Describe Out Of 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:Deluxe 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
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The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Hardcover | Pages: 319 pages
Rating: 4 | 27024 Users | 2734 Reviews

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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.

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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 Out Of Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Ratings: 4 From 27024 Users | 2734 Reviews

Article Out Of Books The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Yes, it's a 4 star read and I didn't finish it. I own it. The fault is mine, in that I am truly not a reader dedicated to reading non-fiction works start to finish. Blum's book is fantastic - both entertaining and fact-filled, and can be approached as a collection of short stories. That makes it easy for readers like me to feel no guilt if they put it down and don't pick it up again for several months. It also means that readers whose attention span exceeds mine (the vast majority of the

Though the author's intent is clearly to argue against prohibition in the US, the main take-away for me is that people are IDIOTS and love filling their bodies with things they know are poisonous and will kill them. It's a wonder to me that, in an age so obsessed with eugenics; an age in which Margaret Sanger founded her Planned Parenthood with the dream of "purging" the US of "mental defectives" and minorities; an age in which G.K. Chesterton actually had to write a Christian tract AGAINST

I was really excited for this book and I was a little let down. It was very interesting, but so dry in parts that I had to set it down. The story was broke up in strange chunks with the ongoing problems of prohibition running throughout. There was a lot of information about forensic scientist and medical examiners fighting for budgets and prestige. I am glad I read it, it I wouldn't read it again.

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 : Prohibition

Trigger 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

I really enjoyed this informative and engaging book about the start and development of forensic medicine. I loved learning about Gettler and Norris and their early research in forensic science. I learned a good deal of new information about poisons and their use in crime in the early and mid-1900s. My favorite sections detailed the research they engaged in and discussed more common toxins like leaded gasoline, lead, and alcohol. I am so glad I read this book!