Postmortem

by Timmermans, Stefan

• ISBN13: 9780226803999
• ISBN10: 0226803996
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-15
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

As elected coroners were replaced by medical examiners with scientific training, the American public became fascinated with their work. From the grisly investigations showcased on highly rated television shows likeCSIto the bestselling mysteries that revolve around forensic science, medical examiners have never been so visibleor compelling. They, and they alone, solve the riddle of suspicious death and the existential questions that come with it. Why did someone die? Could it have been prevented? Should someone be held accountable? What are the implications of ruling a death a suicide, a homicide, or an accident? Can medical examiners unmask the perfect crime? Postmortemgoes deep inside the world of medical examiners to uncover the intricate web of social, legal, and moral issues in which they operate. Stefan Timmermans spent years in a medical examiner's office following cases, interviewing examiners, and watching autopsies. While he relates fascinating cases here, he is also more broadly interested in the cultural authority and responsibilities that come with being a medical examiner. How medical examiners speak to the living on behalf of the dead is Timmermans's subject, revealed here in the day-to-day lives of the examiners themselves. "Postmortemis a wake-up call to forensic pathology. . . .This book should be viewed as provocative, rather than threatening, and should be a stimulus for important discussions and action by the forensic pathology community."Journal of the American Medical Association

Author Biography

Stefan Timmermans is professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of two previous books, including Sudden Death and the Myth of CPR.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction: Brokering Suspicious Deaths	p. 1
Making the Case for Heart Disease	p. 35
The Fifty-One Percent Rule of Suicide	p. 74
Forensic Credibility at the "Nanny Trial"	p. 113
The Perfect Crime	p. 157
A Baby Died. Where Were the Parents?	p. 195
The Organ and Tissue Trade	p. 225
Conclusion: The Hope of Forensic Authority	p. 251
Postscript: "How Can You Watch Autopsies?"	p. 275
Notes	p. 283
Bibliography	p. 331
Index	p. 357
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