Police, forensics, and detective stories dominate our TV screens and bookshelves—from fictional portrayals such as and to lurid accounts of real-life super-criminals like Pablo Escobar and Al Capone. As well as being horribly fascinating, knowledge of what makes criminals tick is crucial to governments, who spend billions of dollars each year trying to keep their people safe. Criminology brings disciplines like psychology, biology, and economics together to help police and society solve crimes—and to prevent them before they even happen. The new edition of shines a light into the dark recesses of the criminal mind and goes behind-the-scenes with society’s response to crime, putting you right on the mean streets with cops and criminals alike. Along the way, you’ll learn everything a rookie needs to survive, including basic definitions of what a crime is and how it’s measured; common criminal motivations, thinking, and traits; elementary crime-solving techniques; the effects on and rights of victims; and more. Whether you plan to enter the criminal justice field or just want to know more about what turns some people to the dark side—and how the thin blue line fights back—this is your perfect guide to criminology basics.