FIRST STEPS

Basic Practice in Courts & Tribunals Nicholas Fridd and Steven Weddle (Waterlow Publishers, London, 1989, 401pp, index, ISBN 0 08 036901 4, £19.95)

Remembering how nervous I was, not knowing anything about Crown Courts the first time I had to attend, this book could prove to be a very useful basic guide to the court system and will be particularly beneficial to those who have had little or no experience of appearing in court. It clearly and simply sets out standard court procedures, discussing such matters as manner of dress, who sits where, and who is entitled to be present in court. In addition, the book provides suggestions for opening questions and order of speeches, as well as examination of witnesses. It also contains a section which deals with very useful basic principles of costs.

Although the book makes no claim to be more than an introduction to standard proceedings, and contains a list of common practitioners' handbooks at the end, it would be a useful initial source of reference for anyone making their first appearance, whether as advocate or witness, before an unfamiliar court or tribunal.

AN AMERICAN FIZZER

Forensic Pathology DJ Di Maio & VJM Di Maio (Elsevier, New York, 1989, 503pp, index, ISBN 0444 01506 X , $US 46.95)

This is another of the Elsevier series "Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigation", all written and published in the United States and intended primarily for an American readership. This particular addition to the series is really excellent and apart from the one anomaly mentioned below, must be the best textbook on forensic pathology published in the States since the monumental Gonzales, Vance and Helpern of about 1954. Indeed, it is partly from the same stable, as the senior of this father-and-son Di Maio partnership actually followed Milton Helpern into the Chief Medical Examiner post in New York City. His son Vincent is an equally worthy descendant of this forensic family, being Chief Medical Examiner in San Antonio. Texas.

The book is a substantial volume of almost 500 pages, with a great deal of practical detail and a very modern outlook and reference material. Its plan follows the usual forensic convention in arrangement of chapters, though it is prefaced by a useful and informative discussion of medico-legal investigative systems, again naturally orien- tated mainly to the North American situation. The photographs are plentiful, but thankfully it is not yet another gory atlas with a skimpy text. The pictures are good and the reproduction clear even though this type of lithography tends to emphasise the grain of the monochrome illustrations. There is a four-page insert of colour pictures, again chosen for their instructiveness rather than for their horror.

The range of conditions described emphasises the massive combined experience of these authors, and the objective style of the text makes this an extremely valuable reference for every forensic pathologist and an excellent teaching medium for those trainees who are working for their Boards or other qualifications.

There is one major defect, a serious one for prospective purchasers outside the

180 JFSS 1990; 30(3): 179-185