Review: Death's Acre by William M Bass

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by William M. Bass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is not for everyone, but oh, I enjoyed it!

I'm well aware that I have a bit of a fascination when it comes to death and the macabre. I remember as a teenager checking out a book on Fred and Rosemary West, the infamous serial killers. True crime interests me, as does the nature of death and how people relate to it.

The descriptions in this book are sure to turn some stomachs, I would definitely say that if you're not prepared to read honest - and in some case, graphic - descriptions of corpses and decomposition, then you may want to give this book a miss. The stories Bass has to tell are intriguing and fascinating, though, and are well balanced against the details of the author. Intertwined with these are highlights of students and colleagues, which I appreciated.

It's interesting - while I stand by my warning up above, I did find myself thinking just now that it's possible that people could benefit from reading books like this. Not necessarily this book, but books on death, and dying. We are so removed from the process, now.



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