THE BOOK FOCUSES UPON THE MAJOR AREAS IN WHICH THE TECHNIQUES IF CRIMINALISTICS CONTRIBUTE TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS, SUCH AS DOCUMENT EXAMINATION, FINGERPRINTS, HAIR, BLOOD, DRUGS, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND FIREARMS INVESTIGATION. THE PRESERVATION AND CARE OF EVIDENCE IS THE FIRST MAJOR CONSIDERATION IN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT HOW TO SECURE AND PROTECT THE CRIME SCENE; PHOTOGRAPH OR OTHERWISE DOCUMENT THE ENTIRE SCENE; LOCATE, COLLECT, AND PRESERVE PERTINENT EVIDENCE. THE ESSENTIALS OF FINGERPRINTING -- LIFTING THE PRINTS FROM DIFFERENT SURFACES, TAKING A SUSPECT'S FINGERPRINTS, AND IDENTIFYING VARIOUS FINGERPRINT PATTERNS -- ARE EXPLAINED. THE COMPONENTS AND OPERATION OF FIREARMS ARE OUTLINED, AS WELL AS METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING AND MATCHING BULLETS AND THE GUNS WHICH FIRED THEM. PROCEDURES FOR EXAMINING THE BODY OF A GUNSHOT VICTIM, CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF WOUNDS INFLICTED AND THE DETECTION OF RESIDUE FROM THE SHOT ARE DISCUSSED. THE IMPORTANCE OF MINUTE BITS OF EVIDENCE WHICH MAY BE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE, ON THE VICTIM'S BODY, OR ON A SUSPECT IS EMPHASIZED. THE ANALYSIS OF HAIR AND FIBERS, BLOOD, AND VARIOUS TYPES OF BODY SECRETIONS AND THE VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIME THAT THIS EVIDENCE CAN REVEAL ARE DESCRIBED. A DISCUSSION OF FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY EXAMINES VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS, THE TYPES OF SCENES AND EVIDENCE WHICH SHOULD BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND FROM WHAT PERSPECTIVES, AND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND DARKROOM TECHNIQUES. FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY, WITH ITS USES IN DETECTING THE PRESENCE AND CONCENTRATIONS OF POISONS OR DRUGS IN VICTIMS AND SUSPECTS, IS EXPLORED, AND SUMMARIES OF THE CONTENTS, APPEARANCE, AND EFFECTS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ARE PROVIDED. THE INVESTIGATION OF FIRE SCENES TO DETECT EVIDENCE OF ARSON; DOCUMENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING A SIGNATURE'S AUTHENTICITY; AND PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE POLYGRAPH, SOUND SPECTROGRAPH, AND OTHER DECEPTION DETECTORS ARE ADDITIONAL AREAS OF CRIMINALISTICS TREATED. THE CRIME LABORATORY AND ITS PROCEDURES, EQUIPMENT, AND CAPABILITIES ARE DESCRIBED. CASE HISTORIES ARE CITED THROUGHOUT THE TEXT TO ILLUSTRATE THE EXPLAINED TECHNIQUES. THE FINAL CHAPTER OF SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESENTING EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY IN COURT; IT DEALS WITH SUCH TOPICS AS APPEARANCE, CHOICE OF LANGUAGE, AND USE OF VISUAL AIDS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN AN OUTLINE OF PROCEDURES FOR SENDING EVIDENCE TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION LABORATORY AND A DIRECTORY OF CRIME LABORATORIES IN THE UNITED STATES. A GLOSSARY OF CRIMINALISTICS TERMS, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (VDA)