Forensic Pathology:Principles and Practice, Dolinak

Forensic Pathology: Principles and Practice. Dolinak, Matshes, & Lew. Elsevier Academic Press, 2005.

ISBN: 0-12-219951-0

Forensic pathology textbooks have been dominated by publications from the likes of Dr.'s DiMaio and Knight for some time, and this is a refreshing addition to those ranks. The primary authors were based in Dallas, Calgary, and Miami respectively, at the time of publication. The chapters are based on type of injury rather than organ system (i.e., Firearm Injuries, Drowning, Death in Custody, etc.), and they use a case-based approach to assist in explaining a given topic. I find this makes it a very readable text. There are numerous good to high-quality color photographs (mostly macroscopic, with a very few radiographs and photomicrographs); at a glance, around four on every single page, which again seems to make it easier to follow. It is also referenced in-text, with a complete corresponding list of sources at the end of each chapter. In the preface, the authors direct the text towards everyone in the field of medicolegal death investigation, and it doesn't require a medical degree to follow what they're trying to tell/show a reader. Although this approach sacrifices some detail in order to be useful to a wider audience, it nevertheless contains more than enough detail for a pathology resident looking to do well on the forensic part of the anatomic pathology boards (there are cheaper & shorter, if less interesting, alternatives if that is your only goal). I have also met several forensic pathology fellows who use it as both a resource for things they don't know and a reminder for things they do.