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The Nature of Life and Death
- Every Body Leaves a Trace
- Narrated by: Patricia Wiltshire
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
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The Nature of Life and Death
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Publisher's Summary
A riveting blend of science writing and true-crime narrative that explores the valuable but often shocking interface between crime and nature - and the secrets each can reveal about the other - from a pioneer in forensic ecology and a trailblazing female scientist.
From mud tracks on a quiet country road to dirt specks on the soles of walking boots, forensic ecologist Patricia Wiltshire uses her decades of scientific expertise to find often-overlooked clues left behind by criminal activity. She detects evidence and eliminates hypotheses armed with little more than a microscope, eventually developing a compelling thesis of the who, what, how, and when of a crime. Wiltshire's remarkable accuracy has made her one of the most in-demand police consultants in the world, and her curiosity, humility, and passion for the truth have guided her every step of the way.
A riveting blend of science writing and true-crime narrative, The Nature of Life and Death details Wiltshire's unique journey from college professor to crime fighter: solving murders, locating corpses, and exonerating the falsely accused. Along the way, she introduces us to the unseen world all around us and underneath our feet: plants, animals, pollen, spores, fungi, and microbes that we move through every day. Her story is a testament to the power of persistence and reveals how our relationship with the vast natural world reaches far deeper than we might think.
What the critics say
A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Pick
One of Science News' Favorite Science Books of the 2019
"The Nature of Life and Death is one of those extraordinary books that will appeal to almost everyone. If you're a Mary Roach fan, fascinated by the macabre and grotesque, you'll get to follow Wiltshire into mortuaries and watch her pick apart cadavers. If you're a Lab Girl fan, inspired by stories of women blazing new trails in science, that's Wiltshire's entire career. If you're a gardener, you will love knowing how often botany has saved the day. And if you're a crime fiction fan - well, you've found your new favorite sleuth." (The Washington Post)
"Crabby, brilliant and brittle, but also quite tender when it comes to the loss and pain of grieving families, Ms. Wiltshire seems to come straight out of a British detective series. She's an eccentric who, after proving guilt in an Albanian gang murder, goes home, puts on her sweat pants, makes herself a dinner of beans and toast and cuddles with her cat. With a lead character like this, the science and crimes, while highly readable, are mainly stages and props for this engaging and enlightening one-woman show." (The Wall Street Journal)
“A British forensic ecologist, Wiltshire studies the natural world for clues to criminal activity: part Discovery Channel, part 'C.S.I.' Her autobiography will change the way you view your environment.” (The New York Times Book Review)