Forensics & Injury Prevention

Hi everyone,

It has been forever since I made a post, so I figured I might as well write something here.

As my acquaintances and friends may know, this year I am pursuing a masters in public health as a dual degree with my medical degree. I have learned a lot so far that I think will be useful in the future. One of the topics which I am concentrating on in public health is injury prevention. This is essential the study of what causes injury/death and how to prevent such things from happening. Some topics which we cover are gun violence, drug overdose/opioid crisis, and other social woes. Many of the issues which effect injury prevention on the child population actually has to do with product design (toys, cribs, window blinds, etc.) P.S. Don't buy metal straws.

On the side, I've been reading more books about forensics.

Some of the titles I have enjoyed so far (in order of reading):

• The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
• Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases by Cyril Wecht
• Morgue: A Life in Death by Vincent DiMaio
• Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek
• Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner by Frederick Zugibe

There is an incredible amount of controversy surrounding some of the cases discussed in these books. They are undoubtedly career-defining cases. It certainly does not make for light reading, though I think I enjoyed reading these titles most at nighttime before bed.

What I learned from watching videos/crime scene reconstructions, digging deeper into some of these cases is that the press sometimes gets the details wrong in their reporting.

Then again, I suppose there is a great asymmetry in information when it comes to this subject in particular.

Some interesting sub-fields are forensic anthropology and forensic entomology (the study of insects).

What books/novels do you recommend?