truth: (but how he can tolerate the horrible smell is beyond me! UGH! GROSS!)
The stench would knock one off their feet!
Dr. Bass explains how he came into the field of studying death and decay, and he has dedicated not only this book, but his entire professional career to all victims of murder, their family who mourns them, and to all who seek justice.
That is pretty amazing stuff; alot of the studies have to do with maggots and their lifespan. I have to say that I admire the man for going where no other man dare goeth. All the discoveries of dead bodies and the process of death is clearly explained, and it's only a tad gross. As readers, we aren't subjected to sniffing the foulness of the air when a corpse is being studied, like Dr. Bass's students had to do. Nor are there nasty photos that will cause one to upchuck one's breakfast; the stories are told well and the good doctor keeps it all under control, so the reader will not stumble upon some detail that could possibly be traumatic. I recommend this book to anyone who has an avid interest in medicine and forensics. It is also a good book for people who love flies and want to learn more about maggots. I also think it comes in handy when deciding what to do with your remains once you die. I am very much in the air after reading this book...I am still torn between being cremated versus being buried inside of a casket. Both methods have their draw-backs but one thing is for certain...I am not donating my body for any scientific studies at the Body Farm in Tennesse! No siree!
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