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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Criminal Investigation
Offers a perfect summary of the necessary steps involved in basic investigation. Perfect for anyone looking to form a working knowledge of Criminal Investigation. Softcover.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2002
About the author
Alan Axelrod
178 books56 followersAlan Axelrod, Ph.D., is a prolific author of history, business and management books. As of October 2018, he had written more than 150 books, as noted in an online introduction by Lynn Ware Peek before an interview with Axelrod on the National Public Radio station KPCW. Axelrod resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
November 22, 2013
Most textbooks cover either criminology or criminalistics (forensics), but, then, this book is not a textbook, nor does it present itself as one. It is a guidebook to the fields of criminology, criminalistics and law enforcement, much in the same way as a Baedeker is a guide to a certain locality -- you'll learn just enough of the customs, language and history not to embarrass yourself. For example, you'll not learn how to work a crime scene, but you'll learn enough to know when one is not being worked correctly on a TV show or in a novel. You'll not learn how to administer a polygraph examination, but you'll learn how a polygraph works, what it is (and is not) used for, and what role it can play in an investigation and subsequent court trial.
The information is presented in a very logical and orderly fashion, laying a broad base upon which to build specialized knowledge. Peppered throughout the text are easily digested quotes and illustrative examples. All the fields of study are presented within an historical context, and traces the development of the field. With criminology, for instance, we begin with the idea of crime equating with sin, move through the "bad seed" idea, examine the development of modern theories that arose in the 18th century, then touch upon all the various reasons and excuses from crime that passed in and out of vogue with changing social and political views. Although all the subjects of the field are covered, as well as most of the personalities, I found the omission of Dr Karl Menninger and Dr Robert Hare to be inexplicable considering the role played by Menninger in social criminology and penology, and Hare in developing base studies in detecting and profiling the sociopath.
While this book would not be of much use to someone working toward a criminology or criminal justice degree (it lacks the depth that only specialized textbooks can provide), it's perfect for the generalist looking for a jumping-off place into the field, the student to whom criminal justice would only be an associated field (e.g., sociology or political science), the concerned citizen wanting to become more knowledgeable about law enforcement matters, and the writer who wants to avoid egregious errors when penning a whodunit or a police procedural. However, even a seasoned criminologist will find this book useful as a quick and easy reference to aspects of the field learned in school long ago.
The information is presented in a very logical and orderly fashion, laying a broad base upon which to build specialized knowledge. Peppered throughout the text are easily digested quotes and illustrative examples. All the fields of study are presented within an historical context, and traces the development of the field. With criminology, for instance, we begin with the idea of crime equating with sin, move through the "bad seed" idea, examine the development of modern theories that arose in the 18th century, then touch upon all the various reasons and excuses from crime that passed in and out of vogue with changing social and political views. Although all the subjects of the field are covered, as well as most of the personalities, I found the omission of Dr Karl Menninger and Dr Robert Hare to be inexplicable considering the role played by Menninger in social criminology and penology, and Hare in developing base studies in detecting and profiling the sociopath.
While this book would not be of much use to someone working toward a criminology or criminal justice degree (it lacks the depth that only specialized textbooks can provide), it's perfect for the generalist looking for a jumping-off place into the field, the student to whom criminal justice would only be an associated field (e.g., sociology or political science), the concerned citizen wanting to become more knowledgeable about law enforcement matters, and the writer who wants to avoid egregious errors when penning a whodunit or a police procedural. However, even a seasoned criminologist will find this book useful as a quick and easy reference to aspects of the field learned in school long ago.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review