"In her new book, Sue Black builds on the first [All That Remains], taking us on a guided tour of the human skeleton and explaining how each person's life history is revealed in their bones, which she calls "the last sentinels of our mortal life to bear witness to the way we lived it." Her narrative follows the skeleton from the top of the skull to the small bones in the foot. Each step of the journey includes an explanation of the biology--how the bone is formed in a person's development, how it changes as we age, the secrets it may hold--and is illustrated with anecdotes from the author's career helping solve crimes and identifying human remains, whether recent or historical. Written in Bone is full of entertaining stories that read like scenes from a true-life CSI drama, infused with humor and no-nonsense practicality about the realities of corpses and death."--Inside front jacket flap A forensic anthropologist and human anatomist recounts her life stories to explain how a person's life history is revealed through their bones.

"First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Doubleday, an imprint of Transworld Publishers"--Title page verso Includes index.

Introducton : the skeleton -- Part I. The head : cranial bones. The brain box : neurocranium ; The face : viscerocranium -- Part II. The body : postcranial axial bones. The spine : vertebral column ; The chest : thorax ; The throat : hyoid and larynx -- Part III. The limbs : postcranial appendicular bones. The pectoral girdle ; The pelvic girdle ; The long bones ; The hand ; The foot -- Tailpiece.