describes the analysis of evidence gathered at crime scenes, and explains complex instruments such as the gas chromatograph and techniques like DNA amplification in easy-to-understand terms.  A wealth of color illustrations accompany the text.  One enthusiastic reader says about Houde's book: "Fear not, science-phobes, for a fun-to-read, exceptionally well-illustrated comprehensive book on what goes on inside a crime lab has finally been published. Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists ... offers engaging reading to the layperson and professional alike, placing them first-hand into the processing of a crime scene. They are then taken for a ride on the back of the evidence through the crime laboratory as criminalists and analysts unlock the secrets hidden within. Throughout, concepts come alive through well-chosen snippets of real-life cases."