The current edition of my new favorite column, Newsweek‘s “We Read It [So You Don’t Have To]” doesn’t live up to its name. It features The Poisoner’s Handbook and, rather than serving as a substitute for the book, it makes me want to get my hands on it as soon as possible.

In most libraries, that will be a while, since holds are heavy.

By Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, Deborah Blum, The Poisoner’s Handbook is about the dawn of forensic chemistry in New York City in the 1920’s (when, as the author says, “a wealth of modern poisons [created] new opportunities for the clever poisoner.”) Kirkus called it “caviar for true-crime fans.”

The Sunday Washington Post calls it “immensely entertaining.” and recommends it for fans Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, and forensic TV shows.

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Deborah Blum Retail Price: $25.95 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The – (2010-02-18) ISBN / EAN: 1594202435 / 9781594202438

Large Print, Thorndike; 9781410425126; $30.95

Audio; Tantor; UNABR; Available now

Trade; 9781400115501; 8 Audio CD; $34.99

Library; 9781400145508; 8 Audio CD; $69.99

MP3; 9781400165506; 1 MP3-CD; $24.99

Trade 9781400115501 8 Audio CD $34.99Library 9781400145508 8 Audio CD $69.99MP3 9781400165506 1 MP3-CD $24.99

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 9:19 am and is filed under 2010/11 - Winter/Spring, Nonfiction, Reading Trends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.