The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York in Challenge: 50 Books

Jan 05, 2011 Rick rated it really liked it

People will make and ingest just about anything that they think will make them feel good, or at least better.
Reading Deborah Blum’s The Poisoner’s Handbook put me in mind of two of my favorite summer books: Methland, and Chasing the White Dog. My favorite chapters of this book were not the ones meant to be page turners. The mystery of who poisoned who with what chemical, and whether the intrepid scientists of the New York Medical Examiner’s office would solve it were good medical mysteries, but ...more

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Oct 23, 2018 Kent Winward rated it liked it

The best parts were some of the discussions on how prohibition went horribly awry.

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Sep 19, 2011 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

I'm absolutely loving this book so far. Man, if I ever decided to become a murderer I might have to refer to this book.

***

I forgot that this was a history of forensic science and when I went to go look for the book I couldn't find it in my usual place - fiction. But once it was found I quickly fell into reading this book almost as fast as I could. It is at once a book about Prohibition New York City and the rise of a new science - Forensics. A great read and I'd recommend it to anyone. ...more

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May 09, 2010 Sharon rated it really liked it

Interesting look at forensics. I ran across the book on Amazon.com; I loved the author's list of top ten favorite poisons, by the way. Blum's writing is engaging and accessible--she even makes the chemistry understandable (and my chemistry is waaaaaaaaay rusty). The book is far better than most CSI episodes. Plus there's an interesting back story connected to the donation of the piece of land in Manhattan that would become Central Park. ...more

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