I myself am hooked on the genre. I watch the Tuesday nite forensics shows on the Discovery Channel like a dog watching fire trucks roll by. So I probably would have like this book regardless.
But, Dr. Michael Baden DOES spin a good yard. I fully understand and appreciate his unique abilities to spot details of a crime scene, and link them to his experiences and past cases, that help shed light on a crime scene. With uncanny consistency, he will identify the who, what, when, where, how, and (sometimes!) why of otherwise unsolved crimes.
He does lay on his ego a little thick at times, but not to the point where it detracts from the story.
Dead Reckoning is Baden's best work, b/c it really opens up the readers' eyes and mind to the various aspects of forensic science. Confessions is a good follow-up for readers, b/c it tells some good stories about how forensic science, and in particular, Dr. Michael Baden's expertise in forensic science, has triumphed over cases that are plagued by incompetence, politics, and lack of understanding of what the crime scene facts really mean.
I think the book reads best as a series of short stories -- reading one chapter at a time, flipping around for stories that capture your interest the most.
If you have already read Dead Reckoning, give this one a try.

Michael Baden's 'Confessions', of course, are not confessions at all,but the book is a fascinating discussion (in no particular order) of many of the very high profile (and not high profile) cases he has handled over the years. The book is more anecdotal in style, moving along at a brisk pace, covering the forensic points quite well , with little wasted verbage. Along the way, he attacks his past critics, and confesses no sins of his own. Baden provides a useful discussion as to how politicians , prosecutors and the police bias sometimes affect, influence and even corrupt the independent judgenent of a the coroner's office. He makes a strong case for establishing nationwide standards. The recent explosion of TVs shows such as CSI (and its immitators) will hopefully attract highly talented physicians to this forensic science,which science not only helps convict the guilty, but frees the innocent, as long as the ME remains independent (and not an appendage of the prosecutor).
While many of the cases have been covered well in other
books or are familiar to true crime buffs, Baden discusses
the forensic points of each case quite well and succcintly.
The creation of 'chapters' for this book was gratuitious, as
there does not seem to be any real order to the book. Still,
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested as to
what the victim's body tells a forensic pathologist about the victim's death, and in a homicide, what it tells about the
killer

I have waded through my fair share (or unfair share) of thick books that have barely enough in them to fill a thin book. Haven't we all? Well, here is a book that packs so much into its 215 pages that it drips like a saturated sponge. Two words . . . READ IT! And I assure you, once will not be enough. This is not only a great read for any true crime fan, it is a valuable reference tool that you will go back to time and time again. How long does it take for rigor mortis to set in and how long do the effects last? How can time of death be determined by examining a victim's stomach contents? How can an infant death by suffocation be distinguish from SIDS? You will know all this and much, much more by the time you get to page 215. To say more would be to spoil the fun you will have diving into these engrossing pages. Thank you, Dr. Baden!

This is a disappointing biography of the Second Wave feminist pioneer, Betty Friedan. Its author spends so much time making insulting and belittling remarks about Friedan's behavior, clothing, relationships, lifestyle, etc., that the reader begins to wonder if it is a deliberate and underhanded attempt to discredit the feminist leader. The biographer apparently spent a great deal of time interviewing all of Friedan's past acquaintances, trying to cull out unpleasantries and dirty laundry. Everything negative that happens in Friedan's lifetime is blamed on personal shortcomings of Friedan. This is not a credible biography. Instead, I would suggest reading Friedan's own recent memoir of her life, _Life So Far_. Anyone who has read any of Friedan's books (_Feminine Mystique_, _It Changed My Life_, _Fountain of Age_) and been impressed with this great woman's strong voice for women's rights, and her extraordinarily powerful messages, will have difficulty with the negativity that mars this second rate book. I really don't understand why a biographer with so little empathy for her subject spent the time to write this book. Friedan herself is a marvelous writer, and she is misrepresented and underrated here.

Twenty-eight years ago, the work of Betty Friedan changed forever, my view of my role as a woman in society. Reading Hennessee's well-researched and balanced account of Betty's life and times, allowed me to reconnect with a special time and era to all women (at least white, middle class women!) It is fascinating to know Betty with all her contradictions exposed; her feelings of being marginalized and excluded, her need for recognition and acknowledgement ( especially from men), and inability to connect with her own spirituality and aging. Equally amazing is the fact that Betty's Feminine Mystique took feminism mainstream, but failed to acknowledge patriarchy as the root cause of the unspoken dissatisfaction and yearning of American women. Also of interest are accounts of "behind the scenes" maneuvers at key events in the Feminist Movement, highlighing the rivalry between Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and others. One can only hope that both women and men are learning new ways of being and can move to behaviors embracing a partnership model rather than a dominator model as we approach the new millenium.