The second edition of this anthology includes the latest theoretical and empirical works, and maintains the excellent balance between theory and research found in the first edition. The selections are carefully edited and very appropriate for undergraduate students. The new data analysis exercises provide a simple introduction to SPSS, and further reinforce the connection between theory and research: a major strength of this book. This collection continues to provide a strong foundation for students in criminology courses.

--Barbara Costello, University of Rhode Island

Designed for undergraduate criminology courses, this book actively involves students in the literature of the discipline, presents the field in a format that is accessible, understandable, and enjoyable, and is edited by well-known scholars who are experienced researchers and teachers. The readings in this anthology have been very carefully edited and pruned by the Editors so that undergraduate students can easily read them without getting bogged down or confused and lost in the technical, methodological details. As an added bonus, and without adding additional cost to the book, we have included 5 substantial data analysis exercises spread throughout the book. These exercises not only teach students the basics of SPSS, the standard data analysis software in social science, but also show them how they can test the crime theories and propositions covered in the reader, using current crime data packaged with the book. This absolutely unique feature is structured into fill-in-the-blank exercise sets that are easy to grade for large numbers of students by a single instructor. Over 150 very good questions have been put together for the readings so that instructors can easily test, even in large courses, whether or not their students are keeping up with the reading.