Reviews (217)

And I thought The Lovely Bones was hard to put down...
I rarely find a book I just Cannot Put Down.One of the rare ones was The Lovely Bones--and it wasn't just the plot.It was the language, the crystal-clear voice-in-your-head narrative that spoke and spoke of pain and sadness and resolve.It was infused with a realism and was both beautiful and haunting.Like the lean, hard and seemingly lengthened muscles of a runner, Sebold's voice is discernable above the din of modern fiction yet it is not haughty or self-involved... Hearing her voice is like the moment you know you are going to be really good friends with someone you just met:comforting and clear, it makes you want to lean closer to absorb it.It made me a devoted fan of Sebold as I am sure you are, too.
A difficult, but engaging read
I suspect I'm like most people who have read this book.I read an interview with Sebold and she said as she was writing "Lovely Bones" she was struggling with the rape scene.Because she had been raped herself, she wasn't able to write about it effectively in "Lovely Bones" until she had dealt with her own stuff.She put down "Lovely Bones", wrote "Lucky", and then picked up and finished "Lovely Bones."Very interesting.
An Incredible and Worthwhile Read, But ...
I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed quite hastily concluded. I wanted more details on her recovery process--how she was able to save herself. That would definitely help readers who have been through similar experiences. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    6. General    7. Offenses Against Women    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Rape    10. Rape victims    11. Regional Subjects - MidAtlantic    12. Sebold, Alice    13. Trials (Rape)    14. United States    15. Victimology    16. Women    17. Biography & Autobiography / General    18. Crime & criminology    19. Literature: History & Criticism    20. True crime    21. Women's studies   

Reviews (3)

Excellent core text for any forensic science course
Excellent book ideal for any forensic science student! Includes detailed information on all aspects of forensic science incl. recent advances in DNA and computer forensics..could not find any topics which were left out.Superbly illustrated with full colour photos.Chapters written by experts in their particular field. Definitely recommended, not only to students but to all forensic practitioners.

not impressed
This is a superb book...for junior high or high school students. Yes, it is easy to read, but I found the highlighted words in the text (to indicate they are in the glossary) to be a nuisance. The authors over-simplify everything and attempt to encompass too many areas of the broad field, so it will only be of use to readers who have never seen CSI or know absolutely nothing about forensic science. Saferstein's introductory book on forensic science would be a better choice for your money.

Excellent Guide
This book is excellent for anyone interested in Forensic Science. Just as the synopsis says this brings to light the reality of forensics as a science rather than psychology. It is in depth but clear and easy to understand - it even has a huge glossary of terms at the rear with the words highlighted in the chapters for easy acess to their meanings. It will be an invaluable help to people with an interest in forensic science.As this book says, it's an introduction on "scientific and investigative techniques" but don't be fooled, the detail is immense and the book is superbly laid out. Clear diagrams, photos and graphs are well placed to help the reader further understand what they are taking in. The text it's self is easy to follow and friendly to read and the concepts are well explained. What I especially like about this book are the questions at the end of each section (nothing formidable) and the case studies and examples that further help to emphasize the points being put across. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crime laboratories    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Criminal investigation    4. Evidence, Criminal    5. Forensic Medicine    6. Forensic Science    7. Forensic sciences    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Law    10. Legal Reference / Law Profession    11. Medical    12. Criminal investigation & detection    13. Law / Forensic Science   

Reviews (2)

a book for all criminology enthusiasts
Criminological theories is a well written book on theories, evaluations, and applications.The chapter I found most interesting was on Deterrence of Criminal Behavior.The delivery time on this book was exceptional.I would order from this company again.

Avoid it unless it is required for a class
This book has a lot of promise, but fails to deliver.Most currently debated theories are covered in this text, but none except social learning theory receives adequate consideration. Akers presents only modified, interpreted versions of the most important foundational works in the field.This would definitely not be a book for beginners, and anyone seeking a solid basis for knowledge should look elsewhere.Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. Sociology    3. Crime & criminology   

Reviews (25)

Outstanding resource
I have been doing a lot of research into changing my career to that of a PI.This book is the best primer I have read.It is very straight forward, easy to read and understand, and gives examples from the author's experiences.The author does a great job of de-mystifying what a PI does, and does not, do.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the field, especially at this price.

Complete Idiots guide not for Idiots!
This was one great book! everything you need to know about Private Investigation is in there. Tips, Tricks, Info sites, It has it all from P.I. Licensing to License Plates! Great case Stories too! It ROCKS!!!

Good Information
This book is informative and is in ordinary enough language that your automatically comfortable reading it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law - General    2. Detectives    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Investigations    6. Law    7. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Private investigators    10. United States    11. Criminal investigation & detection    12. Police & security services    13. True Crime / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Small Business - General    6. Business & Economics / Small Business    7. Crime & criminology    8. Small businesses & self-employed   

Subjects:  1. Corrections    2. Criminal Procedure    3. Criminology    4. Penology    5. Psychology    6. Research & Methodology    7. Social Psychology    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Law / Criminal Procedure    11. Prisons   

Reviews (8)

Is that really what happened?
The Old West has given us an unbelievable number of stories,books,songs,movies and above all a seemingly endless list of characters. But what was the real truth,what was embellished,and what was
Varied and thorough
The Shooters is a pretty darn good book that covers alot of Old West figures. Half of them are pretty well known (James, Billy, Hickok, Buffalo Bill, Hardin, Earps, Holliday) and then there are many of the lesser known to the general population. There's lots of history here and some well done research. This book covers quite a bit of the history of the 'Shooters' or gunmen of the West giving us brief life histories of them. Recommended for Old West buffs and to the history buffs. Not a bad book for passing interest either.

Scholarly writing that stands the test of time
Leon Metz is one of my favorite Old West authors because of his scholarly approach, and his unrelenting search for the truth.This book was written in the 1970's, and although there have been many new tidbits of truth that have surfaced about all the subjects in this book since then, Metz's thorough research still stands out.The book shows him to be a master of the Texas and New Mexico cowboy scene, and it is apparent that his knowledge is especially brilliant concerning the town of El Paso.I thought his research was the weakest in the chapter about Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch.But overall, this book tells a very truthful tale of some of the most exciting lives that are remembered from the days of the Wild West. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1860-1890    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Crime    5. Criminals    6. General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History - U.S.    10. United States - 19th Century/Old West    11. West (U.S.)    12. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (4)

Great book
The book was sent on time, and it cost less then other places that I looked at.Nice shape, and a great place to buy from.Kudo's!

CADAVER DOG HANDBOOK
This is an excellent book! Great for the civilian SAR Dog Handler or a person jutst doing research on the subject.
Best Reference Book Out There
I found this handbook well written, organized and thorough. A must have for anyone interested or involved in this specialized field of cadaver dog handlers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Procedure    2. Forensic Science    3. Forensic anthropology    4. Police dogs    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Reference    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Training    11. Criminal investigation & detection    12. Law / Forensic Science   

Editorial Review

Martin Torgoff came of age just about the same time as the drug boom, a circumstance that informs his overview of America's "Great Stoned Age." Chronicling the irrepressible onslaught of mind-altering substances from the end of World War II through the close of the century, Torgoff (whose previous publishing efforts have centered around rockers Elvis Presley and John Cougar Mellencamp) intersperses the personal with the historical. Laying the groundwork with his own recollections of indulgence beginning in the late 1960s, the author flashes back to the Beat era, which he asserts opened the door for all that followed. Interviews with the obscure and celebrated add color and detail to the chronicle. Here's Herbert Huncke, the unapologetic hustler and heroin addict who lurked on the periphery of '50s bohemian scene and turned up as a character in William Burroughs' pulp memoir Read more

Reviews (4)

So what is the answer?
If you have been there then you know the answer. The question is: Why did we travel there in the first place. Addictions are sneaky. Sometimes we write about them, other times we fight them. Addicted movie stars are just addicts. Hard drugs have no respect for who we are.

California Al
I wanted to be interested in this book, but it became pretty boring ater a while. There is an undercurrent of romanticism that pervades the authors purpose. He claims to be neutral, yet his descriptions and conversations with many of the people slant towards idol worship. Although the author claims to be in recovery, I did not get the sense of how drugs and alcohol can ruin peoples lives. I felt that his narrative was self serving, and glorifying the wonders of drugs and experimentation. There is a price to pay. What was good was hearing his father's take on the whole down side of watching his son grow up loaded. That was interesting. I'm getting weary of the proselytizing about how epochal the 1960's, 70's and 80's were. I didn't like his picture either.

GREAT BOOK FOR UNIVERSITY COURSES!!!
I'm reading this book a bit at a time.Each part is like a little history lesson - full of specific people, places and things that I've heard a lot of stories about - usually from folks who didn't have a great deal of clarity when they were either living through them OR speaking about them.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Popular Culture - General    6. United States - 20th Century    7. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    8. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    9. Crime & criminology    10. Drug addiction & substance abuse    11. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    12. Social Science / General    13. USA   

Reviews (5)

Informative, and Fun to Read
A must-read. The author describes in details many different types of scams through which people get defrauded. The book is also fun to read because it shows how the scammers use people's psychological traits (like greed, insecurity, or even loneliness) to get them to part with their money. It's very interesting and you can actually see analogous strategies being played out in TV commercials or even in your daily interactions with people who try to get things from you. I feel much more prepared to deal with life after reading this.

Better Safe Than Sorry!
Reading Les Henderson's Crimes of Persuasion is much like observing a series of 40-foot long steel containers being dropped from a dockside ocean freighter onto a flat-bed truck.The impact, over and over again is huge, as the trailer bounces and flexes, as its tires resist the extra weight of each drop.With each page you keep saying to yourself, "That's how they do it!""That's how they organize!""That's the come-on!""So, that's the hook!"We learn all about the players in the game too:the "Fronter," the "Qualifier," the"No-Saler," the "Takeover" Man.We learn all about the mechanics of the games themselves--"clean sheeting," "blind pools," much more. ##### Sometimes it takes simple minds to understand complicated situations.Thank goodness. Because con games are usually very complex--thoroughly thought out, prepared, and worked by brilliant people--we "Marks" (simpletons--the victims), in this case have a chance.#####With the aid of this book you are prepared for just about anything the con man might throw at you.It's beautifuly Contents-ed and Indexed.Want to know about sweepstakes scams?Right there. Just look it up.How about telemarketing frauds, home equity, elder abuse, home repair, identity theft, internet shenanigans, etc.On and on.On and on.On and on.It's all right here.You only have to look it up.It's a great defensive tool for everyone, in this day and age of get-rich-quick, follow the bouncing ball, smoke and mirrors trickery. #####What's the underlying premise of con games?Gain your confidence. Pure and simple.Here's just one example:You get a call from a smooth-talking stock "Expert," who is pitching you because he knows you are an investor.He tells you to watch ABC co. stock; it's going up. A week later, after the stock of ABC co. has gone up, as he said it would, he calls you back and confides that the stock of XYZ co. is going down; keep tabs.When the stock drops, exactly as he said it would, you now have a level of confidence in him when he calls the third time.Right?That's the point.You are now "set-up," vulnerable to whatever kind of investment he may now say is desirable.How did he do it?How did he knowABC was going up and XYZ was going down?Easy.He started out with a list of 200 names from the phone book.He was right on 100 of them.He then called that 100 and was right again on 50.You were in that list of 50.Presto! #####In all, this book is about the most encylopedic tome for consumer protection I've seen, covering the whole gauntlet of cons, scams, and frauds like the proverbial "blanket."The next time you are in Ceasar's Palace, note the small warning sign by the door, "Gambling can be addictive; if you think you have a gambling problem, call the number below to contact Gamblers Anonymous."Similarly, if you think you might have a Susceptibility-to-Con-Games problem, ownership of this book, Crimes of Persuasion:Schemes, Scams, Frauds is your "Gamblers Anonymous".

Poor language makes this book uninteresting to read
The author certainly knows a lot about the subject, however he fails to make the book readable. Run-away sentences filled with precise numbers, most probably taken out of the sky, results in totally unreadable text. The book reminded me of a really boring free newspaper, except the editor never learned to use a spell checker.
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Subjects:  1. Business Ethics    2. Criminology    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. True Crime / General    6. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / General    7. Crime And Criminals    8. Fraud    9. General    10. True Crime   

Reviews (2)

Used 7th edition as secondary material for teaching undergrad CrimLaw
The layout of the book is user friendly, and the case extracts are concise.I designated it as a reference book for my students and placed it on call in the library for them to review.It can be overly simplistic for an advanced reader, but on target for a good majority of freshman students.Maybe the 8th edition will show some evolution.

no recommendation
I used Criminal Law by Gardner and Anderson as my text when I taught an undergrad Criminal Law class.I found it overly simplistic, even for that level, and left my students with too many loose ends.The case excerptsused are drastically edited, sometimes only a sentence, which does not helpdemonstrate the proposition the cases supposedly stand for.It seemed thatthe authors also spent an inordinate amount of text on relativelyunimportant topics.I also found the instructor's edition to be unhelpful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Criminal Procedure    3. Criminal law    4. Criminology    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States    8. Law / Criminal Procedure   

Reviews (11)

Advancing the categorization of violent crimes
I was greatly anticipating the delivery of this book as it had been labeled the "DSM of Violent crimes".Although I wouldn't apply the same label, for the DSM approaches mental illness in a drastically different way than the CCM approaches criminal investigation, this book is a great way to understand the ways in which the crimes can be differentiated based upon the evidence observed.
Leading the field of crime classification
Whilst written primarily for the American law enforcement community this book is an excellent read and will provide a highly useful guide to police officers, criminal lawyers and criminologists the world over. John Douglas proves again that he is one of the leaders in the field of behavioral science providing a character type for each of the main crime classes. I recommend that anyone embarking on a degree with emphasis on criminal law or the sociology of crime should read this book. Technical, not for light reading
I am studying forensic psychology and this book has been insightful and helpful. I have read everything john douglas has written and this is just perfect, precise, and organized in every way. Bravo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classification    2. Crime    3. Criminology    4. Forensic Psychology    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Psychology    7. Reference    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. Criminal investigation & detection    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Forensic Psychology   

Subjects:  1. Criminal Procedure    2. Criminology    3. Jurisprudence    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Crime & criminology    7. Law / Jurisprudence   

Reviews (3)

THE CSI OF COMPUTER EVIDENCE!!
Are you a law enforcement officer, system administrator, IT professional, legal professional or a computer forensics student? If you are, this book is for you! Author Christopher LT Brown, has done an outstanding job of writing a great book by focusing on the first two phases of the computer forensics process: computer evidence collection and preservation.
The Most Comprehensive Book on the Subject
This is a timely book as we are hearing more and more about the U.S. military and intelligence agencies collecting the computers used by terrorists. This same trend is appearing in conventional law enforcement. The amount of information that can be stored on a computer is, of course huge, also important is the transient: What web site is the computer viewing? What e-mail system is on-line? What can be gotten from the router being used?
Great resource
It seems that a lot of books on forensics concentrate on making a disk image of the hard drive being examined, filtering the information on the disk, and presenting it in proper format for court use.However, collecting and preserving the evidence is much more than imaging the hard disk.If the computer is still on then evidence may be in memory, potential evidence may be on routers, proxy servers, etc.This book details this part of forensic evidence gathering, an area often just skimmed over in other computer forensics texts.This is a critical aspect of investigation because it does not matter how well your filtering works and how much evidence you obtain if your data preservation was not done correctly and the evidence is inadmissible in court.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer crimes    3. Computers    4. Computers - Computer Security    5. Computers - General Information    6. Forensic Science    7. Information Technology    8. Investigation    9. Security    10. Security - General    11. Computers / Networking / General    12. Criminal investigation & detection    13. Data security & data encryption   

Subjects:  1. Criminal Justice Administration    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Criminal Procedure    4. Criminal justice, Administration of    5. Criminology    6. Criminology Research    7. Law    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Methodology    10. Research    11. Social Science    12. Sociology    13. Crime & criminology    14. Law / Criminal Procedure   

Editorial Review

This 1992 Edgar Award winner for best fact crime is nothing short of a classic. David Simon, a police reporter for the Read more

Reviews (50)

funny and filled with drama
what was the most funniest parts were is when dave brown and donald worden kept pestering one another.

Best Cop Book Ever
I will keep this short: I have been a city cop for almost eighteen years and I defy anyone to find a better book about policework than this one. This is the closest you can come to knowing what being a cop is all about short of actually wearing a badge.

Love the show... love thebook
My husband is a BIG fan of the TV show.We have every episode on DVD.This book was a great addition to his collection.He loved the book and could see how the award winning TV was based on it. It is different enough that he throughly enjoyed it.I am now reading it and am enjoying it too! It is not the same as the show, and is a great book on it's own.
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Subjects:  1. Baltimore    2. Criminology    3. Murder - General    4. True Crime / Espionage    5. Travel / Africa    6. True crime    7. Maryland    8. Police Dept    9. Homicide investigation   

Reviews (1)

a terrible textbook
This book was one of the worst text books I have ever read. Many of its sources were outdated. It failed to give a complete review of the field, neglecting several important theories. It also failed to discuss even theslightest hint of research that supports or challenges the theories it doesdiscuss. Furthermore, it is not only biased but fails to give acomprehensive discussion of the subjects in which it has a bias preventingthe reader from making an informed opinion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Procedure    2. Criminal justice, Administrati    3. Criminal justice, Administration of    4. Criminal law    5. Criminology    6. Law    7. Penology    8. Police    9. Sociology    10. United States    11. Crime & criminology    12. Law / Criminal Procedure    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

research!
I ordered my book during the end of the week and had my book for class on Monday.The book was in exellent condition!Thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Procedure    2. Criminal justice, Administrati    3. Criminal justice, Administration of    4. Criminology    5. Methodology    6. Research    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Crime & criminology    10. Law / Criminal Procedure    11. Social research & statistics   

Subjects:  1. Children's Studies    2. Criminology    3. Jurisprudence    4. Juvenile delinquency    5. Juvenile delinquents    6. Juvenile justice, Administrati    7. Juvenile justice, Administrative of    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Prevention    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. United States    13. Juvenile offenders    14. Law / Jurisprudence   

Reviews (2)

Criminal Interrogation and Confessions: bias and distortion at work
Old material that has been rehashed a number of times, but it is necessary to read it in order to understand the bias that is inherent in contemporary investigations.It is clearly illustrated that there is no actual scientific approach, no consideration of alternative explanations, but instead there is only an attempt to obtain confessions.Inbau, Reid, and others have never included consideration of other, more scientifically supported discussions such as those by Gudjunsson and G. Wells.The writing in the book is not very good.It is overly simple in style, and the organization is also simple, but not informative.Read the book for history and for understanding, but not for factual, supported knowledge.

Still the interrogator's Bible
Decades after its first edition, this is still considered the best work on interrogating a criminal suspect.The authors walk you through every step, towards the goal of clearing the innocent and eliciting confessions fromthe guilty.No detail or nuance is left unexplored, not only of thesuspect's behavior, but of your own as well.This book is a must read foranyone involved in criminal justice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Confession (Law)    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Forensic Science    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Police questioning    7. United States    8. Criminal investigation & detection