Leading-Causes-of-Death Books

THE BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A GIFT. I'M NOT IN THE AUDIO INDUSTRY BUT I FOUND THE BOOK A "FUN" READ. YOU CAN FEEL HOW MUCH THE DAVISES LOVE PEOPLE, THEIR WORK TEACHING AUDIO SEMINARS, TRAVEL IN RV'S FOR OVER 20 YEARS WITH TWO DOGS AND TWO CATS, AND RURAL COUNTRY LIVING WHEN THEY WEREN'T TRAVELING. I AM PROOF THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AUDIO TO ENJOY THE BOOK.

What a delight to read about people with a passion for audio that seems to consume them and to learn they also love other activities! In our minds the heroes of audio are often placed on high pedestals and viewed as doing only audio. Through the stories in this book we see a fascinatingly different part of their lives. A must read for anyone interested in Heroes of the Audio Industry.

"If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be The Leading Cause Of Death" is easy reading and will fast rewind you through years of audio advancements. This book is about sharing. Don and Carolyn Davis are very tall giants in the world of audio. They founded Syn-Aud-Con thirty years ago. They have spent their lives sharing everything with others while authoring four books. They have shared their wealth of knowledge with students, friends, and colleagues from all over the world. They have shared their family, their friends, their farm, their homes, their pets, their joys, and their love of life in this book. If Bad Sound Were Fatal.... is non-technical and is taken from twenty-five years of their Newsletters, enhanced with current comments and humor. They reveal what it is like to be on-the-road for more than twenty-five years with students, friends, and other audio giants.

"If Bad Sound Were Fatal" delivers a fascinating and often hilarious ride through the lives of Don and Carolyn Davis, creators of Synergetic Audio Concepts (Syn-Aud-Con), the independent audio educational program that has benefited thousands since its founding more than 32 years ago.

The Davises are also co-authors of the seminal text "Sound System Engineering," nearing its third edition release and a technical "go to" resource for generations of audio professionals. ("Sound System Engineering" is available here on Amazon.)

Much of "If Bad Sound Were Fatal" expounds upon the non-technical side of what is shared by Syn-Aud-Con grads, and it offers fascinating anecdotes, projects, theories and communication. There is also a heavy dose of the history of the audio giants, many of whom the Davises knew/know personally during their 50-plus years (and still counting) in the industry.

Audio professionals: Want to understand how we find ourselves here? Want to understand what's come before and therefore, what's down the road? Want to read about two lives that are more well-lived - both inside and outside of the industry - than any fiction writer could possibly concoct?

All you have to do is read the book

"If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be the Leading Cause of Death" is a delightfully entertaining and informative book with photos and graphics. The book does not have even one equation in it!

Don and Carolyn started their career in audio in 1951 with the "Golden Ear" hi-fi store. Don worked with Paul Klipsch and was Vice President of Marketing at Altec Lansing. He was co-inventor of 1/3 octave equalization which is the standard for sound system equalization today. They founded Synergetic Audio Concepts (Syn-Aud-Con) in1973 and over the years have taught thousands of people in the audio field. Through the years they met and worked with many of the audio greats of this century.

There is a chapter called "Don and Carolyn" which they tell about their experiences in watching the audio field grow. Of course any book written by Don and Carolyn Davis wouldn't be complete without stories about their many travels into Russia, Japan, Europe, Australia, and more, their pets, the joys of country living, firearms and, of course, humor. One of my favorite cartoons is of a man with a big smile on his face walking into the office of "Alfonso Construction" with a set of plans under his arm and saying "They took our low bid for that tower at Pisa".

"If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be the Leading Cause of Death" is a book that should be on the desk or in the bookcase of every person that is interested in audio. I highly recommend it.

Warning, you have to be just a bit morbid to pick up this book. The dust jacket says it all, this author has dug through the autopsy reports of some famous people to find the "real" cause of death. Keeping the tabloid effort of the publisher aside, this is a somewhat interesting book if only from a "looking at an accident" form of macabre curiosity. As far as the writing goes, the author does a good job of keeping the complex medical terminology down to a minimum and when used is careful to explain them in layman's terms. Overall interesting and well-written if you are in to this type of book.

Both a doctor and a lawyer, the brilliant Dr. Cyril Wecht gives us a good, if not too brilliant, book about JFK and various other murders and strange deaths. It is a shame that Wecht's books fail to capture his true essence, because he is not only a very intelligent, brilliant (there's that word again!) man, but he is a dynamic, charismatic public speaker. Something just seems to gets lost on the printed page. Still, worth your time.
Vince Palamara
Pittsburgh, PA (presented with Dr. Wecht at COPA 1995 & 1996)

The book is a easy and intreging read. Every chapter is devoted to a different crime, so it never gets boring. This book was highly recommended to me by a friend who works under Cyril Wecht at the Allegheny County Corenors (?) Office and after hearing all the tales he had from his time learning from Dr. Wecht, I had to learn more. I recommend this book as a breather when your in the mist of a tough semester and you to relax

There is a very interesting Forward written by attorney F. Lee Bailey in which he comments on the cases covered in the text from a defense attorney's standpoint. Wecht also holds a law degree so having the two views of the ME and the attorney, really made this book a captivating read!

Wecht personally examined the assassination evidence in the National Archives and found that significant pieces were missing including JFK's brain, a fact that had gone previously unreported despite two inventories one listing the items and the second excluding them. Wecht unsuccessfully attempted to trace the missing evidence and has placed an Appendix in the book entitled Where is JFK's Brain? detailing it's journey up to its disappearance. Note this is the only attempt that was ever made to recover this evidence.

Wecht gave testimony to the Rockefeller Commission and was completely misquoted. Wecht was asked to serve as a member of the pathology panel on the House Select Committee on Assassinations. He alone spoke against the single bullet theory the others had close government ties to protect. Wecht's adamancy caused him to loose out on offers he would have otherwise received.

Wecht examines the medical evidence in the RFK assassination and clearly proves that there were two gunmen, meaning a conspiracy did exist and the evidence presented in the Chappaquiddick chapter raise some interesting questions about Ted Kennedy's conduct that night. Wecht blows the lid off the cover up over Elvis Presley's cause of death. The book also explores other famous cases including Dr. Charles Friedgood, Jean Harris, Claus von Bulow and a few not so well known.

Cyril Wecht is the foremost ME in the country. This book is the Bible of death investigation!

The Foreword by F. Lee Bailey tells of his friendship and admiration for Dr. Cyril Wecht. He also "highlights a truth which most Americans do not readily comprehend: that our legal system is not in its essence 'a search for truth' at all. The system is in reality a search for those truths which at least one of the lawyers want to bring to the fore, and not those truths which are too hot ... for either of them to dare to handle" (p.xvi). The Introduction tells of his personal history, experience, and expertise. "Cyril Wecht is the Sherlock Holmes of forensic science" says Alan Dershowitz. Or a Dr. Joseph Bell?

Chapter 1 deals with the assassination of JFK. The single bullet theory, from a scientific standpoint, is a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth (p.22). It was one of the worst investigations of a homicide he has ever seen. The autopsy was done by a inexperienced military pathologists. He attempted to get the autopsy reports, which are public records, for the Garrison investigation; but the Federal government would not allow it! Page 35 tells of his examination of the physical evidence. The preserved brain of JFK was missing. Page 43 points out that the forensic pathologist who disagreed with him had economic dependencies with the Federal government. He tells of a computer program that can analyze photographs to show details not observable by the human eye (pp.51-3). It detected alterations in the autopsy photographs. Dr. Wecht helped to develop the scene in the movie "JFK" that demonstrated why the single bullet theory is silly. He found the attitude of the Kennedy family "completely incomprehensible" (p.74). [Perhaps they were authoritatively advised of a shameful genetic disorder that must be kept secret?]

Chapter 2 deals with the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The fatal bullet was most likely the first, which hit him behind hi right ear. The other two bullets were fired into his right armpit. [As if he threw up his right arm as he fell.] Sirhan was shooting from the front, and could not have killed RFK. The appointed defense lawyer never mentioned this. Chapter 3 deals with Chappaquiddick, the accident that killed Ted Kennedy's political future. No autopsy was done on Mary Jo Kopechne. The accident was considered just another weekend car crash (p.94). Any wooden bridge could be slippery with dampness. Page 101 teaches that you shouldn't tell Polish jokes when your judge is Polish; he denied their motion.

Chapter 4 deals with a Doctor convicted of murdering his wife. Dr. Wecht says for a jury to find a person not guilty, the jurors must feel that the defendant was framed by the police, or that it is possible that someone else committed the crime. Chapter 5 tells of the case of Jeffrey MacDonald. When a case is tried several years after the crime, the determination of what happened is limited to the evidence collected at the time. Jeffrey started a new life, then his father-in-law started a crusade to convict him. The old scars could be either self-inflicted or the result of multiple attackers. Jeffrey's psychological profile did not suggest a person who would suddenly snap and kill his wife and children

Chapter 6 tells of his review of the toxicology report of Elvis Presley. Many drugs were present; the levels suggested accidental death, not suicide. Dr. Nick was indicted for over-prescribing drugs for the King, but acquitted (p.147). Other chapters deal with Jean Harris, and Claus von Bulow. They are warnings against the recreational use of drugs. The other interesting stories deal with lesser known people. In dozens of cases a person appeared guilty, but the evidence was circumstantial and the person was innocent (pp.180-1). Page 196 explains why a defendant should not testify if they are "very self-confident".

Had been looking for this book for a long time.I like true crime not fiction.I picked it up on Amazon could not wait to get the book and read it.Once I started reading the book.Could not put it down.Excellent True Crime Book To Read. Many Sensational Cases To Read About!!!!! 10 Stars to all that helped to put this great book together!!!!

These chapters came from cases where his knowledge was crucial in exposing official mistakes of showing weaknesses by the prosecution. The accuracy and fairness of crime lab evidence are entirely dependent on proper identification, protection, and transfer of evidence from the crime scene. The Introduction explains how a seeming accident was found to be murder by analyzing the entrance wound and the position of the shotgun. Forensic pathology investigates sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths. 75% of all deaths are from natural causes, 75% of the rest are accidental. About 1.5% are suicides and homicides. Many of the most controversial cases on record have involved medical examiner systems, due to political influence (p.9).

Chapter 1 deals with the Trial of OJ Simpson, and the evidence for guilt or innocence. One of the biggest mistakes was to not get a forensic pathologist to the scene immediately; important evidence was lost forever (p.34). Nicole's stomach contents were discarded; if empty, then 3 or more hours elapsed since her last meal. Page 43 tells of the high error rate in laboratory testing of blood and other specimens. Nicole's uncorroborated diary wrote of being followed to a "Payless shoe store". Would a fan of fashion and style ever go there? Page 49 says there is NO regulation on DNA testing, or of the astronomical percentage estimates. Page 59 tells that two weeks after the murders there was no blood on those socks; weeks later there was! Page 67 says no cuts were seen on OJ's hands on the flight to Chicago. Page 70 tells of Cochran's wearing that knitted cap; to me, it looked like a child's cap.

Chapter 2 discusses the suicide of Vincent Foster, and how rumor mongers blew it up into a fantasy (p.81). Chapter 3 tells of his investigations into the aftermath of Waco. This was a tragedy that never should have occurred (p.100). Chapter 4 tells of a shoot-out in Cleveland; the coroner's staff was guilty of deliberate, willful, and clever deception (p.114). Chapter 5 tells of a shooting in Chicago where "this whole operation may have been nothing more than a political assassination" (p.131). The State Attorney and the police officers involved in the raid were charged, and found at fault (p.134). Chapter 6 deals with the 1989 Oakland earthquake. Many who died would be alive if state and local emergency management officials had done their jobs quickly and efficiently (p.142). The autopsy reports were done by the lowest bidder, and the reports had the lowest quality (p.146). Chapter 7 tells of the nightclub fire in 1977 Cincinnati. Many did not die of burns or smoke inhalation, but from invisible and odorless toxic fumes (p.162).

Chapter 8 explains why a fall from a high building was homicide and not suicide or an accident. Chapter 9 investigated the mysterious death of a government opponent; it was an accident. Chapter 10 tells of the unexpected death of a government official; it was a natural death. Chapter 11 tells of the execution of a maid that caused an international incident. Chapter 12 deals with the swine flu panic of 1976, a result from using "Legionnaires Disease" to allocate money and authority to the CDC and FDA (p.231). At least 52 people died after receiving swine flu vaccine. Chapter 13 tells of a man serving a life sentence for stabbing his wife and her parents. Fingerprints found at the scene did not match the suspect, the victims, or those who were in the house before the murders (p.247). After the State forced the defense lawyer off the case, he was convicted at the third trial (p.258)! Pages 259-60 tell why a jury will convict even if the evidence is unconvincing! Chapter 14 tells of his viewing of an 18 minute videotape of an autopsy on an unknown being. He could not say it was a hoax.

I found this book to be a waste of my time. The fist in many book that I have read about the O.J. Trial.
I found the first review from "Reader in Somerville, N.J." to be a waste of time also since they put the same review...word for word in every review they give. How can that help you with a book when a person just repeats thier views over & over for every book. Answer=It can't.

For OJ to be guilty, you must believe that he quickly disposed of the bloody clothes, shoes, and knives so they would NEVER be found, yet brought the socks and glove back to his home! And then smeared blood all over the console!

The coroner who did the autopsies testified "the forensic evidence says the murders occurred after 11PM". The limousine driver testified he brought OJ to the airport at that time. When you read this book, note how they avoid discussing these facts.

Really not worth reading. Poorly written but more than that the author never forms conclusions. Re: OJ he was a 'consultant' for the defense so his 'objectivity' is severely compromised. He suspects OJ is innocent but offers no other idea as to what happened. He suggests a UFO autopsy may or may not be real. He is inconclusive in suggesting Vince Foster killed himself. When it's not downright unbelievable it's downright boring. Further he fawns at everyone including Lee, Ito, and the Today Show hosts; he's nice enough too to put in a good word for his wife. Don't bother.