Editorial Review

Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting by Klan intimidation; his father was barred by poll taxes and literacy tests. Today, Cotton cannot vote because he, like many black men in the United States, has been labeled a felon and is currently on parole.
--FROM THE NEW JIM CROW

As the United States celebrates the nation's "triumph over race" with the election of Barack Obama, the majority of young black men in major American cities are locked behind bars or have been labeled felons for life. Although Jim Crow laws have been wiped off the books, an astounding percentage of the African American community remains trapped in a subordinate status--much like their grandparents before them.

In this incisive critique, former litigator-turned-legal-scholar Michelle Alexander provocatively argues that we have not ended racial caste in America: we have simply redesigned it. Alexander shows that, by targeting black men and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control, even as it formally adheres to the principle of color blindness. The New Jim Crow challenges the civil rights community--and all of us--to place mass incarceration at the forefront of a new movement for racial justice in America. ... Read more

Reviews

Important, Eye Opening Work, February 14, 2010
Thirty years ago, fewer than 350,000 people were held in prisons and jails in the United States. Today, the number of inmates in the United States exceeds 2,000,000. In this book, Alexander argues that this system of mass incarceration "operates as a tightly networked system of laws, policies, customs, and institutions that operate collectively to ensure the subordinate status of a group defined largely by race." The War on Drugs, the book contends, has created "a lower caste of individuals who are permanently barred by law and custom from mainstream society." Mass incarceration, and the disabilities that come with the label "felon," serve, metaphorically, as the new Jim Crow.

The book develops this argument with systematic care. The first chapter provides context with a brief history of the rise, fall and interrelation of the first two racial caste systems in the United States, slavery and Jim Crow. Subsequent chapters provide close scrutiny of the system of mass incarceration that has arisen over the past thirty years, examining each stage of the process (e.g., criminalization, investigation, prosecution, sentencing) and the many collateral consequences of a felony conviction (entirely apart from any prison time) and how and why each of these has operated to the detriment of African-Americans. The book also explores how the caste system Alexander identifies is different and not-so-different from Jim Crow, the many political and economic forces now invested in sustaining it, and how it has been rendered virtually immune to challenge through litigation. The book concludes with an argument that while many particular reforms will be needed to change this system, nothing short of a social movement that changes public acceptance of the current system can solve this problem and offers critiques and proposals for the civil rights movement based on this analysis. Everyone who reads this book will come away seeing the War on Drugs and mass incarceration in a new light.

MUST READ: A powerful book!, January 5, 2010
Law Professor Michelle Alexander's long-anticipated debut puts a bright light directly on what is perhaps our greatest national shame: the extraordinary rates of incarceration for people of color in the United States.

Her writing is lucid and gripping; her arguments are clear and concise; her conclusions often are inescapable. She powerfully makes the case that the incarceration industry has become to the 21st Century what Jim Crow segregation was to the 20th: a system that undermines American ideals of justice, while reinforcing social inequality.

In what many hope will be a "post-racial" era, Ms. Alexander's voice is a courageous one. Even as she rightfully celebrates progress at many levels, she refuses to let our society ignore the fact that a million or more people of color are imprisoned today (out of all proportion to their numbers in the population AND even out of all proportion to their rate of criminal offenses, as documented by the government).

More importantly, she dares to ask (and attempts to answer) the simple question: how can this be happening in our country today?

Impeccably well-argued, "The New Jim Crow" is an inspired work - representing the debut of a bright, new and important voice in American life and letters.

COMPELLING AND CONVINCING, February 5, 2010
Michelle Alexander has the ability to see far beyond conventinonal wisdom and understanding. Her intellect is exceptional and her logic captivating. Her compelling and convincing book leaves no doubt about the wrongness of the War on Drugs. Highly educational and informative as well as thought provoking.

Can we start talking about race?, May 3, 2010
I'm a white man and I carry with me the cultural legacy of racism. I know I'm not alone but I don't find many other white people who are willing to venture into this uncomfortable territory and own up to our own racism. And while I've had a few conversations about race with black men, I must say I feel like I'm venturing into dangerous territory - how do I transcend the privilege I've had as an socio-econonmically advantaged white man to connect to those who rightly see me and my kind as an oppressor?

This was a hard book to read. I said that about "Slavery by Another Name" as well which is the companion book to this one as they both address a white power structure that uses prisons to humiliate, degrade, diminish and control black people. "Slavery by Another Name" addresses this phenomenon during Jim Crow and "The New Jim Crow" addresses how we've been doing this for the past thirty years.

To the extent white people and non-black minorities I know talk about race, its about why blacks continue to languish at the bottom of the American barrel. If other ethnic groups that have experienced discrimination manage to overcome it and prosper as Americans, what is wrong with blacks? I've always said it was slavery and its legacy, the Jim Crow era and its deprivations but now I realize that the story is even more complex, black men have been disproportionately single out for prison time, causing entire families to suffer the economic loss, the social stigma and family shame that accompanies such imprisonment.

I remember the O.J. trial and how whites were "shocked" that blacks had such a different take on the police and criminal justice. At the time, there was discussion about how black men were singled out for police harassment and arrest but I don't remember a discussion about why so many black men were imprisoned. In 1995, the impact of the drug wars wasn't fully appreciated but 15 years later with an even larger prison population, it is. The other thing about the O.J. trial that made it complicated was his role as a rich celebrity. In that regard, he took on the power and privilege of a white man and there was a sense that in his marriage to a white woman and in his lifestyle he had been escaping from his black upringing, betraying blacks. But when he stood trial, blacks hurried to support him against the white power structure.

This goes to the other argument the book makes which is the way black exceptionalism, the O.Js, the Oprahs, the Michael Jackson, Tiger Woods and Obamas allow whites to believe that racism is dead, that blacks are making it, a sign that our color-blind society has triumphed. This exceptionalism hides or excuses the results of a drug war aimed directly at the black underclass and which has snatched so many black men from their families and putting them at even greater disadvantage. After prison they are marked men, making employment very difficult, voting often impossible and public housing unlikely.

Class is not the subject of this book but I do think it is also at play both in terms of preserving the tense wariness poor whites feel towards any sign of "special favors" for blacks and as the lesser evil to that of racism but which has defined American life for so long and made everyone - rich and poor - look to the wealthy as successful and the poor as shameful losers.

Inconvenient Truths, March 26, 2010
This is an explosive book. We've all read the statistics about racial disparity in criminal justice, but Michelle Alexander brings it all together in this sweeping analysis of our dysfunctional legal system and the persistence of de jure discrimination in the Age of Obama. Clearly written and vigorously argued, The New Jim Crow makes plain that we haven't come as far as we think and that there is still much to be done. The ghosts of slavery are alive and well.

Powerful, Informative, and Mind-Opening, April 26, 2010
I have just put down Michelle Alexander's book after reading the very last word and I don't know what to say. I am literally so in awe, so grateful for her work, so amazed at her talent and gifts that I am truly without words to describe how I feel or what I think.

I am normally a very quick read but her book forced me to slow down. Not a word or sentence was unnecessary but rather so incredibly meaningful, meaty, and educational that I found myself only being able to read when I was well-rested and undisturbed. I am amazed at how effectively and clearly she informed the reader, me, about the current state of our justice system, the experience of police encounters (which was infuriating and would fill me with rage), and how the laws serve to disempower people and make them disappear. How she moved from data-driven, legal, educational, & rational arguments to a passionate appeal for change and a sharing of a real vision is astonishing.

I love how she writes, so clear and with a crescendo of support for her thesis, and what she wrote about. I'm truly grateful for this piece of work. The book is truly inspiring as it is mystifying that we are where we are. I haven't been able to stop telling people about her book but sadly am not nearly as eloquent and struggle to explain concisely the arguments.

I wish everyone would read this body of work. Well done!

Well Researched -- Well Done! Necessary reading, April 5, 2010
Painful to read, but necessary. Author did a great job. Well researched and thoughtful. The type of information you DO NOT receive from Mainstream Media. What a disgrace our system is, in this area, how cleverly disguised this form of social control is. If you have any interest in human rights and fairness, run out and get this book. (or order online here) Kudos to the author.

Your view of our Criminal Justice System will change forever, July 6, 2010
Earlier I reviewed Texas Tough and suggested questions it should raise in your mind. Now I have read The New Jim Crow and am flabbergasted at my ignorance. I had thought I knew much about our Criminal Justice System (having studied and taught about it for years) but now realize how narrow and restricted my understanding had been. A MUST read.
Texas Tough tells us WHAT; The New Jim Crow tells us WHY! Michelle Alexander has done an outstanding job of filling in many blanks in our knowledge and correcting our typical perceptions of the criminals and prisons and ex-offenders.
Readers who are serious about understanding the plight of Black Men and the War on Drugs, and are willing to learn from an intelligent and experienced Black female ACLU attorney, will learn about a whole new world not seen by White's.
I used the Kindle edition which works well since the text contains no graphs or pictures. A straight, honest read. Captivating!
My four stars instead of five is due to the repetitive nature of some information and some digression into a preaching rather than a strict information style. She may embellish the significance of some of the facts, but it doesn't diminish the message.

Powerful and informative--a must read for all interested in social justice, June 14, 2010
This is an amazing book told from the unique standpoint of a lawyer and a woman of color. Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" exposes the truth about the U.S. Prison Industrial Complex and it's true role as a mechanism for the criminalization and oppression of the non-white and poor of all colors.

Alexander presents example after example of years of targeting the poor for such things as drug use or possession--which are used equally among people of all colors and economic standing--yet only the poor are targeted for punishment, stop and search, police occupation of their communities and schools creating a mythology of the "criminal poor."

Those who have been incarcerated are forever marked as second-class citizens unable to participate fully in our so-called democratic society--unable to vote, to hold office, to get financial aid to go to college, to receive social services, and much more.

I recommend this book especially to the youth. This is their new reality now. The truth that can be gained from reading this book can make them free.

Thank you Michelle Alexander.

Sincerel,

Bonnie Weinstein

The most important book written this year, and maybe century!, June 5, 2010
MIchelle Alexander's book is a judgment on what America has become -- a racist prison state. "The New Jim Crow" is tightly researched and stand as an indictment of our nation. Read it and weep! Say, with Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country.
I was one of the early white civil rights demonstrators, then battled HUAC in the streets of Chicago, then led the Peace movement in Boston, brought a winning contingent into the runoff for Senate in Massachusetts, electing Ed Brooke the first Black Senator in the US ever, then was the Exec Dir of Alabama's :freedom democrats," electing the first blacks to office in Alabama since Reconstruction, then working in Congress for Earl Hilliard, Alabama's first black member of Congress and Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus there, and organized the movement which brought unions into the halls of Congress to organize Congressional workers. And I ain't quit yet!
But through it all, I see with old, experienced eyes what the young eyes of Michelle Alexander see -- a police state America -- a racist prison state. Read the book! Look at the evidence! Then start working to save what little is left, if anything, of the real America so many of us dreamed. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The good news is that most soldiers are loath to kill. But armies have developed sophisticated ways of overcoming this instinctive aversion. And contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army's conditioning techniques, and, according to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's thesis, is responsible for our rising rate of murder among the young.

Upon its initial publication, ON KILLING was hailed as a landmark study of the techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill, of how killing affects soldiers, and of the societal implications of escalating violence. Now, Grossman has updated this classic work to include information on 21st-century military conflicts, recent trends in crime, suicide bombings, school shootings, and more. The result is a work certain to be relevant and important for decades to come. ... Read more

Reviews

A fascinating study, January 23, 2004
ON KILLING is the study of what author Lt. Col. Dave Grossman has termed "killology". This odd term describes, not killing between nations, but the exact circumstances involved when one individual ends the life of another individual, with the primary focus being on combat situations. I've sometimes wondered how I (someone who has never been anywhere near armed conflict) would fare on the frontlines, as killing another human being seems like an almost impossible psychological task. As Grossman casts an eye over historical reports of combat, he found that, apparently, I wasn't alone in thinking that. During the First and Second World Wars, officers estimated that only 15-20 percent of their frontline soldiers actually fired their weapons, and there is evidence to suggest that most of those who did fire aimed their rifles harmless above the heads of their enemy.

Grossman's argument is carefully researched and methodically laid out. He begins by filling in some historical details, discussing the statistics for shots fired per soldier killed for the World Wars and the American Civil War. It's a refreshing and enlightening look at war that dispels a lot of misconceptions. An average solder in those wars was extremely reluctant to take arms against fellow humans, even in cases where his own life (or the lives of his companions) was threatened. Not to say that any of these people are cowards; in fact, many would engage in brave acts such as rescuing their comrades from behind enemy lines or standing in harm's way while helping a fellow to reload. But the ability to stare down the length of a gun barrel and make a conscious effort to end a life is a quality that is happily rare.

The book continues on then, detailing what steps the US Army took to increase the percentage that they could get to actually fire upon their enemy. By studying precisely what the soldier's ordinary reactions were, the officers were able to change the scenario of war in order to avoid the most stressful of situations. The soldier found up-close killing to be abhorrent, so the emphasis was countered by inserting machinery (preferably one manned by multiple soldiers) between the killer and the enemy to increase the physical and emotional distance. Every effort is made to dehumanize the act of killing.

Grossman spends a great deal of time discussing the trauma that the solder who kills faces when he returns to civilian life. Nowhere is this more apparent than in those veterans who returned from Vietnam. Those soldiers had been psychologically trained to kill in a way that no previous army had gone through, and there was no counteragent working to heal their psychological wounds. Grossman takes great pains to discuss how horrifying the act of killing is, and points out how detrimental it is to one's mental health. When the Vietnam veterans returned home to no counseling and the spit and bile of anti-war protestors, the emotional effect was astounding. Most of Grossman's thesis is supported by in-depth interviews and psychological profiles, but it is the story of the Vietnam veterans that comes across as the most disturbing.

Much of the chatter about this book seems to revolve around the final section, the discussion about our own civilian society. While this is understandable, I actually preferred reading the earlier portions, simply because they opened my eyes to a lot about the military that I had been previously ignorant of. I think it would be a mistake to concentrate solely on the argument's conclusion as it rests heavily on the case that has been building. In any event, the book eventually develops its final conclusion: the methods that the military uses to desensitize its soldiers to killing are also being used in our media, but without the proper command structure that keeps people from killing indiscriminately. In a military situation, firing a weapon without proper authorization or instruction is a very serious offense, and this is drilled into the mind at the same time as the desensitization. Without this safety, there is nothing to hold back the killing instinct, and this is one of the main reasons why the homicide rate has increased so dramatically.

Now, I'll say right off the bat that I was partial to this line of argument before I read the book; I think that children repeatedly exposed to such images would almost certainly become blas� towards extreme violence. But Grossman's book gave me so much more to think about. It isn't just a Pavlovian force at work here; Grossman points out many reasons (both stemming from society and the changing family structure) for why young people of today seem much more able to kill than their parents and grandparents were.

I was honestly surprised at how strong of a writer Grossman is. He manages to put forth his argument without boring the reader. By its very nature, a lot of what he discusses is repetitive and disturbing, but the subject matter is so compelling that I didn't mind. Grossman is very logical in his approach and his argument is a powerful one. I highly recommend this book, especially for people like myself who have never experienced war at close quarters. The summary I (and others here) have given is simply not nearly adequate to capture all of Grossman's thorough contentions. ON KILLING made me think harder about a subject that I hadn't given a lot of thought too before. The information and research here is invaluable.

Fantastic book, November 9, 2006
As a police officer we spend many hours in various forms of training. Some of this training is dedicated to the rules surrounding the use of our department issued firearms. Some of this training is dedicated to the physical skill of firing this weapon. None of the training is dedicated to what you go through after having actualy used this weapon against another human being in self defense. The extent of my departments response was...absolutely no critical incident debriefing and my appointment with the department phycologist occured 9 days after the shooting. The evaluation by the physcologist last 23 minutes total. At that point I knew that my well being was up to me to provide for. After some research I located this series of books by Dave Grossman. Purchasing these books was the best thing I could have done for myself. The information within these pages helped me understand all the stages of emotion that I was, and still am, going through. I would recommend these books to anyone in the military or in lawenforcement (or any family memeber there-of). They may very well have saved my sanity.

An insightful, ground-breaking study on why man kills man, May 20, 1999
Dave Grossman has written perhaps one of the most insightful books on what motivates men in combat since S.LA. Marshall's "Men Against Fire". Grossman combines the thoroughness of an learned psychologist with the practical viewpoint of a lifetime dedicated to military service. He provides us with a unique and truly fascinating look into the dark and often terribly painful mental process that brings a man to pull the trigger and kill his fellow man. As an officer in the Army, I consider this book an essential read for anyone who may someday bear the burden of leading men in combat. We often get such a distorted view of remorseless killing from the popular media that most of us are shocked to discover that the act of killing a man at close range is something that very few soldiers are capable of. In a similar fashion to S.L.A. Marshall, Grossman demonstrates with overwhelming evidence how the vast majority of soldiers are tremendously reluctant to kill, frequently prefering to risk their own death instead. The book offers such a profound and important perspective on the nature of warfare at the human level that I suspect it will some day be part a curriculum for training officers and non-commissioned officers on combat leadership. Although the book's primary focus is on the nature of killing in warfare, his conclusions have relevance for anyone concerned with the problem of violence in society. One of Grossman's most useful conclusions is the suggestion that virtual reality video games allow their users to overcome the natural reluctance to kill by gradually desensitizing the mind to violence. This erosion then makes it easier for those who are pre-disposed to aggressive violence to act on their desires in a violent way. With the recent string of high school shootings, Grossman's hypothesis has immediate relevance to current social issues. In fact, he has been a frequent commentator on these tragedies with several national news networks. In summary, Grossman's book peers cautiously into the darker side of man's nature to understand what drives him to kill in combat. What he finds there is vastly different from what we are taught to expect- simply that the vast majority of people are unable to look a fellow man in the eye and kill him even if his own life may be at stake. The forces that allow him to overcome that reluctance in the heat of battle include peer pressure, leadership, training, and physical distance and are examined in great detail.

A Powerful Refutation of the Soldier's Bloodlust, February 10, 2000
Those who have never had the privilege of serving in America's armed forces invariably believe the Hollywood depiction of the modern soldier as a soulless killing machine. As Lt. Col. Dave Grossman shows in his groundbreaking study of killing in war, nothing could be further from the truth.

Remember the steely-eyed warriors who descended on Normandy, Anzio, Guadalcanal, and a host of other blood-soaked battlegrounds during World War II? Only one in five of these combat infantrymen were willing to fire their rifles.

Shocking? Surely, given the popular depiction of our fighting men. But military training has never been able to fully eradicate the innate resistance of killing one's fellow man amongst the common soldiery.

Yet we're getting better at it, with disturbing implications for our society. Grossman's data shows that the current crop of soldiers, raised on graphic violence in movies and video games, is much more willing to slay the enemy. This is undoubtedly a good thing from a purely military point of view. However, the cost is a consequent desensitization to the suffering of friend and foe alike, and psychological trauma which lasts long after the firing stops.

The introduction of women into combat situations has not slowed the inexorable trend toward a more savage soldier. During training to endure potential captivity as prisoners of war, male soldiers are taught to conquer their natural tendencies to protect females through an active desensitization process (a soldier is a soldier, whether male or female; we all signed up for this, etc.) What impact this has once these brave men return to society is uncertain, but you can bet that one cannot turn their humanity on and off like a light switch.

A profound and disturbing study which belongs in every library.

LTC Grossman was my favorite Commander., March 8, 2003
I just wanted to write a quick note and review about LTC Grossman's book and his character. I read a review which stated that, "His only vaguely denounced and hidden desire to change the US Constitution make me want to examine Mr. Grossman's education and military record in depth."

Let me say, I served briefly under LTC Grossman, then Major Grossman as a new Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He was, in my opinion, one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and studied officers I ever had the privilege of serving with. It was LTC Grossman, that first instilled in me how a professional soldier acts, thinks, commands, and motivates. LTC Grossman used to give a speech to ROTC Cadets during summer training at Ft. Lewis, WA that was so motivational, by the end the cadets would literally stand up and scream for more. The Army videotaped the presentation and often tried (unsuccessfully) to duplicate it. LTC Grossman used to lead philosophical discussions about the "warrior spirit" that would engage even the least interested. He first enlightened me to think about the mind of our enemy ("One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter") and has helped me understand the minds and motivation of those that attacked the U.S. on 9/11 (I served under LTC Grossman in 1996). You will not defeat an enemy until you understand and address the root cause of their grievances.

For those interested in LTC Grossman's thoughts, I can recommend taking a look at several of Robert Heinlein's books, which LTC Grossman recommended to me. Specifically, "Starship Troopers", the book bastardised by Hollywood in the movie under the same name.

Many of LTC Grossman's teachings remain with me today, and he is one person that will impart knowledge that stays with you for a lifetime. While studying for my MBA, I wrote my business plans in accordance with the 5 paragraph OPORD, or Operations Order, and as a result I had more than one professor ask me to review independent grant, business, and research proposals.

I read LTC Grossman's book as a Cadet, and while I have to admit, much of it made me feel intellectually humble, his overarching hypothesis has passed the litmus test of time. After the Columbine shootings in Colorado, I saw LTC Grossman on a morning talkshow addressing many of the concerns premised in his book "On Killing" which was several years old by then. The events of 9/11 make me believe that we can all learn a little from LTC Grossman that will help this nation understand who, what, why, and how this nation will fight and win the war against terror.

Alters opinions, March 13, 2000
I am a reporter. Most people would expect me to deny Lt. Col. Grossman's findings, pertaining to violence in the media, as sensationalist and misleading since I should know where my bread is buttered.

I admit, I was skeptical, but during research for an article on violence in the schools, I came across the colonel's book, "On Killing". After reading it, I became a convert.

The comparison of the military's usage of operant and classical conditioning techniques with the psychological effects experienced by juveniles when they observe violence - or participate in it, in the case of interactive shoot-'em-up video games - was quite enlightening. Col. Grossman brought a fresh perspective to the debate and convinced me to rethink my original opinion.

Of course, his theory wouldn't hold unless he could prove that humans, by nature, are unable to kill other human beings unless trained and psychologically conditioned to do so. I believe he did prove this point.

Simplistic solutions such as instituting media criticism courses, turning off the TV or banning guns won't stop the killing because they don't get at the core psychological problems and they don't address the enabling factors that are co-conspirators in juvenile violence.

Listen to this man.

Intriguing, yet fraught with problems, August 6, 2000
Grossman presents interesting and worth-while reading when dealing with the psychological workings of what it takes (soldiers) to kill. His hypothesis adding two additional phases to the typcal fight-or-flight response was new, at least to me, and makes sense. And his examination of ritual and rite involved with war, in particular the importance of ritual after war, and his coorelation between the lack of ritual and the high precentage of Vietnam vets who suffe(ed) from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was intriguing and even insightful.

Yet the book has significant short-comings. First is Grossman's lack of proper citation, footnotes, and supporting evidence. Time and again Grossman quotes experts or refers to people and studies but never gives the source. Grossman makes the error of assuming that his audience is as familar with this topic as he is. At one point, Grossman tells of a meeting with a mysterious Dr. Narut who reveals assassin training techniques taken right out of A Clockwork Orange, yet Grossman gives no other evidence to support this. These are elemental flaws in scholarship and rhetoric, and are the kinds of things that would not be tolerated in college research writing.

The Korean War (or Conflict if you want o be politically correct) is another problem. Grossman explains that during WW II only 15 to 20 percent of soldiers actually fired. By Korea this percentage was 50 to 55 percent, and by Vietnam it was 90 to 95 percent. My dispute is not with Grossman's numbers, but with the fact that aside from this statistic, the Korean War is barely mentioned, and its soldiers are never associated with the problem of PTSD.

The other, and most important, problem with the book is Grossman's reasoning behind the increase in violence in today's world, America in particular. Essentially, Grossman blames the media, television violence, Hollywood, and video games. His reasoning is akin to that against violent comic books in the 1950's when they were seen as being responsible for the rise in teenage crime. Grossman argues against the anti-hero of today's movies and against violent monster movies such as Friday the Thirteenth. He argues that violent video games condition teenagers just as military training conditions soldiers. Yet he gives no evidence to support his point of view. He cites not one study or even a magazine article to help him (oddly enough, if he had read King's The Danse Macabre, King's textbook on horror from 1950 to 1980, he would have found at least anticdotal evidence). And while he is trying to make this part of the book the crux of his entire argument, he fails miserably because he displays no knowledge or understanding of contemporary American culture or film history/theory and where such characters as the anti-hero derive from. In effect, Grossman comes off as a Nancy Reagan clone, with a "Just say no!" attitude that offers no real insight into why violence has increased, or how to deal with it. Where Grossman wants to hit the target the most, he misses far wide of the mark.

A Highly Flawed Work on an Important Topic, May 9, 2009
LTC Grossman's book is highly overrated by far too many readers. His book does offer some valuable information on the combat efficiency of people over time on the modern battlefield. There is also some excellent insight into post-traumatic stress disorder. He suggests that in the past soldiers had more time to reflect and examine their experiences before returning to peaceful lives back home. Either armies had to march home, which could take days if not weeks, or they had to take a ship, which could take a similar amount of time. Our current policy of rapid reintroduction of soldiers just out of a combat zone as a cause of problems today is an important one.

The rest of his book, however, is flawed and should be taken with a grain of salt. To begin with, he takes modern assumptions and assigns them to all eras and epochs of the past, as if people of the past all have the same outlooks and reactions that we do today - they just wore different clothes. His assumption that people are somehow inherently predisposed not to kill each other and only do so with great mental conditioning leading to psychological harm flies in the face of the obvious lessons of history. A reading of history suggests our ancestors often waged aggressive and enthusiastic war with little trouble. Even more importantly, they did not need video games or death metal to encourage them to do it. The society and its views of war, I think, has more to do with reactions of soldiers than any innate mental disposition.
Some items he mentions show a poor understanding of practical matters. He suggests that centurions simply stood around encouraging their soldiers to fight, while a student of Roman warfare would recognize that the centurions were often in the thick of the fighting and doing so by fighting. They often led just as much by example as by shouting orders. The author also asserts that the reason thrusts with a sword are not used much is related to some psycho-sexual mental block. This only proves he has little concept of weapons through the ages, not to say the fact that he has never seriously used one. He also fails to comment on the development of specialized thrusting weapons in the late middle ages or the development of rapiers. That these weapons were used for several hundred years and thrusting the accepted technique for inflicting damage shows a poor understanding of swords, not to say weapons of the past in general. I wonder how he addresses the spear, the most common weapon for thousands of years?

Even more troubling is his use of SLA Marshall's work Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command to justify many of his positions. He quotes Marshall's famous firing rate: less than twenty-five percent of a unit would engage in combat with the enemy. The first problem is: He ignores Marshall's reason for this occurring. Marshall felt a lot of this had to do with the way soldiers were trained - only to fire their weapon if they could see a target. In modern war, a target is not always visible, hence the soldiers did not shoot when shot at. The soldiers who did shoot often were armed with BARS, machine guns, flame-throwers, etc. That is weapons that are meant to be used against an area as much as against individual targets. The second problem is that recent research has suggested that it is very likely Marshall simply made up this figure. His methodology was more focused on recreating the battle experience, not obtaining specific pieces of information for statistical purposes. With doubt cast on Marshall's firing rate, doubt has to be cast on LTC Grossman's conclusions and arguments which stem from it.

Another problem with LTC Grossman's book is that despite saying he conducted over four hundred interviews, he quotes from these very little. In fact, he tends to quote from the same couple of works, Soldiers: A history of men in battle by John Keegan and Richard Holmes and Acts of War: Behavior of Men in Battle by Richard Holmes, over and over again. Because of the repetition and limited sources, many of his assertions seem poorly supported and to rely entirely on the works of other people. If he conducted all these interviews, why does he not reference them more? Also to consider, just because modern people have certain reactions in battle, it does not mean that this is how it has been through time immemorial. This reviewer highly recommends the works of Richard Holmes and John Keegan as an alternative to this poor work.

Finally, when he is given information that runs contrary to his views, he glosses over it or attempts to make it fit his conclusions. The most prominent example regards the guilt officers feel when men under their command die following that officer's orders. Essentially, he says none of the officers he interviewed expressed any guilt. Rather than concluding that maybe they really do not feel guilt, he concludes they must all be suppressing it. This is just absurd - a blatant attempt to make the facts fit a preconceived notion that the author has.

It is unfortunate that this book is accepted so uncritically. His work has affected the work of others in a detrimental manner. The subject is an interesting one, but unfortunately poorly researched. Grossman did do a service in pointing out the importance of the topic. His arguments and conclusion, however, are flawed and poorly thought out. Despite his claim to a history degree, he seems to have a poor grasp of the subject and its study. And in the end his book becomes a screed against violent video games, movies, and music, as if this is to blame for all our problems. My advice is to avoid this book if at all possible.

Off Target, January 7, 2009
Amidst the smoke and karaoke crooning of New Year's Eve, a friend and I got to talking about trauma. I'm a US Navy veteran; I never killed, but I served in hazard zones and as a police officer. She recommended a book--*On Killing*.

Written by Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman, US Army retired, the book describes itself as the founding study on killing. To my surprise, I found it to be a pseudo-scientific screed against media.

--On Insults--

Right off the bat, the paperback takes a swing at skeptics. It compares us morally and scientifically to tobacco lobbyists. It also plays the race card, accusing people who oppose censorship of being racist. The book dismisses personal freedom itself, declaring:

"I think most individuals would agree that the `just turn it off' solution probably rates right up there with `let them eat cake' and `I was just following orders' as all-time offensive statements."

I'm offended by populist statements accusing critics of racist tyranny! Yet I read the whole book.

--On Media--

Far from a study of killing, the central thesis states: "Finally, *and perhaps most important*, I believe that this study will provide insight into the way that rifts in our society combine with violence in media and in interactive video games to indiscriminately condition our nation's children to kill." (emphasis Grossman's).

To this conclusion, the book follows a chain of hypotheses:

1) People are pacifists.
2) Atrocities and social conditions push people to kill.
3) The military exploits conditioning to push kill rates higher.
4) Media adopts military conditioning to program civilian children to kill.
5) First Amendment and market controls are required.

--On Veneer--

Unbefitting these controversial claims, the content is superficial.

*On Killing* examines American infantry during modern wars. Yet it generalizes that all humans throughout history are innately opposed to homicide. The text doesn't try to consider nurture instead of nature, failing to explore killing across different cultures, demographics, or periods. Nor does Grossman offer a mechanism for aversion, preferring to prattle poetically about people.

Repeatedly, the author claims original research. In practice, his study is a pile of cherry-picked quotes strung together with personal opinions, urban legends, and movie references. Credible citation is also absent; I would expect APA format at least. The book finally admits to reliance on pop literature for most of its testimonials--not exactly sound science.

Indeed, whole chapters babble with romantic commentary. Vietnam studies stray into denial that we lost the war, egotistical assertions of American prowess, and diatribes on the treatment of veterans. I often felt like I was reading a talk-show transcript.

--On Histrionics--

Frequent hysterics reinforce this tabloid quality. It announces, "After nuclear holocaust, the next major threat to our existence is the violent decay of our civilization due to violence-enabling in the electronic media." Pardon me while my eyes roll right out of their sockets!

The tone also raised my eyebrows. It sticks to the page with sexual and slaughterhouse metaphors. Yet obscenities are scoured, notably "f---" and "s---". I suspect any book that compares itself to a sex manual, but strikes out the language. I also mistrust loaded phrasing: specifically the repetitious use of "the egalitarian United States", "violence-enabling media", "brainwashing", and "conspiracies".

The author uses those last two terms a lot, as *On Killing* slips into conspiracy theories. From the start, it declares media violence to be a genocidal plot against black people. The Vietnam chapters suggest an illuminati-like anti-war movement. The final sections build off fantastic *Clockwork Orange* CIA scenarios.

These creepy assertions bubble out of otherwise sedate passages, until less-discerning readers float atop without any idea that their feet have left the ground.

--On Manipulation--

*On Killing* really sails into space when it applies fallacy to American society. The central thesis states that humans are inherently adverse to killing, but modern electronic media reproduces combat conditioning without safeguards. Now I don't doubt media influences human behavior. I do doubt *On Killing* for drawing far-fetched conclusions from dubious methodology:

>Reliance on Arguments from Authority,
>Argument from Repetition,
>Band Wagon Appeals,
>and Inappropriate Analogies.

The book also suffers pervasive cognitive bias:

>Fallacy of correlation versus causation.
>Omitting reasonable alternatives.
>Reinforcing bias through false dilemma.

Example: The book claims graphic media is the only increasing factor in violent crime. This ignores the history of economic conditions, hard drugs, and firearms, or criminal immigration. The book further fails to account for pitfalls of statistical reporting. It reinforces bias by denying the potency of firearms and drugs. Grossman's false dilemma claims that science cannot safely prove a link between media and violence, so we should assume it on his authority.

--On Conclusion--

After 300-pages of war stories, *On Killing* asserts that Dirty Harry turned our children into murderers. It coyly advocates government censorship and public censure to control our expression.

This has nothing to do with a study of killing. This *is* another fallacy, related to the "irrelevant conclusion": the author presents an attractive set of arguments--those sympathetic soldiers-- then switches to a disconnected thesis. Overall, the book calls itself into question with what amounts to a 30-page non-sequitur.

To paraphrase the text itself, *On Killing* stakes out the same moral and scientific ground as the tobacco industry. It insults readers and their beliefs. Arguments are trite and sag with fallacy. And the histrionics--the melodramatic declarations, the conspiracy theories, and the twisted morality--makes this sham of psychology as crazy as the patient.

A different view of the Vietnam war., October 11, 2004
Grossman, D. (1996). On killing. NY: Back Bay Books.

To read Grossman's gripping study of killing in a military environment requires a degree of courage from the readers. In fact, those Vietnam colleagues who are not travelling well may be better off not reading this book for it peels back the psychological layers of training to kill, and then the guilt that has been generated from being part of the harvesting of the body count. Importantly, the author recognises that Vietnam was different, for a variety of reasons, to any other war that we have fought.

Grossman has impeccable credentials. He rose from the rank of private to lieutenant colonel and served in the 82nd Airborne, 7th Infantry Division and the U.S. Rangers and as a psychology professor at West Point.

After the Second World War, the British and Americans studied the phenomenon of non-firers. American studies confirmed that in battles only 15-20% of the troops shot to kill. In some situations where several riflemen were together firing at the enemy, others in the group would take on supporting roles (getting ammunition, tending the wounded etc.). There was a conspiracy of silence over the non-firers and those involved in a conspiracy to miss, even when their lives were endangered. The British confirmed that among the Argentinean troops in the Falklands, there was a similar rate of non-firers.

However, by the time of the Vietnam War, training techniques had been changed and the firing rates were around 95%. Herein lies the root of the problems faced by Vietnam veterans. As a result of the non-firing data, training methods were re-designed to remove the moral dilemma of taking human lives. Recruits were trained to shoot body shaped targets, not bullseyes and recruits were rewarded for "kills". At Puckapunyal (Recruit Training), recruits for Vietnam were instructed to aim for the chest, so if the enemy doesn't die they become a burden for their medical support teams. Bayonet training, which had probably remained unchanged for over 100 years, was designed to massively damage the enemy soldier's abdominal-thoracic region with a steel instrument possessing two specifically designed blood grooves. And, as the RDI said, "If you are unlucky enough to bayonet the enemy in the head and can't get your bayonet out, discharge a round and it should split the head open."
In, out, on guard! Kill, kill!
The NCOs' and officers' jobs in combat remain to get the troops to kill. I cannot agree with Grossman's observation that British officers do their jobs better because of the class distinction between themselves and their men, which allowed them to make more objective decisions (p. 168). The "fragging" phenomenon in Vietnam occurred because of this perceived officer indifference to the suffering of the troops.

Killing another human being is not a natural act, contrary to what the movies would have us believe. Grossman argued that only 2% of the troops are natural killers (psychopaths/sociopaths), the others need a variety of support strategies to overcome the feeling of guilt that eventually emerge. Perhaps a strongpoint of this book is the excellent diagrams, which capture the essence of key points in this treatise. The diagram showing the predisposition to kill (p.188) is a good example of Grossman's clarity of thought. He shows that the demands of authority, training and conditioning, experience, target attractiveness and group support all come into play before the trigger is pulled.

So, what made Vietnam different to previous and subsequent wars? Firstly, the training was different and the re-socialisation of recruits, particularly those conscripted into the military, was designed to make certain that the troops would kill. The troop rotations generally had new members of units arriving and leaving as individuals, thus denying them the support and absolutions for what they had taken part in. Thirdly, there was no safe rear area and troops had to be battle ready, always. The Swank and Marchand research of 1946 showed that after 25 days in combat troops suffered combat exhaustion, with a reduction in their effectiveness and ending after 50 days in a vegetative phase. Fourthly, the lack of support from the home communities turned many Vietnam veterans into pariahs and it took over a decade to begin to remedy this dreadful, politically driven alienation. As a result, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) manifested itself in many returning troops, who often left Vietnam and were expected to be civilians again within 12 hours. It was interesting that the British sent troops home from the Falklands by boat to overcome this specific problem of the lack of group absolution.

For me, this book was an interesting read, but importantly it made me understand myself and my veteran colleagues a little better.

[...]

Neil MacNeill, 31 Charlie.
... Read more

Editorial Review

A riveting true crime story that vividly recounts the birth of modern forensics.

At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, known and feared as “The Killer of Little Shepherds,� terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years—until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era’s most renowned criminologist. The two men—intelligent and bold—typified the Belle Époque, a period of immense scientific achievement and fascination with science’s promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition.

With high drama and stunning detail, Douglas Starr revisits Vacher’s infamous crime wave, interweaving the story of how Lacassagne and his colleagues were developing forensic science as we know it. We see one of the earliest uses of criminal profiling, as Fourquet painstakingly collects eyewitness accounts and constructs a map of Vacher’s crimes. We follow the tense and exciting events leading to the murderer’s arrest. And we witness the twists and turns of the trial, celebrated in its day. In an attempt to disprove Vacher’s defense by reason of insanity, Fourquet recruits Lacassagne, who in the previous decades had revolutionized criminal science by refining the use of blood-spatter evidence, systematizing the autopsy, and doing groundbreaking research in psychology. Lacassagne’s efforts lead to a gripping courtroom denouement.

The Killer of Little Shepherds is an important contribution to the history of criminal justice, impressively researched and thrillingly told. ... Read more

Reviews

The psycopath and the professor, September 10, 2010

Very Interesting Story of Earlier Serial Killer and Forensics Methods, September 19, 2010

Science and crime solving in the 19th century, September 10, 2010

Fascinating, Thorough And Disturbing, November 7, 2010

Account of 19th Century Serial Killer's Horrific Crimes, Supplemented With History of Forensics, October 6, 2010

Very interesting, September 27, 2010

People lie. Evidence does not., September 18, 2010

"One must know how to doubt.", August 27, 2010

Very Impressive, November 24, 2010

Intelligent, thrilling and educational, November 17, 2010

Editorial Review

Now in its Eighth Edition, <b>CRIMINAL LAW AND ITS PROCESSES: Cases and Materials</b> maintains great success as the longtime leading book in Criminal Law. In addition to a highly respected and renowned authorship, this scholarly gem is distinguished by the intellectual integrity of its thematic framework, its teachability and the wealth and depth of its content. In addition to focusing on basic principles, analytical problems enhance student learning by testing their thought process, applications and interactions in context.<p class=copymedium><b>This edition preserves the outstanding qualities that have earned it distinguished success:</b><li class=copymedium>a highly respected authorship¿Kadish, Schulhofer, and new co-author Steiker¿comprised of nationally recognized and renowned scholars<li class=copymedium>cohesive intellectual framework¿ by viewing the law both as a system for apportioning blame in accordance with moral norms and as an instrument of social control, it provides an analytical tool with which students can interpret and understand doctrine<li class=copymedium>a cases-and-notes pedagogy with excerpted materials, questions, and problems<li class=copymedium>a focus on developing an understanding of principles and rules applicable to all crimes, rather than the detailed and disjointed elements of many particular crimes<li class=copymedium>problems that enhance student understanding of the basic principles by testing their applications and interactions in the context of particular offenses<li class=copymedium>in-depth coverage of rape, homicide, and theft</ul><p class=copymedium><b>The Eighth Edition has been carefully updated to maintain the integrity of its framework, preserve its challenging content and enhance its teachability:</b> <li class=copymedium>it achieves continuity with its predecessors and makes little change in organization or coverage<li class=copymedium>most principal teaching cases have been retained, with recent cases and illustrations added<li class=copymedium>editing throughout enhances the transparency of the organization and accessibility of the notes and questions, providing greater clarity and ease of teaching<li class=copymedium>organization is designed to permit ready adaptation for longer or shorter courses<li class=copymedium>a new section gives detailed attention to issues of statutory interpretation<li class=copymedium>a new chapter on Discretion allows for study of the legal framework that governs charging, bargaining and sentencing, and the role they play in shaping determinations of culpability and punishment<li class=copymedium>greater attention is focused on the ways that sentencing considerations and the growth of federal criminal law have affected traditional criminal law principles and practices<li class=copymedium>new attention is focused on international human rights and their implications for American criminal law<li class=copymedium>more thorough examination of common law vocabulary and doctrine and a clarified organization enable students to differentiate more systematically between the common law and Model Penal Code approaches<li class=copymedium>a completely revised section on the death penalty deals more fully with contemporary debates and recent Supreme Court decisions</ul> ... Read more

Reviews

Great Criminal Law Casebook, October 7, 2004
If you could call a casebook awesome I would use those words here. This book is great for outlining and it leads you through Criminal Law step by step. You'll be amazed at your deep understanding of Criminal Law when you finish with this casebook.

Great fun for the law hobbyist, March 1, 2002
I bought this book on a whim. For a long time I had been interested in law and wanted to see what studying it was all about. I don't think I could have picked a better place to start. From the word go this book delivered interesting cases with in-depth analysis at the end of each one. The analysis was especially helpful in picking apart the important points of law that the case represented. Now when I watch Law and Order and The Practice, I can tell my girlfriend about what is going on (in the legal parts) and sound like a total know-it-all, which is totally awesome.

Concise, August 23, 1999
For first year law students it is a must. Reflection on this book even for the most seasoned attorney is recommended as well.

Great 1st year book!, December 14, 1999
OK, 1Ls of the world...this book is organized very well for outlining. The text covers all of the areas of criminal law, peppered with interesting cases drawn from around the country, and really does a good job of giving the reader a variety of perspectives on the contentious issues that comprise criminal law.

As described, February 12, 2010
Great book, just as described in the title and picture. Saved about $[...] bucks off the school bookstore shelf.

No answer, August 18, 2010
I have submitted an urgent message asking when i can realistically expect my delivery, in case i need to cancel my order and no response.

Law Textbooks, June 4, 2010
I would definitely purchase from this seller again. I purchased a used law book that is in great condition and the price was easy on the pocket book considering the high cost of law textbooks. Also, the seller was more than prompt. The item shipped the same day I made the purchase, and I received the book much sooner than I ever expected. Highly recommend anyone, especially law students, using this source for quality, affordable books. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Foreword by Timothy J. Mullin, of ''Unintended Consequences.''

Since the 2002 edition, over 200 pages of various revisions have been included during the annual reprintings. Amazon carries the latest 2009-on printings which include Boston's several page analysis of the Heller decision. (This is not some completely new edition, as some reviewers have incorrectly inferred. Three-fourths of the book remain the original text of 2002. The other fourth are revised pages from 2003-2009.)

While Boston recognizes that gun/gear prices have changed, and that a few new worthy products have emerged, he does not feel that the title yet deserves a completely revamped edition. Good basics never change, and BGB is pretty thorough about those. ... Read more

Reviews

A tome distilled from several dozen tomes, January 4, 2003
If you are involved in an aspect of arms ownership that is not completely relegated to target/hunting matters, then this is the book to give that person. One problem with defensive/offensive arms and their handling, is that the entire industry of munitions as available to the U.S. civilian is made of junk, useless junk, non functioning junk, and the occassional gem. While Boston may be able to tell you in one sentence why rifle XXX is way inferior ro rifle YYY, but in this book, first and foremost, he explains WHY one is inferior. Then the 'why' is placed in the context of the legal availability of certain weapons. And from that is distilled the cream. the cream being the best available to the civilian under current regulations. If these implements are going to be such that 'you would bet your life on them' only the cream will do. You get a little 'combat rifle history' which will make you understand the importance of proper control placement, and why a rifle was designed a certain way. While the book will not nail on the head the only things you should buy, what the book will do is allow you to eliminate 90% of what is not feasible and otherwise junk. The T&E of weaponry takes up the largest part of the book. There is also a large section concering handguns and handgun ammo. I thought rifle ammo was neglected. ALso the statement that 'SS109 5.56 is a major improvement over 55 graim ball' is now proven to be wrong by its performance in Afghanistan. You then have a section on sniper rifle choice. OUt of 300 available calibers you are honed down to perhaps 10. An artcile on .50 cals. .50 Cal ammo. Night vision, I actually learned the difference between various Gen. devices. Scopes. Really every conceivable piece of fighting gear is touched upon. That is why if you read this book, you will eliminate 90% of whats out there from your vision. There are philosophical sections on the warrior mentality, philosophy, shooting, these make entertaining reading. In all, there is no book like this, and it is worth every penny but it is not the end of knowledge, it is the beginning. In other words, even though you may have narrowed your search for a tactical scope down to 10 models, you must then fill in the rest of the picture about the 10 and how they work and then train, train, and train some more.

I do have one caveat. The author is obviously and tremendously trained in almost all aspects of martial arts. Yes, shooting is a martial art too. However, to my knowlegde, and Boston makes no reference to it in anything I have read by him, that he has taken down an oppenent with karate, knife, etc., or had someone in his custody and 'under his gun', much less shot anyone or been shot at. Its not like I have either, but if Boston has one weakness, it is this. No practical combat experience. You might want to balance his book with other material by bona fide veterans, etc.

The Ultimate Book for Firearms Owners - Monumental!, January 14, 2003
Boston's Gun Bible stands alone as the very best all-around reference for firearms owners. Not only does it cover practical rifles, pistols, and shotguns in detail, but it has a wealth of valuable information on related subjects such as optics, practical carry, training, legal issues, and legislative issues. The new expanded and updated edition (with 200 extra pages) is fantastic!

This weighty tome is an absolute MUST for all gun owners. At $28 it isn't cheap, but as I stated before in reviewing the previous edition, it is worth every penny.

Boston's observations and conclusions about guns are precisely researched, scientific, and relatively dispassionate. Unlike many other writers in the firearms field, Boston has consistently shown that he is willing to change his mind when presented with logical evidence.

This is a book that may very well save the life of yourself or a loved one. It is also a highly influential book that may contribute in the long run to the restoration of our Constitutional Republic and freedom around the world. Boston's Gun Bible doesn't just whine about the decline of our God-given Constitutional liberties. Rather, it shows practical solutions that individual Citizens can and must take to insure the liberty of future generations. It is nothing short of a monumental work of non-fiction!

Don't just buy one copy. Buy two! You will soon find that you'll need an extra copy to lend out to family members and friends.

OBTW, if you already have the older edition, then I strongly suggest that you buy the new expanded and updated edition. This valuable new information is well worth the investment.

As a published fiction writer, I stand in awe of this important piece of non-fiction. It deserves a place of honor on the bookshelf of every freedom-loving Citizen.

Semper Paratus,>Author of the pro-gun novel "Patriots:Surviving the Coming Collapse."

Inspiring careful reflection and considered action, December 26, 2002
Boston's Gun Bible, written by Kenneth W. Royce, is scholarly and philosophical, as well as passionate, political and technical. It is no accident that Mr. Royce cites the ultra-science fiction/political satire, Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, as "one of the five best novels I have ever read". Like Stephenson's book (Stephenson is postmodern Melville) Royce's "Bible" is a collage, a pastiche, a rich simmering brew of humor, ideas, opinions, cant, rant and instruction.

Given the book's patchwork style, I think it best to review it according to themes. There are three I will consider: 1. Technical Aspects of Firearms; 2. Philosophy of Firearms;
3. Politics. Other themes which are thoughtfully developed in the 848 page book are on the laws governing gun use, women and guns, self-defense, tactics and training, combat rifle history and how to become a rifleman.

The Technical discussion is one of the strongest sections. I came to this book as a complete newbie as far as firearms are concerned. But the technical part of the book rewards careful reading. It is a complete and meticulously considered course on firearms - how to buy them, how to evaluate them, how they work, how to keep them working, etc. Of the 46 chapters in the book 22 are devoted to this one topic. In his sections evaluating various rifles and pistols, Mr. Royce, using a system he devised, rates dozens of rifles and pistols. His system employs "63 criteria...to rate the controls, features and specifications of combat rifles." And while it is true his full system is deployed only against rifles, the system itself is an extremely useful tool for evaluating any firearm, and also comparing firearms among themselves within distinct classes

The Philosophical aspect of the book is as difficult and convoluted as the Technical part is straightforward. On the one hand, this is in the nature of philosophy. On the other, the difficulty has to do with the purpose and meaning of guns in human culture. This topic has no Socrates (unless it is Nietzsche), and Mr. Royce in this book provides what is only a rudimentary outline. (In his other books, none of which I have read, he may articulate more fully his philosophical arguments.) Mr. Royce's view of human society is that it consists of a very large number of sheep-like beings, who are preyed upon by a few rapacious predators and/or bad governments. He seeks to lay out a third position: "those who refuse to be either", and offers as an example, "an armed libertarian".

The core values of the Third Way are the values of the Warrior, and in any number of ways, Mr. Royce drapes the term Warrior in the full regalia of an ancient and venerable tradition. By denying the Warrior as predator (Mr. Royce's Warrior is no berserker, no pirate, no storm trooper and no imperialist) he evokes a sterner, more finely tempered kind of life, where honor, personal responsibility and concern for others hold pride of place. Human life is intrinsically a life of struggle, and in Mr. Royce's view, a person can accept the reality of this and learn to fight, or he can flee this responsibility, outright by becoming prey, or indirectly by delegating his role to other "protectors". Unfortunately, as any reading of history will attest, the protectors all too often themselves become the predators. Only the Warrior, living a value imbued life that explicitly eschews violent domination of others, can move beyond the predator/prey cycle. The state for which the Warrior strives is that of liberty, and the life of liberty in human societies is moved by four forces, symbolized as the soap box (discussion), the ballot box (formulation), the jury box (interpretation) and the cartridge box (decisive action). In the real world, the first three do not exist in a substantive way without the fourth. And for that reason, firearms - "liberty's teeth"-are the necessary though not sufficient conditions to resist servitude.

The Political themes of this book are the most passionate, and the least organized, of all.
Royce very rightly champions the second amendment as not only the safeguard of the right of each individual to keep firearms but the major bulwark against evil doers and tyrannous governments. Scattered throughout the book are many statistics concerning the relationship between gun ownership and crime. Just in case you are wondering, when a society is armed, there is less crime. Any society which disarms its citizens AND maintains a low rate of crime, does so only by sacrificing many of what we still regard as fundamental human rights (i.e. Japan).

With respect to tyrannical governments, Mr. Royce's arguments are not convincing, at least to me. Certainly, he does have history on his side. "Death by government" was a central motif of the twentieth century, and many previous centuries as well. People would do well to be wary of governments. They would do well to be prepared to take action against tyrannous governments. The question is, Do Americans now face such tyranny? Has the time come to step off the soap box, batten down the ballot box, burn the jury box and open the cartridge box? Mr. Royce is convinced that such a time is imminent, but his arguments in this direction are flimsy. The Political side of the book does not answer to the Philosophical side.

This is a strong book, which I recommend most highly for anyone who is interested in firearms, and who wishes to learn more about any of the themes I have outlined. Owning and using guns is a method which, in mature use, inspires careful reflection, as well as considered action.

Absolutely Essential, March 21, 2007
I bought this book thinking it would merely be a handy reference on firearms, so I was utterly floored by its unexpected intensity and passion. Rather than just giving you the "how", it serves up a healthy dose of the "why" as well. This deeply American book should be required reading for everyone. The writing is lucid and honest, at times funny, and the lessons are indisputable. The citizen disarmament advocates use hype and emotion to further their cause. BTP's Gun Bible meticulously dismantles their rhetoric with facts and reason. I challenge "gun control" advocates to read this book and walk away with your convictions intact.

Invaluable Reference for both the Novice and Experienced Shooter, April 15, 2006
I purchased this book soon after reading the author's first work of fiction, Molon Labe, and I couldn't be more happy with the purchase. Given all the gun media out there that competes for your reading dollar, this is about the best $20 i've spent in some time. Gun Magazines all make their livelihoods selling advertising to gun manufacturers and thus, their reviews tend to sugar-coat flaws. Not so with Boston! His evaluations are unbiased and cut like a razor. Had I bought this book before I purchased my $1400 Armalite AR-10A4 that jams at least a round or two per mag regardless of the ammo/mag, I would have saved a good deal of money and bought a FAL or M1A to start with. The book lives up to its title in that it is a compendium of hands-on researched and empirically analyzed information about firearms for all purposes, with an emphasis on home defense and defense of Liberty in general. I have read and reread the book so many times in the last 4 months that I expect I'll need to replace it soon. The poor thing is starting to fall apart; it's that solid of a reference.

Other reviewers have gone in depth to explain the contents of the books so I will not duplicate their work. However, I find it helpful to mention the three sections that have been the most useful to my interests. I was interested in purchasing a full power battle rifle (308) to replace my jamming AR-10 but given the costs involved, Boston's complete evalations of all the major battle rifles (AR-10, FAL, HK91, M1, M1A, AR-15, Steyr AUG, AK-47, AK-74) were invaluable in helping me to select a DSA Para FAL that fills my needs and goes bang every time I pull the trigger. The second area that was very useful for me was the surplus ammunition evaluation. Nowhere else have I found a solid accuracy evaluation of various types of available surplus ammuntion for 308, 223, and 50 BMG surplus projectiles. Given a battle rifle's appetite for ammunition and Boston's maxim "Ammunition turns money into skill", information ranking the accuracy of surplus ammo in various rifles alone justifies the cost of this volume. Lastly, a section of the book has a solid evaluation of the items needed and costs of getting into 50 BMG target rifle shooting. Boston provides a full evaluation of what is required (rangefinders, ammo, reloading, optics) as well as ranking rifle models previously unheard of by me and most "gun-guys". While the book definitely doesn't discourage one from purchasing a 50 BMG rifle, the text is definitely an eye-opener that these behemoths aren't for everyone, especially those without a well-rooted money tree.

Overall, Boston's Gun Bible is a very solid book (and an exceptional value) for both the novice interested in purchasing their first defensive handgun or hunting rifle to the experienced enthusiast looking to thoughtfully fill up their gun safe. Should you buy it outside Amazon, be sure to get the current edition which has been updated since the 1994 "Krime Bill" expired. The version offered here on Amazon.com as a New Book is the updated edition.

good & helpful, but flawed, December 13, 2007
I was very excited to read this book. Based on the reviews, I knew that I shared most of the author's leanings on both politics and rifles.

On the plus side, Boston's Gun Bible contains tons of great information that can't be found in any other single volume that I've come across so far. When it comes to gear, this guy really knows his stuff. For that reason alone, I think it's a worthwhile book for any proud `gun nut' (like me); I don't regret the purchase and I intend on keeping the book.

That said, the book does suffer from some flaws in three areas that kept it from being as pleasurable of a read as I expected. The net result is that one has to wade through a fair amount of unfocused venting in order to glean the worthwhile information that the book does in fact contain. The flaws in question are haphazard organization, historical errors of fact and analysis*, and writing quality that I can best describe as C-.

Since it looks like all three of these problem areas have been addressed by previous reviews, I'm only going to discuss the one that I found most distracting: the author's lackluster writing skills. Perhaps I'm being abnormally picky here, but still, I think Jeff Cooper for one would agree with me on the value of good, technically correct, clear prose.

There are the usual suspects - bad grammar and typos - throughout; I often wondered whether a competent editor had ever looked at Mr. Party's manuscript. In addition, some of the author's New-Speak-like jargon seems clever at first, but rapidly gets annoying after a couple dozen pages.

By far the most annoying thing, though, is (as a prior reviewer noted) Mr. Party's constant changes in fonts, especially his ridiculous overuse of italics. When you only occasionally use italics, their intended effect - emphasis of a crucial word or phrase - comes across clearly, and everybody is happy. However, when you use italics too much, as I believe Mr. Party does, it eventually stops having the desired effect, and instead creates the effect in the reader's head that the author suffers from some kind of voice-modulation disorder. I found it very distracting.

One can only imagine how much better this book might have been if Mr. Party had also, in between all the firearms classes he's attended, taken the time to attend a writing seminar or two.

*One historical problem I can't resist mentioning: Mr. Party essentially doubles the actual number of Soviet KIA from the Afghan War; moreover, he wrongly attributes these & the resultant Soviet defeat there primarily to the Afghans' skill with the 303 British bolt rifle. In reality, the Afghans were losing the war until American aid arrived in the form of better weapons (more modern rifles, heavy machineguns and artillery, mines, and, most crucially, the Stinger missile which neutralized the Hind gunship threat.)

Thick enough to stop a bullet, February 9, 2009
Well, probably a .25 or .22.

Where to start? OK...This book has both quality AND quantity. Great bang for the buck in these times of everything costing more, and books costing even more than that.

Boston's books all have a sense of urgency that would turn into ranting in many writers' hands. But this is avoided by Boston's keen sense of organization (both on the page and out in the world, he *is* the FSW founder), combined with pretty damn good proofreading, editing and page layout, especially compared with most small press fare.

And the man can *write*. While he obviously thinks a mile a second, he still manages to get it all down in a polished way.

Being that I am a recovering liberal who used to be afraid of guns, I found this book quite an eye opener. It's not just about guns, though the gun stuff is covered and then some. (If you just want books about guns, period, there are plenty of good gun books, Massad Ayoob has written many.)

Boston's Gun Bible is very short on shotgun info (though the line about "condo beehivers and drywall" was hilarious), and not too heavy on revolvers, but Boston likes rifles and semi-autos. This is probably the best rifle book extant. And Boston doesn't cover much on shotguns and revolvers because he "writes what he knows", and he knows what he loves. He loves rifles.

If you want a shotgun book, I recommend "Modern Shotgunning" by Dave Henderson. It's detailed and sweet. Sort of feels like a knowledgeable grandpa passing on his life experience with hunting. Boston's Gun Bible feels more like it's written by your crazy uncle, who it turns out isn't crazy after all. Maybe the crazy uncle is really the only sane guy in the family, because he really understands how the world really works.

Reading this book is a direct pineal download (yes, you'll lose sleep) to the true spirit of the men who created America, men who spoke their constitution with arms. Arms not as symbols, but as actual TOOLS.

In these exponentially turbulent times where America is becoming a welfare state and a foreign country (and that includes many who call themselves "true Americans"), Boston's Gun Bible will help keep your "aim true."

When I bought this book, I was just looking for a book on target shooting and home defense. I got so much more.

Guns, as with any defensive tools, are owned and practiced so hopefully we never have to use them. But an unwillingness to push back when dragged off isn't what this country was based on. And even that has become an unpopular opinion with many of the shiny happy sheeple.

Reading Boston's Gun Bible, I'm reminded of this quote from Charles A. Beard:
"It is sobering to reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence."
==-
MichaelNotMike

I have 70+ "gun books", I only travel with 1. This is it., September 16, 2006
Yes, I disagree with Boston on a couple minor technical points (and was proud to see my "contribution" on Aimpoint optics in the latest edition), but being active-duty Army, this is the only civilian weapons book I make room in the bags for when deploying overseas. When our battalion was issued M14 rifles from storage, the class I gave on iron-sight zero procedures came right out of BGB. I'm on my third copy as it keeps growing legs, and bought copies for some of my soldiers as welcome-home gifts.

BTW, the M855/SS109 is better and punching holes in things, but you're correct in that its inferior on soft tissue. When possible here, I followed SOCOM's lead ans scrounged some Black Hills match grade 5.56 loaded with the 77 grain Sierra. Works great if you don't have an M14 handy.

The definitive work...., January 31, 2001
If you are going to only own one book on guns, this is it. Soup to nuts on why to own a gun, which ones to buy, what gear works, you name it. The section on U.S. gun laws is worth the price of the book alone. It's 700+ pages that doesn't gloss over anything; whether he's rating battle rifles or exploding the myths of gun control, Boston has clearly taken his time and done this one "right". A word of caution for those not familiar with Boston's work- this is not a book about hunting- it's about the true purpose of the Second Amendment clause "to keep and bear arms". You might as well go ahead and order two copies, because when you read it you're going to want to share it with friend....

Must have book!!!, March 4, 2007
I accidentily discovered this writer when I won an auction lot of books. I was overwhelmed by his frank hard-hitting style of writing and no holds barred truth. This book is by far the best I've ever seen on guns. From the technical knowledge, little known facts/tricks, tactical information it's like a complete course in one book. Just one tip like how to use the width of your front sight as a range finder is worth the price of the book (-ie- the 8 moa width of a M14 front sight lines up perfectly with the army targets at a certain range). I received an expert marksman award in the military and believe me I never received any training about this. There is so much information presented that each chapter in itself could I think be expanded into its own book. Especially the chapters on battle rifles and becoming a rifleman. Other valuable information such as home defense, what to do in event of a self defense shooting, etc. Invaluable stuff that someday could save you or your families lives or at least keep you out of prison. I hope he continues to keep writing and expanding on this material cause I'll be buying them all. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This popular casebook, through the selection of classic and modern cases, provides an excellent tool for teaching students the common law foundations of the criminal law and modern statutory reform, including the Model Penal Code. Along the way, the casebook considers modern controversies (e.g., shaming punishment, rape law, self-defense by battered women, euthanasia, the role of culture in determining culpability), and creatively uses literature (e.g., examining insanity through Edgar Allen Poe's The-Tell Tale Heart) and even brain teasers to confront (as the Preface states) ;the Big Questions . . . that philosophers, theologians, scientists, and poets, as well as lawyers, have grappled with for centuries. ... Read more

Reviews

Highly recommends buyer, August 21, 2010
Book arrive promptly well before expected delivery date. It was in the exact condition that seller said it was in. ... Read more

Editorial Review

During his twenty-five year career with the Investigative Support Unit, SpecialAgent John Douglas became a legendary figure in law enforcement, pursuing some of the most notorious andsadistic serial killers of our time: the man who hunted prostitutes for sport in the woods of Alaska, theAtlanta child murderer, and Seattle's Green River killer, the case that nearly cost Douglas his life.

As the model for Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, Douglas hasconfronted, interviewed, and studied scores of serial killers and assassins, including Charles Manson,Ted Bundy, and Ed Gein, who dressed himself in his victims' peeled skin. Using his uncanny ability tobecome both predator and prey, Douglas examines each crime scene, reliving both the killer's and the victim'sactions in his mind, creating their profiles, describing their habits, and predicting their next moves.

Now, in chilling detail, the legendary Mindhunter takes us behind the scenes ofsome of his most gruesome, fascinating, and challenging cases -- and into the darkest recesses of ourworst nightmares. ... Read more

Reviews

How to spot dragons before they hatch, December 29, 2004
I bought Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, for research purposes. I'm writing a book about playing the "good guys" who hunt typical movie slashers, and this book seemed like a good introduction into how the ESCU works to catch the bad guys. What I got was something else entirely.

John Douglas is a very scary man. He's someone who has seen far too many horrific crimes, such that they affect him personally-when his kids scrape their knees, Douglas recounts tales of children torn in half by a murderer. When his wife cuts her finger with a kitchen knife, he points out how the spatter pattern would tell a story about what happened. Ultimately, this sort of exposure leads to a divorce and Douglas is upfront about the damage his profession did to his job.

The book starts out with Douglas in the hospital, the victim of being overworked and without enough manpower to help him. Near death, he recounts the creation of the ESCU and his struggles in making the profiling of serial killers (he invented the term) a legitimate profession. But it does not go into much detail as to how the ESCU works. In fact, it's more about Douglas and about the murderers themselves.

And what a ghastly rogues gallery it is! We have serial killers who invent vigilante groups to cover their tracks, we have killers who like to fly prostitutes out to woodlands and then hunt them down like deer, killers who believe God is telling them to kill people, and killers who strangle, rape, drown, and stab.

I read "Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies" at the same time and found an odd juxtaposition between the two books. Legacy of Blood states that the comfort of slasher flicks is that the bad guy is easily recognized by his disgusting appearance and his sudden attacks, when in reality serial killers often look like normal people and torture their victims for hours.

Not true, according to Mindhunter. Indeed, many of the killers are degenerate slimeballs, incapable of social contact and forced to use blitz-style attacks against the weak and helpless because of their inadequacies. Many have severe stutters, bad acne, or some other disfigurement. Nearly all have been abused in some fashion by their parents.

By now, the serial killer traits are well known: bed wetting, fire starting, and torturing small animals. But Douglas makes it clear that in every case, it's the child's upbringing that so horribly warps them to a life of murder. There are no strong role models to stop these children from turning into monsters; indeed, when children fall into the cracks, serial killers are what sometimes crawl out of them.

Unfortunately, exactly how Douglas comes to his conclusions is a lot like magic. Despite all of his attempts to legitimize what he does, his efforts amount to "and then magic happens!" Then Douglas comes up with a startling accurate profile. He never lets us know when he's wrong. That's a minor quibble with a book that I couldn't put down.

Mindhunter is as much a cautionary tale as it is a woeful biography of Douglas' life. Only one of the victims actually manages to turn the tables on their assailant. And in just about every other case, the killers were on murder sprees that lasted years with dozens of victims. As Douglas puts it, "sometimes the dragon wins."

As an author, this book gave me a host of ideas on how the good guys and the bad guys work. As a citizen of the United States, it gave me a new appreciation for the FBI. As a husband, it gave me a healthy regard for the mentally disturbed. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how to spot the dragons before they hatch.

The Amazing Douglas!, February 3, 2002
This is the first of Douglas' books I've read. After having read Robert Ressler's 2 books, I found this to be more of the same serial killer profiles, with a different spin on the same cases that Ressler reviews in his books. "Mind Hunter" has more of Douglas' personal & professional journey woven into his case studies. It's somewhat boastful of his accomplishments, and, at times, self congratulatory, but still very interesting. The book achieves a good level of insightfulness into the minds and psychopathology of the serial killers profiled. The disappointment lies, however, in that Douglas casually glosses over exactly how his profiles are derived and constructed from the particular facts of each case. Little to no analytic methodology is presented. (I mean, it's not as if readers are gonna run out and take his job away from him if he reveals too many tricks of his trade). In fact, Douglas presents his ability to profile as if he's a magical psychic, pulling personality theories out of his hat. Low and behold! - once the investigations are complete, he ends up with an accurate profile, and people are amazed by him! Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable and very interesting book. If you're intersted in criminal profiling, it's worth a read, but it's not as in-depth as say, Michaud and Hazelwood's "The Evil that Men Do".

Great Book, May 25, 2002
This book is a great start to those who are interested in behavioral sciences, the subject profiling or life in the FBI. The book is detailed in the techniques John Douglas developed and is very easy to read for a person who is not familiar with psychology.

The book starts off with Douglas' early life, entry into the FBI, and the struggles he endured to get profiling on the map. Then, Douglas procedes in showing the reader how success in famous cases thereafter solidified profiling as a real, if somewhat imperfect, science. Douglas goes case by case, pointing out what he looks for in determining the type of killer responsible, and the clues needed to single out the offender.

If you are interested in profiling, John Douglas will show you how he and others like him have done it for years. Unlike the previous reviewer stated, Douglas DOES show you how a trained professional would profile a criminal, but the reader should not expect to be able to profile someone themselves because it takes years of experience and training. He shows the reader what type of physical and behavioral evidence he looks for when creating a profile. In one chapter, he even decides to take you step by step in detail on how he developed a profile for a killer.

Profiling is a behavioral science technique and while Douglas integrates psychological theory, it does not get at all technical or something that the reader will not understand. Douglas and Olshaker made sure this was a book that anyone could read.

John Douglas covers a lot of cases in this book and while they may not be detailed to every piece of evidence in the case, the book overall succeeds in showing the reader how the cases were solved, a general idea of FBI life, profiling, and the criminal mind.

...And no, as explained in Douglas' books, serial killers or others cannot read this book and come up with a way to get away with murder... an attempt by a killer to use this sort of tactic would just implicate him further by blatent behavioral cues, as explained.

If you like this book, I would definitely recommend any of John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's books.

Discriminating readers, March 16, 2004
What many reviewers of John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's book seemed to have overlooked is the tie-in between the biographical information and the profiling techniques John helped to develop. The story of John's mother inquiring into his sex life leads directly to his 'everybody has a rock' theory. The story of betting on raindrops clearly shows why criminals continue to commit crimes: because they can.

John's other biographical stories help illustrate how diffcult life inside the FBI can be. The list of victims in a murder isn't limited to the one murdered; they include the family, neighbors, friends, investigators working a case and Federal law enforcement officers and their families. Anyone considering a career in law enforcement or with the Bureau, should take this into consideration before signing on.

In the context of writing, there are two ways to tell a story; telling vs showing. Mark and John chose to write this book by showing the reader how profiles are constructed. No, you won't find a step-by-step instruction manual within these pages, but you will find the method fully illustrated. An example is the Trailside Killer profile. Carpenter approached his victims in isolated areas and used a blitz attack from the rear to disable them. John Douglas wondered why and took the reader through the steps; the killer didn't attempt to lure or trick his victims as had Bundy. Instead, the killer felt the need to take the victims by surprise even in isolated areas of Tamalpais Park. This told John the killer felt awkward, possibly had a handicap. A physical impairment or disfigurement would have been noticed by others in the park at the time of the murders. That left a speech impediment. The rest of the reasoning behind the profile is detailed quite clearly.

John's methods aren't magic but a result of years of studying human nature, a creative way of thinking about a problem and a background based on intensive interviews with hundreds of convicted killers.

Ego plays a large part in the life of any law enforcement officer. Had John Douglas or Robert Ressler, or Roy Hazelwood spoken to police departments in an unsure manner, would any of those agencies have paid attention? That confidence carries over into real life and to the written word.

For those seeking an inside look at the FBI, there are other books available. Mindhunter, however, is the story of the FBI's first profilers (All of them, not just Douglas) and a look at the Behavioral Science Unit.

Mindhunter, along with John's other books co-authored with Mark Olshaker, show the impact of murder on those closest to the crimes --the families and loved ones. John Douglas' caring for the surviving victims shines from every page in which he talks about that impact, the friendships formed through tragedy, the advocacy of victim's rights and his push to have VICAP become mandatory.

If I could give a higher rating, I would rate Mindhunter a 10.

Some good, some not so good, June 28, 2000
Well, I must be honest. I loved the book. I like the field of criminal profiling and think it deserves the attention. However, Douglas' books aren't really objectice science. They aren't really even psychology. Keep in mind that Douglas is an ex FBI agent, not a forensic psychologist. He probably has a rudimentary understanding, at best, of psychological principles. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, just know that he will look a a crime scene and give a very different "profile" of the killer than a forensic psychologist. Actually, I don't think forensic psychologists even examine crime scenes, the interview suspects and victims to gather evidence. So don't take anything in this book as law. Just because Douglas has the "Crime Classification Manual" doesn't make it scientific. Treat this book, and his others, for what they are, more of a biographical memoir of his days assisting in the investigations of serial murder, rape, child murder etc. And yes, he does like to take a lot of credit, but he also makes it clear in several of his cases how well the police and local authorities did their job and how the killer was brought to justice with "good, old-fashioned police work". He may have a bit of an ego, but he also has a great deal of insight and experience (from a law-enforcement perspective). Although his experience doesn't necessarily shed new light on the actually motives and psychology of serial murders and the like. An interesting and terrifying read? Yes. Objective behavioral science? NO.

Biographic story of John Douglas and the Serial Crime unit, September 22, 2001
REFERENCED BY CANDICE DELONG'S RECENT BEST SELLER:
I read this book because of a reference in the book by Candice DeLong called: "Special Agent : My Life on the Front Lines As a Woman in the FBI". In Ms. Delong's book she made many references to work that John Douglas' group did and cited this book many times. This book gave me further insight into how the Serial Crime unit evolved.

ONE THING THE BOOK DIDN'T DO, WAS EXPLAIN HOW THEY CAME UP WITH A PROFILE:
Many cased were cited in this book and the profiles that were tied to them. However, still after reading this book, I did not come away with an understanding on how they established that the potential culprit was early 20's, did not know the victim, drove a VW beetle (this can't be too great for sales), lived with his Mom and used to be a bed wetter. I can hypothesize, how this was derived, but the book only gives you that much. I imagine many hours of correlating details of solved crimes helps provide the statistical information, they use. This data I'm sure is also closely guarded. One thing they did state was some serial killers were quite bright and no doubt this date could be used as a blueprint to hide your identity. Thus, the need not to publish it. Ironically too many serial killers, were police buffs. All the more reason, not to share it here as well.

JOHN DOUGLAS COVERS MANY HIGH PROFILE CASES IN THIS BOOK BUT, IT IS MORE A BOOK ABOUT HOW THE THE SERIAL CRIME UNIT AND HOW THEY LEARNED SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES THEY USED.
Ironically, common sense prevails. Why not ask some of the perpetrators now that have nothing to lose and a lot of time on their hands. The unit begins interviews with some of the more nototious killers to see what their thoughts were when they committed the crimes they did. As predicted some offenders were less than candid, but even in their lies some insight was gained.

THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF MANY SOLVED INVESTIGATIONS WAS DETAILED. Here you can see where involving this unit may be able to save precious time. From evidence gathering, questioning and staking out various locations associated with the crimes. There is a pattern we all follow. As humans, we are all creatures of habit and compulsion. Those of us driven to crime and horrible acts of violence even more so. John Douglas discusses this in many situations they dealt with.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOK THAT:
Covers many high profile cases in broad strokes and deals with the logic behind profiling, while also
showing the people and the process involved in building a department devoted to this, this is the book for you.

BUT, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
Detail case specifics and how all that profiles are generated, this is not it.

JOHN DOUGLAS DOES A NICE JOB WRAPPING UP THE DETAILS OF HIS LONG CAREER AND A PART OF IT HE FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT. We should all be so lucky to have an opportunity to shape the world around us as he has. He has paid the price with health and family issues, but the outcome, I'm sure he would never change. Bravo.

Excellent book, August 17, 2003
I am the Director of Criminal Justice courses at Dodge City Community College, and I offer a course in criminology and offer a serial killer course. MindHunter is a required book for the criminology course. Douglas is able to explain psychological and criminological theories in a way that is easy for the average person to understand. Reading this book helps students apply the theories from the course to something they can understand. I receive positive feedback every semester from students who have really enjoyed reading the book.

I met John Douglas a few years ago, and attended one of his seminars--his presentation on profiling was excellent!

Profiles in Courage, February 2, 2004
John Douglas is a retired FBI agent who, along with collegues Rob Ressler and several others, developed a new strategy to catch some of America's (and the world's) most deplorable but elusive killers: Profiling. This new behavioral science took a look at a crime scene and the victim her/himself and after piecing these clues along with the clues left at similar murder sites, detectives were able to come up with a "profile" of the perpetrator of the crime. How? Because Douglas and others had gone to the heart of the matter: the criminals themselves. By interviewing them in prison, they were able to see why they killed, what drove them to it, their preferences, backgrounds, and fantasies. Often, the profiles were so eerily accurate that it seemed like witchcraft. Eventually, it was embraced by law enforcement and came to be a most invaluable tool for which all of us in society should be grateful for.
John Douglas describes his beginnings and his own story is as interesting as that of the sick men he later profiles for the reader. There are many insider-anecdotes for us to live vicariously through and plenty of bone-chilling (but not overly-sensationalistic) details of horrific crimes to keep us awake at night.
Luckily, a lot of these guys are locked up for life and some have even kept their dates with death (like America's most charming serial killer, Ted Bundy, who was fried on the electric chair after years of appeals and dozens of murders). But it's not that there aren't still antisocial personalities out there, waiting to explode; the apparent decline in such crime I think is due to men like Douglas, who have made studying these men his cause so that he can stay one step ahead of them. Also, Douglas and his contemporaries worked tirelessly for victim's rights and have made it possible to track cases all over the country via computer so that people can never get away with running away accross the country--to kill anew--ever again. (Bundy did just that, and because things like VICAP were not instituted yet, he went from Washington to Florida and killed more women in the southern state where no one had heard of the vicious killer.)
This book is not for the weak- it will scare you. But it is also an empowering way to look into the minds of the men (it's mostly men who turn into mass killers) who committed the crimes and become aware. I feel I learned how to "defend" myself at least psychologically.
And I consider John Douglas a real hero.

This book is one that you can't start without finishing., August 31, 1999
Douglas's career experience is anything but boring. Sort of a biographic story, Douglas tells how he struggled to find a career for himself and then stumbles his way into the FBI. He takes us through how the criminal profiling unit became a recognized unit under the FBI. However, don't get me wrong, the book is rich with terror as Douglas recounts the cases he worked with some of the most brutal criminals of our time. I never used to read for pleasure and since reading Mindhunter, I have gone on to read Obsession and Journey into Darkness (also written by Douglas and Mark Olshaker). I strongly encourage anyone who has an interest in criminology, to read this book.

There Are Evil People, December 31, 2006
For those who believe that evil exists in the world and some people should not be allowed to walk among us, this book is for you. John Douglas recounts the formation of the FBI's Investigative Support Unit. He describes some to the nations most notorious serial killers and the story of how they were hunted down and, in most cases, brought to justice.

He offers a great pearl of wisdom near the end of the book regarding crime in America: "I believe that the only chance of solving our crime problem is if enought people want to. More and more courts and more prisons and better investigative techniques are fine, but the only way crime is going to go down is if all of us simply stop accepting and tolerating it in our families, our friends, and our associates."

Douglas is a strong supporter of the death penalty and explains his reasoning several times in the book. The NRA's "Refuse to be a Victim" course recommend's this book for "insight into criminals' minds". If you simply do not want to know about evil people, do not read this book.

The only negative for me was that Douglas has a very high opinion of himself and, in many of the cases, rides in and "solves" the crime with his profile of the killer. Also, not a "gun guy" he gets a reference to S&W and Colt backwards (p. 230) and refers to a .223 Mini-14 as a "high powered hunting rifle" (p. 241).

A worthwhile addition to your library. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In 1998, William Queen was a veteran law enforcement agent with a lifelong love of motorcycles and a lack of patience with paperwork. When a “confidential informant� made contact with his boss at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, offering to take an agent inside the San Fernando chapter of the Mongols (the scourge of Southern California, and one of the most dangerous gangs in America), Queen jumped at the chance, not realizing that he was kicking-starting the most extensive undercover operation inside an outlaw motorcycle gang in the history of American law enforcement.

Nor did Queen suspect that he would penetrate the gang so successfully that he would become a fully “patched-in� member, eventually rising through their ranks to the office of treasurer, where he had unprecedented access to evidence of their criminal activity. After Queen spent twenty-eight months as “Billy St. John,� the bearded, beer-swilling, Harley-riding gang-banger, the truth of his identity became blurry, even to himself.

During his initial “prospecting� phase, Queen was at the mercy of crank-fueled criminal psychopaths who sought to have him test his mettle and prove his fealty by any means necessary, from selling (and doing) drugs, to arms trafficking, stealing motorcycles, driving getaway cars, and, in one shocking instance, stitching up the face of a Mongol “ol’ lady� after a particularly brutal beating at the hands of her boyfriend.

Yet despite the constant criminality of the gang, for whom planning cop killings and gang rapes were business as usual, Queen also came to see the genuine camaraderie they shared. When his lengthy undercover work totally isolated Queen from family, his friends, and ATF colleagues, the Mongols felt like the only family he had left. “I had no doubt these guys genuinely loved Billy St. John and would have laid down their lives for him. But they wouldn’t hesitate to murder Billy Queen.�

From Queen’s first sleight of hand with a line of methamphetamine in front of him and a knife at his throat, to the fearsome face-off with their decades-old enemy, the Hell’s Angels (a brawl that left three bikers dead), to the heartbreaking scene of a father ostracized at Parents’ Night because his deranged-outlaw appearance precluded any interaction with regular citizens, Under and Alone is a breathless, adrenaline-charged read that puts you on the street with some of the most dangerous men in America and with the law enforcement agents who risk everything to bring them in.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews

to my old freind Billy St. John..., April 20, 2005
As the ex-wife of one of the main characters in the book, I can tell the readers that William Queen told the whole truth and nothing but the truth...it was 100% accurate and in no way exaggerated. Only on a few minor occasions did his recollection of events differ slightly from mine, but only the smallest and most unimportant of details. This book was amazing and well written - good job Billy! I cannot describe the feelings that ran through me as I read this book, as I read page after page of events that I remember like yesterday. I was also taken back to the phone call I got from Billy on May 19th, 2000, telling me who he was and what was happening. How I didn't belong with those people. Even though I had to re-live all the feelings of hurt and betrayal I felt the day my life changed forever, I am thankful now to be out of that life and where I am today. Not only was this man a hero in the eyes of many, but he changed my life. Billy, in the event you ever read this review, I just wanted you to know that.

Uncompromising and Brutally Honest, April 21, 2005
A "great" book written by a true American hero. Queen exposes these bikers for what they are, criminals, family men, brothers, motorcycle enthusiasts and, most of all, too human. While some are absolutely evil, most seem to be guys who have been lured by the outlaw lifestyle and all its rewards without willing to accept its punishments as well. Remember, the motorcycle gang came into being primarily with true American heroes of WWII, looking for adventure after losing the pumped up lifestyle of war. William Queen goes under cover and remarkably infiltrates the Mongrol MC. Ultimately he becomes "patched in", a full fledged member of this criminal enterprise. The stories he tells are heartbreaking at times, brutal at others, but all the while Queen never lost sight of his goal of exposing them for what they do. He experiences what has become the all to often dilemma for these type of law enforcement agents. These are indeed his brothers and he is knowingly working to put them in prison for the rest of thier lives. Queen taps into his own sense of betrayal, outrage, sadness, and fear, as the investigation continues. Quite a remarkable investigation and a remarkable book.

ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, April 12, 2005
Motorcycle clubs have been romanticized in this country for over fifty years and while 99% of them (and my brother-in-law is a member of a club) are decent, hard-working everyday guys and girls, it's that 1% that has always piqued the interest of the general public and the reason there were so many movies dealing with gangs like the Hell's Angels in the 1960's and 1970's. The public has an infatuation with them much like with the Mafia.

Bill Queen is nuts...has to be to do what he did and live amongst these people for over two years, doing drugs and commiting crimes just to prove his worth to the gang. And he didn't just risk his life then, but even now he is a target for those he helped bring to justice. It is most interesting how Queen notes that these men are so much like the Mafia in that there is true love and friendship among the members, and yet they wouldn't hesitate to kill their own if they stepped out of line. It's a kind of almost hive relationship that most people just cannot fathom.

Wow, what an incredibly riveting tale. Bill Queen certainly gives new meaning to the word guts.

Fellow Retired ATF Special Agent, February 14, 2006
Bill Queen, whom I knew personally, has captured the essence of working undercover against outlaw biker groups. I also did numerous criminal cases against them, albiet much less deep undercover, long before Bill's brilliant effort. ATF management was even harder to work with back then. Many managers came from the old 'still bustin'" days of Eliott Ness with that same mentality. Bill's successful prosecutions are a tribute to the tenacity of he and the case agent, John Ciccone, who both overcame not only the obstacles of the criminal case, but overcame the obstructive "numbers" driven management.

This book is a "must read" for law enforcement, their families, and anyone interested in going into the field. It's insight, honesty, and accuracy make it unique in a field often cluttered with "wannabes". Great job, Bill.

Erik R.

A lonely vigil through America's murky back alleys, May 25, 2005
If there's a lesson that can be drawn from Queen's lengthy travels through the rough part of town, it's that life as a Federal Agent isn't what it's cracked up to be. As a people, we're bred on a steady diet of flashy police dramas (CSI, NYPD Blue, Law and Order, etc.). They do little to prepare the average cadet for what they're going to confront in the criminal tar pit that Billy Queen wades into.

Undercover work, in general, is a fine way to ruin your marriage, wreck your nerves, and lose your sense of identity. Be prepared to sacrifice the life that you once had, and sadly witness the fallout that results. It's almost as if Queen suffers more than the people that he help put away. This is the fine print that the recruiters don't want you to read.

Speaking from direct experience, undercover work is essentially an act of betrayal. You live with these people, eat with them, party with them, and then testify against them in court. An agent might take years to be accepted into the fold, and then have to dump it all over the side of the ship in the blink of an eye. It's bad enough that you lose contact with your old friends, now you've got to give up all of your new ones. Guess what? Now you don't have any friends.

As Queen observes, it wasn't easy. There were actually times when he considered giving up his role as an ATF agent and crossing the line to the other side. I can't say that I blame him. His Mongol brethen often treated him with more respect, and genuine love, than his ATF handlers (who, more likely than not, saw Billy as an expendable "resource").

You're on your own, surrounded by a group of individuals who, by the standards of modern society, aren't much more than animals. It takes a very strong individual to survive the rigors of this sort of undercover work.

Billy, man, I don't know where you are, but I have a feeling that you might read this review some day. Many thanks for pouring out your memories, and heart, onto the printed page. People like me will try very hard to pass on your words to the younger folks, so that they might understand, and appreciate, the plight of the under-paid government employee known as the ATF agent.

Amazing Bravery, August 5, 2006
Thank God for William Queen!!! I just finished his book -Under and Alone - and am amazed at what this man went through to get the bad guys. What a great human being! I loved that part at the end of the book where he writes about knowing that these were serious bad guys that needed to be put away - but there was another factor - after living with them for 2 1/2 years he had witnessed it, lived it, felt it, and understood the love that these guys felt for their brothers, him included. That gave me goosebumps. There was a thin line there for him. Not everything is black or white. Sometimes there is that gray area. I hope that he remains safe and can have happiness in his life. He certainly deserves it!!!

William Queen: King of Courage, April 2, 2006
This book is about an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, William Queen, worming his way into full membership status of the vicious Mongols motorcycle club in an attempt to shut it down through convictions stemming from purchases of illegal weapons and narcotics. Although Mr. Queen's bravery is unquestionable, the end results just don't seem to justify the extreme time, effort and expense involved.

Although I thought the author left some questions and situations unanswered and unresolved, the book was entertaining and might make a good movie. What I especially enjoyed about the book was that it was not a one-sided affair. It was not a black-and-white good-vs-evil story. The book describes well the comraderie and human side of some of the Mongols as well as those of Mr. Queen. The best example of this was when Mr. Queen's mother died. The Mongols expressed their sympathy and showed respect to William en mass, while not a single ATF agent, even those with whom he had the strongest bonds, expressed an ounce of concern.

The book also showed the ATF's bureaucratic BS that William had to contend with while trying to remain undercover, do a job and stay alive and healthy. All this certainly depicts William's courage and focus. It's a shame that he did not receive the support from his own agency that he needed. To his ATF managers, William was nothing more than a number, a pawn to be thrown to the wolves if the investigation proved fruitless or went otherwise bad. His dedication and courage speaks volumes about his character.

The book is hard-hitting, direct and full of human issues. It describes well the danger and violence brought forth by gangs such as this as well as the innermost thoughts and feelings of those who try and stop them. It's a good read and one that you'll not want to put down.

Really a good read, June 23, 2006
This book is easily a 5 star review save for a few minor things. It is a shame Amazon does not have 1/2 stars you can add. This is a really interesting book above an undercover agent that infiltrates and actually gets patched into the Mongols(an outlaw motorcycle gang). What makes this unique is how far into the gang he actually got, and that it involves a gang other than the Hell's Angels who have had more than there share of books written about them. This is a quick and easy read, which is good in one way, but it left me wanting for more. I think this could have been fleshed out a little more. I would have liked to hear more about how his deep undercover mission affected his kids and family. Aside from a few paragraphs, the author breezes over the subject. It is a minor quibble, but the story was so interesting, I would have loved to have more.

Excellent reading, February 8, 2006
I couldn't put the book down. I can only imagine what kind of situations Mr. Queen went through that were not in the book. Both touching and sad, these guys really cared for their brothers and I can see where Mr. Queen had a difficult time with the operation. It is too bad everyday people can't create bonds like these guys had. I ended up wishing they didn't go down the way they did. I would highly recommend.

What a ride!, April 17, 2005
As gripping as any well written crime novel this real life account of an undercover ATF agent's infiltration into a terrifying motorcycle gang is the type of book you just can't put down.
The book offers unique, almost anthropological, insights into a modern day motorcycle gang while at the same time exploring the toll the assignment took on the author himself.
I recommend this book to all fans of true crime as well as those who enjoy and intense white knuckle ride.
Destined to be a classic. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The U.S. death penalty is a peculiar institution, and a uniquely American one. Despite its comprehensive abolition elsewhere in the Western world, capital punishment continues in dozens of American states– a fact that is frequently discussed but rarely understood. The same puzzlement surrounds the peculiar form that American capital punishment now takes, with its uneven application, its seemingly endless delays, and the uncertainty of its ever being carried out in individual cases,none of which seem conducive to effective crime control or criminal justice.In a brilliantly provocative study, David Garland explains this tenacity and shows how death penalty practice has come to bear the distinctive hallmarks of America’s political institutions and cultural conflicts.

America’s radical federalism and local democracy, as well as its legacy of violence and racism, account for our divergence from the rest of the West. Whereas the elites of other nations were able to impose nationwide abolition from above despite public objections, American elites are unable– and unwilling– to end a punishment that has the support of local majorities and a storied place in popular culture.

In the course of hundreds of decisions, federal courts sought to rationalize and civilize an institution that too often resembled a lynching, producing layers of legal process but also delays and reversals. Yet the Supreme Court insists that the issue is to be decided by local political actors and public opinion. So the death penalty continues to respond to popular will, enhancing the power of criminal justice professionals, providing drama for the media, and bringing pleasure to a public audience who consumes its chilling tales.

Garland brings a new clarity to our understanding of this peculiar institution– and a new challenge to supporters and opponents alike.

Reviews

A very thoughtful analysis, November 28, 2010
I just chanced upon this book. Justice Stevens had an article in the New York Review of Books (December, 2010), which turned out to be a review of this book, that was mentioned in the New York Times in an article on Justice Stevens and the death penalty. I'm about halfway though, and find Garland wrestling with one of the more difficult issues: why so many people in the United States are in favor of the death penalty. It's the kind of finely-textured analysis that I like, rich in detail while maintaining a clear overarching structure.

I was surprised to see the review that criticized this book for ignoring issues about the rights of individual states. Garland seems clearly sensitive to this issue and his analysis is nuanced in regard to states, the death sentence, and executions. This is simply puzzling to me that someone would object on this level. It was this prior review that prompted me to write this--the first time I've written an Amazon review.

Occasionally, I felt Garland was repetitive, announcing what he was going to do, telling the reading when he was doing it, and then summarizing by telling us he had done it.

One minor quibble about the Kindle edition: I couldn't directly access the footnotes from the body of the text. I would have to bookmark my current location, go to the Table of Contents, read the notes, then go back to the menu to find my bookmark. In an age of hypertext, this seems like extraordinarily poor design. Given the high price of the book from HUP, this is particularly annoying.

Incidentally, in the notes I would have liked to have seen some references to more recent empirical work on the race of victims in (a) charging crimes as capital offenses and (b) actual sentencing patterns.

Not So Peculiar, November 28, 2010
This is an extremely well written and well researched book. What it isn't is well reasoned. The singular issue Garland can't take to heart is that the US is comprised of 50 states, each with it's own criminal justice system and with disparate social conditions. Yet throughout, Garland seems to focus on singular national data and standards. It seems impossible to Garland to accept the possibility that the US can have different societies within the national society that have different demogrpaphics, values, priorities and attitudes that are based upon longstanding mindsets not necessarily informed by racism or discrimination.

The failure to accept that basic principle is crucial to the philosophical underpinnings of the book.

It's a shame, because such a deeply researched and otherwise well written book had an opportunity to add something new to the conversation about capital punishment. Instead, it's just another voice in the chorus of those who oppose the death penalty regardless of any opposite argument. ... Read more

Editorial Review

<p>The #1 study guide for Evidence is now in its <b>Seventh Edition</b>. <b>Examples & Explanations: Evidence</b> is the go-to resource for any student struggling to understand the concepts and rules of evidence as described in their casebook. The <i>Examples & Explanations</i> pedagogy encourages students to read the text carefully, apply what they have learned, and test their understanding of the material.</p><p><b>A leader in its field, <i>Examples & Explanations: Evidence</i> features:</b></p><ul><li><b>clear and concise introductions</b> to the concepts and Rules of Evidence</li><li><b>examples with questions</b> that start out simply and gradually build in complexity</li><li><b>thorough explanations of how to analyze the questions</b> in the examples</li><li><b>a "plain language" version of the Federal Rules of Evidence</b>, complete with new amendments to the Rules</li><li><b>generous use of visual aids</b>—tables and charts—that illustrate key concepts</li></ul><p><b>Still fewer than 350 pages, the Seventh Edition includes:</b></p><ul><li><b>discussion of <i>Giles v. California</i>, concerning Hearsay and the Confrontation Clause </b></li><li><b>analysis of newly-adopted Rule 502</b>, regarding inadvertent waiver of the attorney-client privilege, with a plain-language explanation in the Appendix</li><li><b>a flow chart</b> that illustrates the proper sequence of analysis for relevance and hearsay exclusions & exceptions as applied to an out-of-court statement</li><li><b>a new chart</b> that illustrates <b>character evidence with regard to the propensity inference</b></li></ul><p><b>Examples & Explanations: Evidence, Seventh Edition</b>, is a current and time-proven resource that you can recommend to your students with confidence.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p> ... Read more

Reviews

E&E are the way to go, September 12, 2010
I found this E and E to be especially good. The material in this supplement is comprehensive, so just read the section that apply to your prof's teaching.

Excellent hypos, clear explainations, and a good setup made this text a good addition to my evidence studies.

Evidence, October 4, 2009
Never used an appendix like I do with this book!Use it with your EZ rules and then do flashcards to see if you get it! Be self-taught when you don't get your teacher's style and you need to pass Evidence! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Cops are the people who see and hear it all. They work at one of the world's most dangerous jobs, but it's also one of the most entertaining. When their lives are at risk¿and even when they aren't¿cops encounter constant weirdness and stupidity in human behavior. The Funniest Cop Stories Ever collects the strangest, most amusing stories about stupid crooks, bungled crimes, and station-house banter. A true look at what life is like behind the badge, the tales in The Funniest Cop Stories Ever were collected by real-life ex-New York City policeman Scott Baker and coauthor Tom Philbin. Anecdotes are told by the real-life cops who experienced them and include:

A foot chase after a dwarf who karate-kicked his girlfriend's door and assaulted her while wearing a tuxedo and carrying a violin case.

A beggar who ended people's pay phone calls so he could demand their extra spare change.

A narcotics bust on a guy who claimed the crack cocaine¿and his pants¿didn't belong to him. ... Read more

Reviews

Fun, fast read, January 28, 2008
The stories are broken up in a way that would make it great reading while you are waiting -- at an airport or dr. office -- each story only takes a minute or two to read.

This was a funny, fast read. Some of the stories were better than others, but on the whole, I really enjoyed this book.

My daughter liked it..., February 4, 2009
My husband was kind of bored with the book but I guess if you are a cop you have heard it all anyway. For everyone else, they may get a kick out of it...

Christmas Gift, January 16, 2007
I gave this book to my Dad as a Christmas Gift. He told me that he really liked the book. As a retired Policeman, he said that he could relate to the stories, and even has a few of his own. Based on his feedback, I recommend it.

Hilarious, October 9, 2006
This book was so funny. I could picture all the wacky things the officer's were doing. I was laughing out loud.

Uneven Content But Still A Good Quick Read, February 9, 2007
As is often the case with collections of stories from different sources the content in this book is uneven. There are some absolutely hilarious anecdotes. I'm sure many of the occurrences that were included actually were funnier to observe or participate in at the time than appreciate from the written page. Nevertheless, this is still a worthwhile quick read. I enjoyed it.

Humor in (Police) Uniform!, December 23, 2006
Readers who enjoyed the "Dumb Criminals" series of books will want to pick up this book by NYPD cop Scott Baker. Baker relates over 100 stories of dumb crooks, bungled crimes, cop humor and close encounters of the weird kind. Some stories are amusing; others laugh-out-loud funny; still others will leave you shaking your head with disbelief at how incredibly stupid criminals can be.

Overpriced at $9.95 but still worth a look. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Cover to Cover Thrill ride, November 11, 2010
The chronicles of a tough street-wise cop with ambition, intuition, and propensity to work within the system of law and order (most of the time) to deliver his own righteous and commendable brand of justice. Mike Codella's story is a gripping one that enlightens and enlarges the dark underbelly of our society and the gasoline that churned the engine of human suffering in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1980's DRUGS, and lots of them. His story is at times horrifying, inspiring, or just plain outrageous to the point of awe or hilarity (depending on the type of person you are). Alphaville is simultaneously educational, entertaining, and downright gritty with the descriptive nature of the tortured souls of junkies to the hell-raising behavior of dealers and drug lords to the incompetence, apathy, and neglect of law enforcement and politicians alike to the lawless jungle of the Lower East Side. This book will deliver a range of emotions and the unique perspective into the drug infested streets of the Lower East Side in the 1980's through the eyes of a cop who risked his life to catch the bad guys because of a belief and a vision that although the war on drug's may be impossible to eradicate completely, can systematically and pragmatically be stymied and defeated in small victories that can transform slums and ghettos into flourishing neighborhoods and communities where people can live their lives without the ever looming threat of danger and violence.

Almost too good to be true, November 15, 2010
Up against the deluge of material from the "renegade cop" genre in fiction entertainment, Codella's book comes into the ring as a non-fiction challenger and leaves the new undisputed champion. Combining tough-guy swagger, fascinating history, and humorous anecdotes, Codella and co-author Bennett tell stories that seem as wild as anything Hollywood can make-up, yet Codella's honesty about his life and motivation to the do the right thing will make a believer out of you, and hopefully an admirer as well. A must-read for fans of police and crime fiction and non-fiction alike.

Who's the real criminal, December 22, 2010
I grew up in the LES exactly around the time the author was running around Ave.D acting like a cowboy. Yes, most of what he writes about are actual events and actual people and the book was very entertaining mostly because I remember personally a lot of the events and people he mentions. However, stating that. What really gets me is how at times the author denigrates the people he was policing and working for when in fact he was a criminal in every sense of the word. He just never got caught before the city of NY saw fit to give him a badge and a gun and the power to arrest those like him. What makes it even worse is after he is given this great responsibility he doesn't shape up but continues his criminal ways. He talks about how proud he is because he never took any money,drugs or anything else from those he was empowered to police, yet out the other side of his mouth he speaks with a sense of pride how he lied through his teeth during the judicial process in order to bulk up his conviction rate (in other words he perjured himself countless times) and how he threatened those in less position of power with arrest if they did not file false robbery charges against others in order to pad his and his superiors robbery numbers just to make life easier for themselves. This guy locked people up on false charges and then went about lying to the ADA and judges and has the audacity to call others dirtbag criminals when that is exactly what he was before he became a police officer and continue to be as a police officer. I saw with my own eyes Babyface and Rambo's criminality (those were their actual names) on the streets of the LES.

Fantastic read!, November 16, 2010
If you love reading true crime stories and are looking for a READ that will keep you turning the pages 'til way past your bedtime, this is the book for you! Great writing makes the people and places come alive so vividly that you can almost smell the oppresiveness of the drug-addled streets of the Lower east Side of 20+ years ago. Whether you lived in NYC during the era, or have never set foot in the City itself, you will LOVE this book!

Exciting thrill ride from beginning to end, November 16, 2010
I really enjoyed this book it was mixture of NYC facts and a cops point of view on the drug business in Alphabet city. It was a perfect because it created and developed the back drop to his stories and I could actually imagine being there on the streets with him.

Great book from a great guy, November 14, 2010
WOW the previous review was an insult to a great guy and friend of mine. Mike is a role model for me and many other students at his martial arts academy. The book is a great read and tells a lot of history about NYC and other interesting characters. You have a right to your opinion but that was not a respectful way of putting things.

Alphaville 1988, Crime, Punishment and the Battle for NYC's Lower East Side, November 24, 2010
This book is the best police drama I have read in recent years. It is an honest account of one man's middle class upbringing and how it affected his career in law enforcement. I thoroughly enjoyed his stories of growing up in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighborhood. It especially gives an honest portrayal of what it's like to be a NYC police officer.

a great look at behind the scenes police work, December 12, 2010
I read this book during a recent trip and couldn't put it down. It's a great book detailing the fight against the heroin trade and the corners that sometimes need to be cut in order to get the job done. The reader is given an inside look at the good, the bad, and the ugly that goes along with aggresive police work. I highly recommend it.

BIG CITY POLICE WORK, December 10, 2010
When it comes to Big City Police Work and as a former Big City Cop this book is one of the best chronicles you will ever find offering a true depiction of what life on the street is really like.

The best part is the politically correct bureaucracy faced by true cops who do their best to fight the criminals in society. Hard working pro active street cops will get more "beefs" simply because they are out there everyday. Most are not rogues they just get fed up with the system that does everything to protect the dirtbags and destroy communities.

The sad part is that in this book you are provided a vivid example of how in all crimes it is the victim that gets screwed and the dirtbags are always provided every possible consideration. When I say victim I mean everyone; the direct victim and the collateral victims like family, friends and neighbors and society at large. Once it happens you are never the same.

This book is a great read. Get some extra copies and pass it on to friends and your local politicians.

A Classic in the Making, November 24, 2010
Codella and Bennett have created a future classic which as Denis Hamill put it "belongs on the shelf next to Serpico, The French Connection, and Prince of the City". The gritty New York Lower East Side / Alphabet City is a character onto itself. Codella's honesty is both frightening and refreshing. The criminals in this book come to life and jump off the pages similar to Pileggi's WiseGuy, and TJ English's Westies. Codella's complexity makes it obvious that this book is destined to become a movie. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone that wants to feel what's its like to walk the walk of a narcotics cop who fought in the mean streets of Alphaville! ... Read more

Editorial Review

From the fourth-generation NYPD officer and author of The New Yorker's "Cop Diary" columns comes an epic heart-and-soul dissection of what it means to protect, to serve, and to defend among the ranks of New York's finest. ... Read more

Reviews

A long look at a small sliver, April 13, 2004
Like the reviewer above, I am a NYC police officer too, and I thought this book was pretty fair. It gives you one picture of what it is like to work our job in our city, but there is so much more left to say. The world of drug enforcement is probably one of the most common topics in all of policing these days, and Detective Conlon's time in Housing was predominantly about this, so other aspects of policing are left out. But there is only so much one man can do... I think the book is at its best when it tells the reader what many cops truly feel about things that have been in the news, such as the Diallo and Louima incidents. It gives the public a new insight into the cop's mind. The book is a little long, and I think that's because it might try to cover too much. There are 47,000 cops in NYC and 8,000,000 residents, so it is impossible to ever give a full picture of the story of policing the city. Still, if I were a civilian interested in learning about one perspective of urban policing, I would read this book.

Brilliant writing; Fascinating story, April 29, 2005
When I heard that author Edward Conlon still serves in the NYPD, I was skeptical about whether he was really free to publish a truly candid account of life inside one of the nation's largest police departments. Yet, Detective Conlon does just that and more in a remarkably frank, funny, thoughtful and brilliantly written memoir.

Blue Blood stands out primarily because of Detective Conlon's sharp wit and humor. His vivid descriptions of the characters, customs and encounters that dominate a street cop's life had me laughing out loud. Likewise, his wry observations and amusing insights into the absurd aspects of NYPD bureaucracy (i.e., the petty bosses, the pervasive internal politics, the inane departmental regulations, etc.) made for entertaining fodder. In fact, Conlon's colorful writing and artful phrasing so impressed me that after finishing the CD/audio version of Blue Blood, I bought the paperback just so that I could re-read and highlight the exceptional prose.

Blue Blood also takes an absorbing, unvarnished look at the serious side of urban crime fighting including the tragic conditions that police routinely encounter, the ever-present dangers that confront officers in the line of duty, the devastating mistakes that can sometimes occur in high crime environments, and the flawed criminal justice procedures that too often fail to keep "perps" off the streets. What proves most interesting about this book, however, is that even in the face of such trials and frustrations, there is no sense of bitterness or defeat. Instead, Blue Blood paints an encouraging picture of policing. And in Conlon, you definitely see a good man who thoroughly believes in "the Job" and who relishes in carrying out his calling as a cop.

I absolutely loved Blue Blood. The book is lengthy (559 pages), but it is well worth the time. I highly recommend this amazing work.

A must read!, April 12, 2004
For three years I have looked forward to the release of this book (since his writings were published in The New Yorker) and am certainly not disappointed. Edward Conlon conveys a unique insight into a job that few people truly understand. The media paints one picture of the police while TV shows portray another. Neither is accurate. Conlon's writing lets the readers into a world that is much more complex than a newspaper article or television caricature can ever grasp. If you want to know what it is like to be an NYPD cop (I know b/c I am one) this is the book for you.

An excellent book from a good cop, October 10, 2004
BLUE BLOOD is an absorbing first-person account of Edward Conlon's time in the NYPD that takes us far beyond "Third Watch" and "NYPD Blue." Conlon touches on the family roots and influences that impelled him to become a policeman after graduating from Harvard -- the uncles and cousins in "the Job," and particularly his father, a career FBI agent -- and on embarrassing moments in youthful misdemeanor and on the streets of the South Bronx. He describes the banality and abusive stupidity within the NYPD's organization so clearly that one wonders why anyone would put up with it -- even before considering the dismal pay and ever-present hazards that go with the Job. Yet Conlon also has a storyteller's ear and a fine ironic humor, and the moments of byplay with his partners and with perps waiting to cycle through the System had me rolling in laughter.

BLUE BLOOD is a wonderful reprise of the NYPD's recent history. As Conlon describes his passage from probie to the detective's Gold Shield, we also see the larger forces that have forever been a part of the NYPD: the at-times stupefying bureaucracy; the pettiness and incoherence of too many bosses -- and the redemptive satisfaction of working for a good one; the insularity of police officers from the community they serve (and why this is); the always at-hand doorways to corruption. We get the Real Deal behind the French Connection, an alternate (but not unsympathetic) take on Frank Serpico, and the damage caused by the Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo cases. While, under the broader auspices of Rudy Giuliani, the NYPD cut New York City's previously horrendous rates of violent crime through tough street enforcement, similar anti-narcotics operations seem hopelessly swamped by both the volume of drugs on the street and the obtuseness of grand juries and prosecutors.

Other reviewers have complained about the size and density of BLUE BLOOD. It is dense -- I skimmed some pages myself, and the book is not a strict chronological account -- but it is neither mindless nor gratuitous. As a native New Yorker with heartstrings still in the Big City, perhaps I had a nostalgic interest in Conlon's story. In any case, I was rewarded. It's clear that, despite all, Edward Conlon likes being a cop and is good at it. He is not alone, and the good citizens of New York had best be thankful for him and his fellow officers.

Beautifully Written, June 13, 2006
Bravo to Detective Conlon. This is an honest book and beautifully written. Those that are expecting a typical cop book or your run of the mill true crime, will be disappointed and perhaps those are the folks giving the negative reviews. This book is written like prose and is gorgeous to read. It's not a fast read, but rather meant to be digested and paid attention to. I look forward to seeing what Conlon writes next.

the stories and experiences of a cop, August 13, 2004
This book could've used a better editor to give it some better streamlining and more narrative focus, its a bit disorganized and ill-constructed, but overall I was not disappointed. This is the memoir of a truly admirable human being, Edward Conlon, and his life as a law enforcement officer and detective in New York. Many interesting accounts of things he encountered on the job, including his work with the 9/11 Twin Towers wreckage site. Reading this book has made me appreciate all that cops do for us in a tough job that is often unfairly criticized and under-rewarded.

A story any cop can undestand, September 2, 2004
Some of the other reviews I've read have missed the point of this book. You shouldn't focus on Conlon's Harvard education which even he downplays throughout the book. Conlon's literary skill and intellect should be appreciated for his talent as a story teller. Other readers suggest an expectation of an Ivy League critique of the policies and procedures of the NYPD, that's not the point of this book. This book is a story of history, legacy, introspect and reality. This book is about "book smart" meets "street smart". Conlon has accomplished something few others can in any other profession - to write a book about the job while on the job. Colon makes it clear early in the book, he's not Frank Serpico and he doesn't have the "inside" or dirt on the NYPD and it isn't his intent to tarnish the badge. Colon tells his story in the chronological order of his carrer with retrospect to his experiences that formed his character. It's a book any cop can understand, appreciate and relate to which is why some readers may not get. Joseph Wambaugh who wrote the Onion Field endorsed Conlon's tallent on the jacket of the book. If you've never heard of the Onion Field or know who Wambaugh is you probably won't understand Blue Blood.

Best book of 2004?, April 16, 2004
Ed Conlon's "Blue Blood" is a masterpiece: a gritty, no-nonsense look at law enforcement in New York City, with prose that rises far above the standard police tell-all. Part memoir, part expose, this book grabs your attention, and holds it while Conlon takes you through the criminal justice system of New York, all the while pointing out its absurdity and promise. Although it's a deeply personal book, Conlon's observations are so sharp and fair that you will trust his reporting. At this point, you have to consider this book as a serious candidate for most literary awards.

Long, but worth slogging through, June 3, 2004
The author is a Harvard-educated NYPD cop, son of an FBI agent, writing his memoirs seven years into his career on the force. Over the course of the book's 560 pages, he begins in Housing (drug busts in the projects), works with Narcotics, gets a feel for the midnight shift, sifts though the awful wreckage of 9/11 on Fresh Kills, and finally becomes a detective. Every so often, he interrupts his own story to tell some other facet of police or New York life, such as that of the real Serpico or the tale of the French Connection, stories of crooked and heroic cops and politicos of the past, the Black Panther cop-murder spree, and so forth. It's a very interesting book, with plenty of very funny bits (his descriptions of and banter with informants provide much humor) as well as food for thought. Certainly, though, it's no masterpiece. For someone who clearly bristles when talked to about police corruption, Conlon breezes over Abner Louima, and takes a very Blue Wall-ish view of the Amadou Diallo case. The book is also overlong; it could use some editing, especially given that there are no spectacular cases here (lots of gritty interrogation and stakeout stuff, but it is everyday police work). On the whole, though, the great writing, the eye for a relevant story, Conlon's intense devotion to the NYPD, and a real flair for characterization make this a memoir worth reading through.

Hearty and Good, April 15, 2004
Edward Conlon's "Blue Blood" is the most absorbing piece of writing on New York street life since Claude Brown's "Manchild in the Promised Land." It's thoughtful, hard-boiled, and funny. Conlon uses his work as a cop as a window onto the history of New York City and its ongoing hard life. I haven't read a book I've admired so much since "Gather Round Me: The Best of Irish Popular Poetry." ... Read more

Editorial Review

With an Orwellian social imagination, Granta editor Buford offers a terrifying record of his passage through an alternate society--that of England's soccer thugs--in this malevolently funny, supremely chilling document of the allure of crowd violence. Author reading tour. ... Read more

Reviews

Rude, Brittania, April 4, 2000
Bill Buford, a naive American adrift in England, tackles a very dicey subject: Mob violence by English football fans. He starts out innocently enough, trying to find the allure, cause, nature, basis, and form of England's notorious football hooligans, but soon has difficulty separating himself from his subject matter.

As he relates his journey into the world of the yobs, we get a vivid picture of the people and the events, but no real glimpse into what is behind the football mob violence -- even after Buford spends most of the second half of the book trying to work it out. The only real insight were provided is that the mob becomes greater than the sum of its parts, and that there is a line where a person within the mob ceases to be an individual, and becomes a compnent of a greater organism.

However, questions such as why sporting crowds in the US, Canada, or other countries never reach the level of violence or mob mentality as seen in England are never addressed, nor are questions of why this sort of violent behavior seems to be limited to a very large degree to football (soccer) crowds. Of course, that subject is beyond the scope of any one book.

Still, the snapshot into the seedy world of NF members, jingoistic supporters, drunks and felons provided by Buford is entertaining, in a voyeuristic sort of way. Besides, unless you are intimately familiar with crowds at English, or any European, football matches, Buford's book is best if taken as a sort of superficial sociological travelogue, offering a glimpse into a strange land, complete with foreign customs, traditions, uniforms and etiquette.

Reading 'Thugs' won't provide too much enlightentment on sports violence or the psychology of mobs, but it will entertain. And with the coming Euro2000 tournament, reading this may prove timely, as well.

A Worthy Read!, April 13, 2005
When my friend recommended this book, I was skeptical. I didn't believe an American journalist could successfully infiltrate a gang of European football hooligans. I was introduced to the notoriety of hooligans when I attended a match in Turkey. There I witnessed 200 soldiers armed with assault rifles and riot gear, lined up behind the goalie. This severity made me believe what I'd heard about fans ending up trampled, stabbed, beaten, and killed in the aftermath of a match.

Starting with a few lukewarm leads, Bill Buford, a true journalist, is relentless. He transports the reader to England, Germany, and Italy as he tries to understand what fuels hooligans. You experience the helplessness of being caught in a body-crushing crowd, being ambushed by the brutal mobs after the match, and riding the fan-crammed trains. His characterizations are so vivid, you can almost smell the charged atmosphere in the streets and in the stadiums.

This book is about violence. The descriptions are fierce and don't let up. The history behind the European football fury is discussed. Even if you aren't a fan of football (better known to Americans as soccer), this book is an excellent read on the sociology of mob mentality. You become aware of what propels crowd violence and its devastating effects on the victim, whose only blunder might be unfortunate proximity and timing.

ultra violence at its best, April 21, 2005
The old saying of "don't judge a book by its cover" does not apply here. I saw this book, its cover and title, read the back and bought it. It did not dissapoint.

If anybody is looking for insight into soccer hooliganism, then this is the book for you. Buford, an American ex-pat, infiltrates the Manchester United hooligans. At first he attempts to share their perspective in his book, but as the story unravels, he becomes one of the hooligans. This gives readers a first hand account of their lives.

The scenes are ultra violent. This book is truly a modern day Clockwork Orange and the Man U fans are so crazy and violent that they make the Raider Nation look like a Girl Scout Troop.

GREAT BOOK!!

Great Narrative, gets lost when author becomes too analytical, August 8, 2005
I really enjoyed this book and tore through it in three days. It really does capture how the working class of Britain has degenerated even as its standard of living has reached levels of comfort that would seem unimaginable a few decades back. There is something about the game of football that tends to drive working class males crazy in almost every country, from Argentina to China. The author does however lose steam in the middle of the book when he attempts to psychoanlayzie crowd behavior. Overall very good read

Awesome, February 13, 2003
This is the definitive book on hooligans. The writing is intelligent, and Bill Buford often breaks down the society he's studying with an amusing and deprecating wit. On the back of the book it says that _Among the Thugs_ is never condescending, which is the diametric opposite of the truth. The thing that makes this book amusing is its ability to portray the sheer insanity of hooliganism as the circus freak show that it is. Other writers treat this subject with a been-there-done-that sort of nonchalance. Bill Buford, on the other hand, sees the phenomenon through the lens of a mild mannered American who is justifiably shocked and horrified by what he is witnessing. For the American reader, this is the ideal standpoint because it is important to emphasize just how utterly ridiculous, alien, and unfathomable hooligan behaviour is to a civiized American. I highly recommend this book as a fast, entertaining, action- packed, and often hilarious read.

True to Life, April 5, 2001
I, like Mr. Buford, lived as a priveleged American in London during the heydey of bootboys and hooligans in the early and mid 70's. I was a teenager and a wannabe-hooligan, too young (early teens) to be a real hooligan. I travelled extensively on the "football specials" to away games, among them a 1973 FA Cup semifinal at Hillsborough (scene of the 1996 disaster that ended standing on the terraces forever), and the danger of violence was expected and palpable. I recall a lovely spring day in Southampton where hooligans in motorcycle helmets roamed the streets smashing milk bottles on heads in a completely random fashion. Unlike some readers, I found his descriptions dead-on accurate. The discussion of crowd theory and when things change right before they "go off" was fascinating, as well as absolutely true. The part of the book I found odd was the change of opinion from wanting to study his topic to throwing up his hands and deciding there was nothing to study. What's the conclusion, or are there none? I am happy to report that those days are, for the most part, over. Having recently returned from England, the ticket pricing, and all-seater stadiums, have eliminated the hooligan mobs at football matches. the reason the hooligans rampage in continental Europe is because that's all that is left (there are still terraces in much of Europe). Domestically, many of the football venues described by Mr. Buford have been torn down or rebuilt as all-seater stadia.

Good Social Commentary, February 12, 2004
I thought this book would simply be a blow-by-blow recitation of the crimes and violence perpetrated by Britain's soccer "hooligans." I was very pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be much, much more. Mr. Buford gives a very nice discussion of the crowd mentality and explains from a first-hand perspective how quickly a large event can turn violent. He also does a nice job of explaining how the social environment in Britain led to the conditions that allowed large number of disaffected young men with few other outlets for their frustrations than Saturday games and riots.

An outsider's view - that works!, January 22, 2000
Picked up the book - an American author? forget it! But I decide to carry on, being "actively" involved as an English supporter in the eighties I was interested. I agree with another reviewer, people will bs, he does appear naive in some areas but that works for the book. When he describes how badly behaved our fans were, it's embarassing, but at the time it meant nothing to us. One very important point (US readers take note) the deaths and diasters that took place were not really hooligan related but bad policing and organization. Buford account of Sardinia is so powerful. I must have read it 20 times. I was there and he really describes the frustration of being treated like animals and then the violence. Us in shorts the police with batons ect. Bottom line, only a few people were real wankers, most wanted a laugh but it got too serious. The author met a few head bangers and top fans- good book. You can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs!

Oh, come on!, September 5, 2000
Among the Thugs is highly entertaining: it's Michael Herr meets Bill Bryson--a hybrid that has produced a documentary of the British hooligan phenomenon that is at once gripping, frightening, appalling, sickening, very funny, and, maybe, BS!

What really bothers me about this book is the recurrent disconnect between over-the-top acts of violence and the consequences thereof. Buford's graphic description of homicidal aggression is never seen with a meaningful (i.e. consistent with human nature) aftermath. For example, supporters (the rabid hooligan-fans) visiting Turin, Italy, trash the city, leaving anyone in their wake beaten to a pulp, perhaps murdered; and then the next day, for all intents and purposes, the Italian perspective is portrayed as a sort of grumbling resentment as opposed to, say, murderous rage. In the most unbelievable episode, a supporter blunders into a party (comprised of police officers, no less), and assaults one of the guests in such a manner as to surpass your most deranged, paranoid and sadistic fantasies. In the next scene, the supporter rejoins his wife at home, albeit with a great quantity of blood on his shirt (la-di-freakin'-da). I mean, how did he get out of there and then elude capture (believe me, this guy would be hunted down as if he were public enemy number one)?

But in spite of some wide credibility gaps, Buford chillingly describes mob and crowd dynamics, the creepy fascistic underpinnings of this scene, and the working class vacuum that is filled by this malignant sense of purpose. I'm just not sure if I can believe it all.

Dick Singer, Dallas

Definitely one to read., July 31, 1999
I couldn't stop reading this. We went to a friends house and I sat and read this book in the corner (easily one of the most impolite things I have ever done, but there was no way in hell I was stopping reading). I lived in London in the late eighties, working between Highbury & Islington tube station and Arsenal's ground and can remember the shops and pubs closing early on Wednesdays if there was a game. I can also remember the warnings not to work late, etc. I never understood why until I read this book. These people were (are?) the cruelest, nastiest people alive, and Bill Buford deserves endless credit for the quality of this book.

One last thought, we often hear that it was the average person that served as the guards in concentration camps, etc., well after reading this book I think it is the thugs who are described here, not the average Joe - so I feel better about the rest of humanity. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A plain-English primer on crime scene investigation that's a must for fans of CSI or Patricia Cornwell
Since the O. J. Simpson case, popular interest in forensic science has exploded: CBS's CSI has 16 to 26 million viewers every week, and Patricia Cornwell's novels featuring a medical examiner sleuth routinely top bestseller lists, to cite just a few examples. Now, everyone can get the lowdown on the science behind crime scene investigations. Using lots of fascinating case studies, forensics expert Dr. D. P. Lyle clues people in on everything from determining cause and time of death to fingerprints, fibers, blood, ballistics, forensic computing, and forensic psychology. With its clear, entertaining explanations of forensic procedures and techniques, this book will be an indispensable reference for mystery fans and true crime aficionados everywhere-and even includes advice for people interested in forensic science careers.

D. P. Lyle, MD (Laguna Hills, CA), is a practicing cardiologist who is also a forensics expert and mystery writer. He runs a Web site that answers writers' questions about forensics, dplylemd.com, and is the author of Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Writers, as well as several mystery novels. John Pless, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Indiana University School of Medicine and former President of the National Association of Medical Examiners. ... Read more

Reviews

An Excellent Resource, July 30, 2004
Forensics for Dummies is a quick reference for a multitude of Forensics issues. It is well organized and easy to read. Concepts are explained clearly.

A wide range forensic topics are explored, including: Investigating the Crime Lab, Assessing the Scene of the Crime, Getting a Grip on Fingerprints, Analyzing Blood Stain Patterns and What's the Deal with DNA. There are several real life cases in the back of the book, which are useful, as well as a section on common myths dispelled.

If you need basic information about a wide variety of forensics issues, then I would highly recommend this book. I am using it for research in writing mystery fiction, and I think it's an excellent tool for writers.

Great starting reference, February 28, 2005
As with all the "for Dummies" books, Forensics for Dummies is a great, quick reference and a wonderful starting point for anyone interested in the field. Written by a doctor and full of information that will surely entice anyone who is a fan of crime investigation shows, the book is laid out well and progresses through the entire method used by forensic scientists.

However, this book is only a starting point for anyone seriously interested in pursuing a career in forenics. It makes a handy reference for writers, as well, but those who are interested in making their crime-oriented stories come to life would do well to find another source for in-depth information.

All you need to know, June 24, 2004
Any "for Dummies" book is a helpful tool for the subject you are interested in; so when I reached the end of this one, it came as no surprise the feeling of satisfaction and excitement that I had about this particular purchase. Being a current student of forensic science myself, any basic information and knowledge that I received from this book will help with my future plans in this field.

EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE!!!!!, February 11, 2005
"Forensics for Dummies" has been nominated for an Edgar Award. This is no surprise as it is the very best reference published.
This book will answer all of your questions and entertain you every step of the way!

Great For Classroom Use, July 8, 2009
As instructor of criminal justice, i find this book remarkable for its clear, simple yet thorough explanation of the basics of forensic science. This book makes a somewhat complicated subject easy for the student to grasp and comprehend. A great supplement to any textbook on this subject.

A book I will use for all my writing!, May 23, 2009
This book is an absolute necessity for me as I am a mystery writer. Dr. Lyle uses a forthright, yet somewhat humorous, approach that makes the reading and understanding easy. I keep this on my desk at all times as I write about those murder scenes and autopsies!

Forensics made easier, April 13, 2008
This book is great for anyone who is interested in the forensic field, or anyone who is just interested in how the whole process works. It breaks the timeline down and the tools used to solve the crime. It also has a great section in the back, that tells you about 10 famous crimes and how they were solved. I loved reading this book. It is a must have for any future CSI's.

Great reading, December 14, 2007
I found this book and love this type of thing and found it to be very well put together and organised.

It is ideal as a reference if you are writing crime or simply want to impress your friends!

Very good for people who are training either in police, crime scene attendance and obviously forensics.

A must have!

Forensics Primer, November 15, 2007
Great intro book to a fascinating specialty. Fun for CSI junkies like myself. A good read.

Great information, easy to read, September 4, 2007
I'm writing a romantic suspense. I used this book the first day I received it. A great reference, easy to understand and non-forensics-person-friendly. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This updated manual presents information, advice, and practice tests that apply to police departments across the country. Four full-length practice exams with all questions answered and explained include two that were recently given by the New York City Police Department. Also included is a diagnostic exam presenting question types found on recent police entry-level exams given by a wide sample of the nation's police departments, as well as study advice and test-taking tips. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent, November 2, 2002
I scored 98% with just one week of reading this book. Recommended for anyone who is serious about becoming a Police Officer. This is the best study guide for the Police exam.

Excellant, September 1, 2004
I wanted to prepare as much as possible when it comes to becoming a cop. I had got this book because I wanted to learn more and know what I would be getting in an exam. When I flipped through this manual I was in total shock. I have never seen or read so much detailed information in my life. You can't go wrong with this book.

They help you understand police forms, legal definitions, preparation for oral exams, writing reports, how to take tests, police procedures and so on. This book isn't just about the exams. This book actually briefs you on becoming a cop and some of the things that you're gona come across or have to face. I got way more than I paid for.

This book is pretty cheap for so much information.

Good preparation - even more than necessary, December 30, 2003
I used this book to prepare for the LAPD application process, and while the practice questions are great in getting you in the cop-mindset, many of them are much more detailed and police-oriented than the real thing. There's a good section that gets you ready for the oral interview, though, which adds value to the book.

I'd recommend this to anyone needing practice prior to the written and oral police exams - better to use this and be over-prepared!

Do not wait any more... Buy the damn thing!, March 11, 2001
For about a year now, I have been trying unsuccessfully to get into law enforcement agencies here in Texas. For one reason or another a failed a written test... Maybe an oral review board... Or maybe the physical test. I waited for a very long time before I purchased this preparation guide (which was a mistake). If I would have known now what I have known then... I could have been already working. It is worth it and "a need to get" item. Do not make my mistake and wait until you have enough time or down in a rut. Walk on water and buy it!

One of many good books that can get you into law enforcement, April 11, 2003
Barron's Police Officer Exam book is another example of the kind of quality Barron's is known for. I also used Barron's "How to Prepare for the GMAT" before I took - and passed - the FBI Phase I exam. Two books by Thomas H. Ackerman are also very helpful if you are seeking federal law enforcement employment, including "FBI Careers" and "Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement." All of these books can give you an edge on other applicants, which is what you need to be competitive and get hired.

Barron's police officer exam booklet, September 6, 2007
Since buying this book I have taken 2 test for law enforcement/security postitions. Before the test I was able to read about 60 percent of the book and take a few of the practice test. I certainly felt more prepared having the book even though I only passed one test with flying colors.

From my own personal experience I did not recieve any memory questions, which I had practiced for using this book. I also found that there were a decent amount of spelling and grammar questions, and this book doesn't seem to have any grammar practice questions.

Recently I just purchased Barron's Correction officer exam practice booklet. While the book and questions are very similar, the correctional book will help with your grammar.

If your new to these test or if you want to brush up on the basics, then purchase one of Barron's booklets. I passed a test for one of best police force in the country and I owe some credit to this book.

Solid. pertinent info, January 29, 2002
Great prep for a police job. Tons of info vital for the test and vital for the job. In fact, working cops should get it to fill in the gaps and to have a solid foundation to build on for a promotional exam.

Loren W. Cristensen, author of Deadly Force Encounters : What C0PS Need to Know to Mentally and Physically Prepare for and Survive a Gunfight

VERY Informative, June 8, 2004
The best thing that you can do for yourself is find out what is on the test that you'll be taking. I used this book to study and the test i took couldn't have been further from the topics discussed in this book. It is a great way to get yourself to study better and think more bout the answers you give.

Excellent test guide, September 17, 2010
This is an excellent book on the most common facets of police testing. It includes several sample tests along with the answers and the explanations for the answers. I took the police exam a few weeks ago and found that I was over-prepared, which is never a bad thing. Suffice it to say I am on my way to becoming a certified police officer. Could not have done it without this book. Great reference!

A Must Buy, December 12, 2010
I purchased this book after reading everybody's reviews about it. I must say that I was impressed at how everything was written. Procedures, legal terms, a police officer's job description, etc was explained in detail. There are also practice tests to take, with answers provided at the very end(of course)But,it also explains how you can arrive to the correct answer. This book well prepared for the civil service exam. ... Read more

Editorial Review

John Connoly and James "Whitey" Bulger grew up together on the streets of South Boston. Decades later, in the mid 1970's, they would meet again.  By then, Connolly was a major figure in the FBI's Boston office and Whitey had become godfather of the Irish Mob.  What happened next -- a dirty deal to being down the Italian mob in exchange for protection for Bulger -- would spiral out of control, leading to murders, drug dealing, racketeering indictments, and, ultimately, the biggest informant scandal in the history of the FBI.

Compellingly told by two Boston Globe reporters who were on the case from the beginning, Black Mass is at once a riveting crime story, a cautionary tale about the abuse of power, and a penetrating look at Boston and its Irish population.

Reviews

Chilling, January 4, 2002
"Black Mass" is the chilling account of how two killers from South Boston were able to manipulate the FBI for a period of decades. James"Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi were legendary wiseguys in Boston during the 1970s. John Connolly a childhood acquaintance of Bulger's who made good and joined the Boston FBI. When Connolly hooked up with the tough guy from his old neighborhood things began to go awry.

Connolly was awed by his friendship with Bulger and used his contact in the underworld as proof of his prowess as an agent. For their part Bulger and Flemmi were able to pass along innocuous mob gossip to the Feds in exchange for protection form local law enforcement. Carefully placed tidbits of information helped the FBI to arrest enemies of the Bulger gang. With each arrest Whitey and Flemmi were able to expand their own power base. Those people who complained to the police were inevitably redirected to the FBI. Once the bureau had its hands on a case, the stonewalling began. This was a cycle that continued from the late 60s up until the mid 90s. During this period the `invaluable informants' provided little of substance to their `handlers'. However the agents were able to cook the reports and win commendations and promotions for themselves. At the same time, over a dozen murders are directly attributed to the pair.

If there is honor among thieves you can't prove it from this book. "Black Mass" is a shocking story of deceit and corruption within Boston law enforcement, politics and organized crime. It is almost impossible to describe the level of hubris on the part of the crooks who were protected by the FBI and those very agents who cosseted the killers in order to advance their own careers. If they are lucky, the crooks end up behind bars, but many meet their fate in the trunk of a car.

No small part of this seems to flow from good old-fashioned insularity, the "Us vs. Them" mentality so prevalent in South Boston. The area was still reeling throughout the 1970s from the forced bussing earlier in the decade. To many Bulger, was a mythic Robin Hood figure. He might be a crook but he was Southie's crook and a damned good one at that. With a cunning that allowed him to outwit the police at every turn, it was a blow for hometown pride that the Italian Mafia was failing while the Irish mob was waxing in power. This was the myth that the Bulger gang worked to promote while at the same time Whitey was murdering and extorting from the citizens of his old neighborhood. His cunning ability to outwit the police boiled down to being an informant for the FBI and his concern for the streets he grew up on is evident by how he promoted the use of drugs to the people in Southie.

This account is a sad story of how the best intentions (Like the FBI informant program) can have the worst results.

Master reporters reveal FBI's dirty deal with Irish mob, May 30, 2000
At first it seems like pure fiction: One of Boston's most notorious mobsters, who also happens to be the brother of one of Massachusetts' most powerful politicians, spends more than a decade as a secret informant for the FBI. And, using his informant status as a shield, he grows his criminal empire and commits just about every crime on the books, including murder. As incredible as it sounds, it's all true and it's all here, and it's better than fiction. This is a powerfully written narrative by two prize-winning investigative reporters who covered the story and revealed some of its most dramatic elements. By combining their powerful reporting skills with rich writing flair, Lehr and O'Neill bring readers into the heart of darkness. They show how a relationship that began among children in the housing projects of South Boston evolved into a corrupt deal among dangerous adults that ultimately humiliated the nation's top law-enforcement agency and extended the reign of some of the very mobsters the FBI was supposed to eradicate. The book moves seamlessly from the streets and storerooms of Boston, to the corridors of political power, to the ornate federal courthouse where the deal comes crashing down.

Good intro w/ intrigue, July 13, 2000
This work is quite interesting but one thing i am concerned about is that there has not been hard proof that Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi actually performed any murders or organized them. Much of the case against Bulger and Flemmi seem to stem from testimony by persons trying to get out of serious culpability for what transpired.Kevin Weeks for example, who was groomed by Bulger and now is looking at serious prison time is cooperating with federal authorities in laying all the blame at Bulger and Flemmi's feet.We don't know right now who is actually responsible for what and it may be premature to pass judgement on Connolly,Bulger and Flemmi until all the facts,if ever,are in.

The Civil War, July 1, 2001
If you research the history of Massachusetts you will find that the early to mid 1960s was a frenzy of projects and activity during the height of Kennedy power and influence. In Middlesex County Congressman F. Bradford Morse represented a district that even included Lawrence,Mass. In Middlesex County the space and military sectors flourished with projects as Apollo in Bedford, Voyager in Wilmington,a NIKE missile base in Burlington, the Boston Navy Yard, and such music greats as Bob Dylan,Joan Baez, and Muddy Waters playing at Club 47 in Cambridge. JFK, before he was assassinated, endorsed Woburn as the future site of the Johnson Space Center.One of the most constructive things which can come out of this case is to understand precisely the politics and sociological events in the wake of JFK's assassination and economic intrigues in the region as a precipitator of the violence that is tragically the focus of this book and case. In the 1960s a minimum of 24 organized crime families prospered nationwide. Hollywood portrays such groups as unsophisticated, but when one considers the nature of the beast, each organized crime family might be viewed as a clan of varying size and influence through all strata of government which forms the 'informal government'. To those not involved such groups a lot of things must seem like random events but not so to those involved.By understanding the dynamics involved we gain a better understanding of how events are orchestrated by the subtle interplay of cooperating and sometimes competing groups.

Tragic story well told, April 12, 2005
Here is one of those stories that on the surface seems to practically write itself. The tale of, as the subtitle suggests "an unholy alliance" between mobsters and FBI agents. A story replete with larger than life killers such as Whitey Bulger, heinous crimes, cover ups, betrayals, and victims both innocent and deserving. The writing duo of Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill benefit from having unknowingly started work on the book years years in advance as reporters. They ultimately had access to volumes of interviews, background material to go along with their many first hand encounters the leading players of the story. Their intimate knowledge of the people, places and events made them naturals to tell the wider story and they came through with flying colors. The writing combines the best features of investigative reporting and dramatic non fiction.
At the heart of the story are FBI agents John Connolly and Dick Morris who started off using notorious gangsters Bulger (whose very different brother has served as a Massachusetts state senator and university president) and Steve "The Rifleman" Flemmi as informants to help bring down the Boston area Mafia. In large part they succeeded but at what a price! The agents crossed the line -- more liked leaped over it -- and befriended the pair, literally letting the two get away with murder (along with other felonies) in the process. Bulger and Flemmi would dine and exchange gifts with the agents one day and go about extorting, drug tracking, loan sharking and killing the next.
"Black Mass" is at times heart breaking, infuriating and fascinating. In it we see much of the underbelly of human behavior and the degree to which people in the public trust can be co-opted. Herein is my only quibble with the authors, as I would have liked more of an analysis of what made the agents, Connolly in particular, "go bad."
The authors are nonetheless to be lauded for a commendable job. "Black Mass" is a great read.

True Crime With a Boston Accent !, September 6, 2002
The plot of "Black Mass" revolves around a fateful decision by the Boston FBI concerning the so-called Irish Mafia of South Boston and its infamous boss-the notorious James "Whitey" Bulger. The FBI was so eager to break up the local Italian Mafia that, for years it used Whitey as a confidential informant. Was there a payback? There certainly was: Whitey was allowed to run his bookmaking, loan sharking, shake downs and other criminal activities without serious interference from law enforcement. Were there "complications"? There certainly were: Apart from obvious slippery morality behind the FBI operation, certain local agents get "slightly too cozy" with Whitey and his right hand man, Stevie "The Rifleman" Flemmi. There is a great nickname! I won't divulge what happens but suffice it to say that a sharp eyed-or was it sharp eared? -Defense attorney unravels the deal. Is justice ultimately done? The reader will just have to find out by him or herself! Fair warning: the epilogue fails to tie up all loose ends. BM reads as if it were two stories. The early going is uneven, choppy and routine. Then BM finds its' stride and develops into fine true crime reading. Perhaps that was due to dual authorship or dual editing. The end result is ultimately satisfying. BM is an excellent example of the dangers of good intentions (stopping the Italian Mafia) unraveling into a its' own sinister crisis and creating its' own maelstrom of crime. BM is a 5 star work, but with one star subtracted for the weaker early stages. Boston residents can quite easily add back the 5th star. True crime devotees living in eastern Massachusetts should love this one.

It can't be true, May 31, 2000
This book rips the door off its hinges on the back-room deals struck by the FBI's John Connolly and Whitey Bulger. The great lengths that Connolly went to cover Whitey's track will make your stomach turn. The writers capture that sense, back it up with hard evidence, and invite the reader into that dark place where the line between good and evil merge.

O'Neill and Lehr have beaten everyone to the punch on a story that has never been told and will shock the senses. Black Mass is destined for greatness and is a book that was made for the big screen.

When the bough breaks................, May 10, 2001
Have leads that could help or exonerate Bulger and Flemmi been disregarded in the investigation?

Is the FBI making facts fit the profile by which this messy case can be cleaned up by blaming everything on Flemmi and Bulger? Does our nation have a history of doing this? Sacco and Vanzetti?

Has organized crime in some form infiltrated nearly every facet of American government and are whole families bridges between government and organized crime? What is the relationship between government and organized crime?

Will Dan Burton call the CIA up to detail the nature of its relationship with Bulger?

Would the President himself get involved in a case like this?

Hook, line and Sinker, May 4, 2001
This investigation does look like a sham but not necessarily because of the FBI.It seems likely that other agencies, the Defense Investigative Service, perhaps, may be involved also.

In 1963 3 major things happened: 1) The Defense Investigative Service is said to have been established, 2) The USS Thresher sunk off the coast of Portsmouth,NH and 3) JFK was shot.

Massachusetts, at the height of Kennedy power was locked in a battle over federal funding projects between NASA and the Boston Navy Yard. A serviceman is said to have testified before Congress that 20% of the backpressure relief valves were installed backwards in the Thresher and that the hull of the Thresher was crushed at a time when the Portsmouth and Boston navy yards may have been competing for funds. A group of workmen transferred from the Boston to Portsmouth navy yards not long before the tragedy happened.

The Thresher sinks, JFK is shot, and not long after Flemmi emerges in the midst of the Mclean-Mclaughlin wars,said to have been between Somerville and Charlestown. The federal witness protection program emerges as do Joe Valachi and Joe 'the animal'Barboza. As the Mclean-Mclaughlin wars rage on, NSA decides to open an office in Boston while in Mass alone you have all sorts of military bases. These guys are said to have operated for 3 decades in a state of very high security.

You have informants contradicting each other and allegations of a sham investigation which is not entirely unfounded when you consider it 'has been going on' for almost 7 years!

License to kill...., July 10, 2000
This book is a good intro but leaves out any detail about the agents involved or the prosecutors.It does not address early concerns in the case,such as how the FBI is alleged to be involved with such things as pornography as well.It also treats this case as an anomaly, but as Congressman James Trafficante of Ohio noted on the news show "Nightline", FBI agents have been alleged to have a similar arrangement there in Ohio. It seems as if the real 'Mafia' is actually a conglomeration of gangsters and govt employees from many branches of govt ,and not just the FBI.Once into this network, you have the protection of being the police while the underground connections for cleverly concealing your activities. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Acclaimed journalist Ted Conover sets a new standard for bold, in-depth reporting in this first-hand account of life inside the penal system.

When Conover’s request to shadow a recruit at the New York State Corrections Officer Academy was denied, he decided to apply for a job as a prison officer. So begins his odyssey at Sing Sing, once a model prison but now the state’s most troubled maximum-security facility. The result of his year there is this remarkable look at one of America’s most dangerous prisons, where drugs, gang wars, and sex are rampant, and where the line between violator and violated is often unclear. As sobering as it is suspenseful, Newjack is an indispensable contribution to the urgent debate about our country’s criminal justice system, and a consistently fascinating read.
... Read more

Reviews

A Very Accurate Account, June 13, 2000
As someone who spent 4 years working in Sing Sing, I believe I knew Mr. Conover while he was at Sing Sing and while I was not an Officer, I think I remember our paths crossing several times. I observed many of the same situations, emotions and observations as the author. In addition to his dead on portrayal of life behind bars, it was good to read about how the environment can have negative emotional effects on those who work there. It's about time someone told the truth about what goes on inside Sing Sing and how it can demoralize those who are simply good people trying to do job and earn a paycheck. The NYS Department of Corrections as a whole is in need of total reformation and Sing Sing is a prime example of why. I was skeptical when I picked up the book, as every account of prison life which I had previously read or seen seemed inaccuarate to me or slanted by inmate or administrative/political bias. After the first couple of chapters it was clear to me that this was a book written by someone with no agenda other then to tell the truth about life behind the walls at Sing Sing.

Doing Time at Sing Sing..., November 1, 2000
A person needs to have a certain determination to do what author Ted Conover did: take a year out from one's life to go undercover and put one's neck on the line, literally.

Investigative journalist Conover took a big risk - his career, his family life, and even his life - to get the scoop on what life is like inside New York State's infamous Sing-Sing Prison... from a Correctional Officer's point of view. It makes for a most fascinating read.

Ted had tried the traditional route to get inside and have a look at life from behind bars, his target being the notorious Sing-Sing Penetentiary. However, he soon discovered that the media is not a welcome bunch and the stalwart institution (like all other max-security prisons throughout the country) makes sure that the press never get inside to have a peek. Not one to give up easily (and smelling a real story), Conover came up with the plan to go in undercover, as it were, as a legitimate, bona-fide, State-trained Correctional Officer.

And that is just what he did.

He went the route of CO training - a boot camp of sorts, a rough ride indeed - finding it very demanding and obtuse. Still, he persevered to the end, graduated, and waited for his call-up. He didn't have to wait long. The turnover rate of COs is high, and the inaugural training ground for almost all COs in the State of New York is the infamous prison he was targeting.

The book, NewJack: Guarding Sing Sing is the chronicle of Conover's year (he dedicated an entire year to experience the fulness of the prison experience) as a CO at the institution. The contents of the book are, in many ways, not surprising. Life is hard behind bars, for inmates and COs alike. There is a palpable aggression, a frustration at the procedures, and the interaction between inmate and prison guard (errrr, sorry, correctional officer), inmate and inmate, and CO and CO is perpetually tense and suspicious.

Those who are crime or psychology buffs will dig their teeth into this read and come away satisfied. Conover has done an outstanding job of revealing what everyday life - on the job and in the cell - is all about at Sing Sing. He gives wonderful description of the compound itself and what living conditions are really like inside. His historical account of the raising and implementing of the prision is, in itself, worth buying the book.

As well, he's done a great job on revealing the personality of Sing Sing - from the inception of the place right up to present day. It's an institution that has a rich and varied history, if not pristine and stellar. Sing Sing is a bastion of punishment, not all of it good or right or noble, and Conover has documented and presented such with a pretty fair stroke of the pen.

Though I found his commentary on the prison population a little heavy-handed and hyperbolic on occasion, I'm sure that couldn't be helped when the man was laying his life on the line everyday, going in to control the masses. He did, however, paint a fair picture of the life of a CO on the inside and outside. It's a hard job, and it has hard men and women occupying it.

And Conover made it to the end of the year. He survived the job, in all its quirks, and has given the rest of us on the outside a very rare glimpse at what life is like on the inside. And what a unique perspective it is, too.

I recommend this book to one and all who want to explore penology from a more relaxed, less academic, view and accounting. Great read, start to finish.

ENTHRALLING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING, January 4, 2001
Conover does what few authours would dare try. He becomes the subject of his book and the result in the best nonfiction work I have ever read. There are many authors who try to write prison accounts and fail because of their inability to relate to the subject. There are also correctional officers who think that they can write and publish less than interesting books as a result. Conover is an established author who became a New York State Correctional Officer and worked in Sing Sing for a year. That is the perfect example of in depth reporting.

Newjack not only gives you the typical prison stories, but in it Conover relays the subtle things that escape the attention of those who have never worked inside a prison. Conover address the different assignments given to COs often causing them to be outnumbered in massive amounts. He covers overcrowding, prison violence, dirty guards, and even the emotional tolls of the job.

This book holds interest like no other work of nonfiction before it. Conover should be applauded for this book. It is a hallmark of investigative journalism. As a result I have picked up a copy of his book COYOTES and cant wait to start it. A solid five star book that is a must read for nonfiction and true crime fans.

Sing Sing Tightrope, June 10, 2000
Ted Conover1s experience in Sing Sing was nothing if not a courageous demonstration of balance. The potentially perilous strand the author tread was the invisible and frequently oscillating filament that ran between the challenges of delivering fair and humane treatment to often uncaring and violent inmates on one side and the arbitrary, ever shifting demands of his contemptuous supervisors and frequently brutal fellow officers on the other. Likewise, Conover1s last word on his involvement in Sing Sing reflected an appalling balance --- he concluded that prison life, for whatever else is it may be, is very often brutally deleterious to the lives of the keepers as well to the lives of the kept.

Newjack guarding Sing Sing, June 6, 2000
Having worked in the same capacity for 15 and half years I can say this is a very acurate account of what goes on in SSCF. It brought me back to when i was a 19 year old rookie. But with time and experience i had pleasure sharing that while training new officers.I also know what its like to be on the other side having served 4 months of a six month jail sentence. The accounts of Sgt Wickersham(i know who it really is) were accurate..I look forward to reading Conovers other books, and i would have liked to have worked with you in your short time there..

A great public service..., July 3, 2005
Walter Cronkite once said that the citizens of a country have a right to know what's being done in their name. It's a simple enough premise: public institutions, spending public money, should be subject to public scrutiny. And yet, the nation's prisons and jails remain practically invisible to the public eye, thanks to both their media-shy temperament and a relatively incurious media. Newspapers and television may flock to chronicle shocking crimes and sensational trials, but when the sentences have been handed down and the headlines are fading, the public mentality seems to be "out of sight, out of mind."

Journalist Ted Conover sought to redress this problem, to understand the corrections system in New York State and, in particular, the corrections officers who, on behalf of the public, guard those deemed unfit for society. Towards that end, he wanted to follow a rookie C.O. through training and into an initial posting, but was repeatedly denied permission to do so. Rebuffed by the powers-that-be, stymied by the system, he settled on an even better and more original solution: to become that rookie C.O. himself.

Many journalists aspire to be (or pretend to be) completely objective--dispassionate chroniclers of the world, separate from the people and situations they write about. The brilliance of Conover's book is that he took a completely opposite tack, enmeshing himself in the system rather than trying to observe it at arm's length. And in doing so, he has created an excellent, compelling, and thoroughly informative book, one that dismantles many stereotypes about prisons and guards, stripping away the lumpy old layers of paint and showing the true shape and color of things.

Many of his most insightful observations deal with a very poorly understood subject--the effects of incarceration on the guards. At the outset of his experiences, Conover wonders whether guards truly are the brutal people depicted so often in prison movies and, if so, whether they are drawn to the work because they are insensitive, mean people or whether they become that way because of the work. By the end of his time guarding Sing Sing, he seems convinced that the latter is often the case, that warehousing people can end up dehumanizing both the people being warehoused and the people doing the warehousing. The stress and strain of prison, it seems, seeps into the lives of C.O.s, resulting in higher rates of alcoholism and divorce. (Those who pick this book up expecting an overly-sensitive, "Cool Hand Luke"-ish rant about cruel C.O.s and maltreated prisoners will find themselves pleasantly surprised by the author's fairness and empathy towards his fellow guards.)

Prison sex, too, appears far differently on the inside than it does in popular culture. While prison rape is a staple of movies and shows about incarceration ("The Shawshank Redemption", "Oz"), Conover concludes that most prison sex is, in fact, consensual. Such observations may seem like voyeurism, but they are not; given the lower availability of condoms, the higher rates of infection for sexually transmitted diseases (particularly HIV) and the fact that many of these men will eventually leave prison (possibly to rejoin thier families), prison sex is a factor that fundamentally alters the incarceration equation.

Despite its overall excellence and its willingness to take on such edgy topics, the book isn't a completely thorough or representative picture of New York State's corrections system. The author readily admits that Sing Sing is an atypical prison, with a larger percentage of minority guards and unseasoned officers than the upstate facilities; it would have been interesting if he'd been willing or able to spend longer in the system and get a better look at those institutions.

Still, this complaint is insignificant when compared with the book's overall virtues. "Newjack" is a great public service, a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the consequences of the nation's get-tough-on-crime mentality. While many people affect a cavalier don't-do-the-crime-if-you-can't-do-the-time air, Conover's book shows that this is a very myopic attitude--prisoners will do the time, and they will emerge, and the experiences they face on the inside will help determine whether they will do the crime again or instead find a place in society. Given that fact, society should try to better understand what life is like for them--and for the guards who do the public's thankless bidding.

The dark side of American justice..., September 3, 2000
"Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" is a fascinating look at the current state of our jail system & the people who's daily concern it is. Not only do we get to know the guards, but the prisoners emerge in a multi-textured, & very fair account.

Ted Conover, an anthropologist by training, gives a very well-balanced look into "the belly of the beast". He is brutally honest about both his preconceptions & his (sometimes not nice) reactions to what he encounters as a Corrections Officer for the State of New York. He admits that the grinding brutality of daily prison life dehumanizes even those who come in as idealists, & shows how violence & aggression are very understandable reactions to the stresses engendered by the nature of America's overcrowded prison system.

What emerges is an indictment of our current attitudes towards crime & punishment. It is interesting to note that almost every person in authority who daily deals with imprisoned criminals is against the death penalty. As one of the last "civilized" countries that still imposes death, America needs to ask herself some hard questions about it's effectiveness (or lack thereof). In addition, drug sentencing laws mandate that even if states build a new prison yearly, they would simply keep pace with current levels of overcrowding; is it worth the expenditure just to lock up someone for a marijuana plant? Any reader will find his heart pierced by the question posed by a prisoner named Lawson. In a conversation quoted by Conover, Lawson points out that the US is planning prisons to be built in 12 years. Conover says, "Isn't it good to plan ahead?". Lawson answers that by planning that far into the future, the government is planning on imprisoning an individual who is currently a child; instead of spending millions on future prisons, why not spend thousands on education & social services to ensure that child will not be just another statistic? Conover admits his entire outlook is changed by this conversation; I know I was deeply shaken.

If you have ever found yourself voting for the death penalty or a "3 strikes" law, please read "Newjack". You too may find your convictions shaken by the experience.

Why American Prisons Need to be Reformed, May 14, 2000
Conover's book is honest and disturbing. I'm convinced that his portrayal is accurate, that being a prison guard is a hard job, and that being an inmate is an absolute nightmare. I'm also convinced that it doesn't have to be that way and that today's prisons hurt society more than help it. Meatheads who like brutality in prisons will enjoy the book, while people dedicated to improving society and reforming prisons will find fuel for their fires in it. Conover's most disturbing revelation is that prisons of the past were more humane. If the book lacks anything, it is what a more-humane, effective penal system would look like.

Working in Sing Sing, May 12, 2000
After reading this book I find it to be an accurate, interesting and at times humorous accounting of what is like to work in Sing Sing prison. I know because I spent a year there myself in the same capacity. If you wondered what is is like to hold this type of job, this is the book to read.

Wow, a Scary Look, April 22, 2002
This author was brave. I do not think I would want to venture into this world, not even to write a book, but he did. The author got a job as a prison guard at what looks to be the worst prison in New York. Being the new guy he also was placed in the worst positions of the job - face to face guarding of the inmates. So he is in the most dangerous prison going the most dangerous job - the makings for a gripping book.

The author does a good job of describing the downright horrible things that people do to one another. I knew that prison life was bad, but the level of violence, both inmate on inmate and inmate on guard is eye opening. How these guards go into these human wastelands and not have it destroy their souls, is beyond me. I do not think my office job stress could ever compare with the day to day hell prison guards face. This author takes there, right there at the forefront of the prison system. He very vividly tells us about all the horrible and some more human encounters he faced. He also provides us with a good view of how the prison guards work together to face this daily grind in what has to be one of the worst jobs in America.

This is a very good book, well-written and easy to get through in a weekend. It should be mandatory reading for any teenage child to show them the "joys" of prison life. I think this book would appeal to the general reader and the true crime fan both as it is just that interesting and gripping. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the three years following the September 11th attacks, 150,000 people applied to be Special Agents in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Only 2,200 got the job. The FBI Career Guide reveals strategies that radically increase the odds of getting hired, and that will prepare agents for a challenging, rewarding career at the Bureau. There may be no one in the world more qualified to help aspiring agents begin and excel at an FBI career than Joe Koletar, a 25-year Bureau veteran whose executive credentials are second to none. This ultimate insider's guide looks at:

* the application process * New Agents Training * field office and foreign assignments * pay, benefits, and career opportunities * educational and career decisions that improve the odds of being hired * how investigations, undercover and SWAT team operations, and specialty assignments work * and much more.

Readers will also learn how the job might affect them and their families, how to plan their career and climb the ladder, and even prepare for life after the Bureau. Above all, they'll find out what it takes to succeed-and how to show they've got it. ... Read more

Reviews

Educational reading, October 24, 2006
I am a retired FBI Special Agent and find this book very enlightning and also entertaining. It reminds me of my FBI experiences, from Training School through my work in the different Field Offices. If I were a young person interested in Law Enforcement as a career, I would most certainly find this book as a "must" read.

Excellent Overview for FBI Special Agent Applicants, January 1, 2007
I've read several books on the FBI Special Agent career path, and this book is the most informative overall collection of data available. This is the only book I've read that details the specifics of an agent's career path and what to expect during various levels of an agent's career. It also provides excellent preparation for the two Phases of the agent application process, and I highly recommend this book to any person who is about to embark on the lengthy Special Agent application process.

Perfect guide for anyone interested in the FBI, September 15, 2006
I was interested in being a special agent with the FBI before reading this book and after reading it I am even more interested. This book was very good at explaining the application process for the FBI. Also gave info on a wide range of topics from the history of the FBI, to what an agent does. Anyone interested in a career as a special agent should read this for guidance and valuable insight on this career. It was very helpful to me and can help you out as well.

Incredibly well-written, April 24, 2009
This is a great book for anyone considering a career in the FBI or just to find out what the FBI is REALLY all about.

It answers so many questions and brings up things you may not think, or know, to ask.

There is no dull part of this book. It moves along well and covers an amazing amount of information. Very well written, highly recommended!

Pretty good book, September 25, 2008
I recently bought this book to get a little more information about the FBI's special agent program. It provides a good history of the FBI, from its inception to how the FBI got to where it is today. It provides more information about the SA career paths and options than is provided by the FBI website, which was nice. The authors writing style is alright, a little wordy. I would only recommend this book if you are seriously looking at joining the FBI.

Pithy and informative, February 17, 2008
This was the best FBI book I've been able to get my hands on. In the book you will learn about all phases of the application process in detail. Also, you will learn which applicants are the most competitive and why. Pay grades and benefits are included and fully explained. There is also a nice section on the six month training period that takes place at Quantico, Virginia for those who are selected to join the FBI's ranks. The author describes what an average day might be like for a special agent.

The reason I did not rate this book as 5 stars is because the author really did not describe the different divisions and responsibilities of each task force within the FBI (at least not with much detail). For example, he barely mentions any SWAT components and does not mention the Hostage Rescue Team at all. It would have been nice for there to have been more information about what each individual unit does and how they go about getting it done. However, I would still strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn the basics about the FBI. They are covered very adequately in this book.

It's a 'must' guide to the complex world of the FBI career., November 6, 2006
If you're looking to develop an FBI career, first consult The FBI Career Guide: Inside Information on Getting Chosen for and Succeeding in One of the Toughest, Most Prestigious Jobs in the World. It spells out exactly what the Bureau looks for in candidates, covering how to meet and network with agents, how different FBI forces work, and how to avoid the many common mistakes applicants make. It's a 'must' guide to the complex world of the FBI career.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average, June 6, 2010
While this book offered some interesting information, it did not present much information that I did not already know from casual research. Some parts of the book were none too detailed. Contrary to the title, it does not offer tips for getting hired.

Good for the Purpose!, September 14, 2009
This is book in indeed good for the person wanting to become a Special Agent. Not so useful, if looking to join the FBI in a professional career other than being a SA. ... Read more