Who can forget OJ's bloody gloves? Or the grisly autopsy pictures of slain President John F. Kennedy? The work of forensic scientists both fascinates and repels us. Now, everything you wanted to know - and maybe a bit more - about this little understood field is available in this accessible and comprehensive reference book. From dandruff to DNA, from ammunition to infrared spectrophotometry, forensic scientists employ the commonplace and the esoteric to get their man or woman. This reference work is accessible to non-experts in this fast-changing and ever-fascinating field of criminological study. Readers will learn how the latest scientific breakthroughs and the well-honed instincts of forensics experts come together to provide the clue and amass the evidence to bring America's most notorious criminals to justice. From famous firsts in forensics to accessible future developments in science, the expert team of contributors examines techniques and technologies, key cases and critical controversies, ethics and legal issues.