A feast of reading from DUP

This autumn brings a bumper crop of new books from Dundee University Press including a fascinating insight into the word of the pathologist, a discussion of the role of policing in modern Scotland and a history of one man's remarkable success in building a pharmacuetical empire in China.

Paul Janssen: Pioneer in Pharma & in China by Geerdt Magiels looks at the work of Paul Janssen, founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium which later merged with Johnson & Johnson.

Considered a giant in the world of drug design and development Janseen was responsible for over 80 new medicines, five of which are on the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines.

This new book charts the history of Janssen's success in building a pharmaceutical 'empire' in China at a time when the country was essentially closed to the West. It tells a fascinating story of remarkable individuals, business deals and scientific research, international politics and cultural change and of humanity and ambition.

It includes a foreword by Nobel Laureate Sir James Black OM, FRS, FRSE.

In A Matter of Life and Death, due out next month (November) author Sue Armstrong interviews eminent pathologists who have worked in the UK, the USA, South Africa, Latin America and Italy and offers them the chance to talk about themselves and what they do.

Too often caricatured by the media as 'doctors of death,' pathologists are medicine's key diagnosticians. Post mortems are in fact a very small part of what they do. Primarily their job is to identify, from specimens sent to the lab from clinics, wards and operating theatres, exactly what a patient is suffering from and what treatment he or she is likely to respond to.

They are disease specialists with only a small proportion focusing their expertise in forensic science.

The extraordinary range of work carried out by pathologists is highlighted in a series of chapters covering topics including AIDS in East Africa, doubts over the existence of shaken baby syndrome, the search for mutations that make flu viruses especially deadly, efforts to unravel the mysteries of cancer and what can be read in bones.

Leading crime writer Val McDermid has described the book as 'the must-read of the year, probably the decade.'

Sue Armstrong is a science writer and broadcaster. As a foreign correspondent based in Brussels and then South Africa she worked for a variety of media including New Scientist magazine and the BBC World Service.

In Municipal Policing in Scotland Dr Daniel Donnelly, retired Chief Superintendent and Divisional Commander, examines the role of community policing, civilianisation in the police, private sector involvement, surveillance and CCTV, the role of the Scottish Government and police authorities, police governance and accountability.

Up-to-date research on community wardens is included and the part they play in community safety is commented upon. The author also gives his views on the future of the contemporary model of Municipal Policing and whether a future national police service in Scotland is inevitable.

The Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004: Text and Commentary by Laura Sharp and Margaret Ross is also published this autumn. It offers a clear, straightforward, explanatory guide to the 2004 Act as it relates to both civil and criminal proceedings. It explains the special measures provisions and the stand alone provisions such as the abolition of the competence test for witnesses in criminal and civil proceedings. It also explains how the 2004 Act ties in with other existing and forthcoming rules of procedure.

This book is more detailed and advanced than the basic information guide to the Act that is available from the Scottish Government and it includes an element of critical evaluation.

Property Law Essentials by Duncan Spiers, a lecturer in Law at Napier University is the latest in DUP's series of Law Essentials books. Offering a clear and concise study and revision guide for students, it contains all of the essential information students need when preparing for exams and includes useful summary sections of essential facts and essential cases.

An invaluable text which students can use to gain a quick understanding of a new subject, to help them through a course or as an aid to revision for exams, this book is also an excellent resource for those who need to refresh their knowledge of property law.

'This is an exciting time for DUP, extending our range of titles into accessible science-related topics and continuing to build on our reputation for Scots law and history. Our new bursaries for postgraduates interested in pursuing a career in publishing have attracted huge interest and we are looking forward to a busy year,' said Carol Pope Publishing Manager.