Fascinating look at the pioneers of forensic medicine ( )

really enjoyed this. The information about the poisoners didn't shock me as much as learning what the government and companies concerned acceptable practice back then ( )

RATING: 3.5
“The Poisoner’s Handbook” is somehow both deeply interesting and detailed yet also strangely repetitive and too detailed. So I really did enjoy reading this (part on audiobook and part in print); the early years of forensic science and poison exploration seem downright WILD at times. I was fascinated by the various stories of killers, government agents, and scientists and all the ways they worked to achieve their ends, both good and evil. I also really like how Blum told these real life stories with a fictional voice, narrating like it was a murder mystery.

On the downside, each chapter (focusing on a different poison) felt like they had the same format. At times, I thought I had accidentally rewound the book because something sounded familiar. There are also times when the topic becomes focused on law, legislation, and government topics; I understand the need to include some of it but honestly parts of it were SO DRY and I don’t think added very much.

All in all, I have a deeper appreciation for forensic science now, and a couple of the stories Blum told have stuck in my head. ( )

This book includes some really heroic tales of the lives of scientists and municipal employees. ( )

Warning depictions of animal cruelty

I had difficulty staying interested in this book,it was quite taxing to finish unfortunately. The most frustrating aspect of was the endless amounts of historical vignettes found throughout each chapter. Sometimes it was effective, sometimes creating a quasi emotional connection with the victims. On the other end it was often clunky and unnecessary. Did I really need a recap of the great depression in order to understand the chemical composition of Thalium? No. Or the decor of the medical examiner's office? No. I did however enjoy the more technical passages describing the actual chemistry behind the various poisons and how they were discovered. The lives of Norris and Gettler were also fascinating. Overall I wish the focus was more on chemistry and forensic science,everything else could have been left out. ( )