Library Journal Review

The genius creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes has long captivated readers with his astute combination of keen mind and deductive reasoning. Yet as this entertaining documentary reminds viewers, Holmes has also had a profound impact on the way criminal investigations are conducted by planting the seed of modern forensic science. How Sherlock Changed the World combines testimonials from criminologists, dramatic re-creations, and scenes from PBS's own Sherlock series into what, while interesting, quickly becomes a repetitive infomercial for the TV show. The cast of forensic experts, such as Dr. Henry Lee, are marshaled to make the claim that it was the Sherlock stories that led to a revolution in the way criminal investigations were conducted, a bit of an exaggeration. VERDICT This stimulating documentary will find a receptive audience with fans of the PBS series, the CSI crowd, and readers of Conan Doyle's work.-Brian Odom, Huntsville, AL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.