Robert I. Simon

Simon's overview of criminal psychology and deviancy covers a lot of territory, and focuses on the continuum of good and bad, along with the slopes in between and where lines get crossed. As the title suggests, the focal point of the text lies in the fact that all of us--the average law-abiding citizen as well as the serial murderer--are built from much of the same cloth, and contending with both good and bad impulses; thus, the good individual is the one who only dreams (and may or may not show more remember such dreams) and who sustains mental health while the bad person is one who, for whatever reason, fails to control the same impulses until they're acted out, and potentially followed through on until they've lost any semblance of what would appear normal, let alone good.

Built for the average reader who wants a better understanding of the psychology and the directions involved, the book offers a carefully constructed and easy-to-read (in terms of language if not material) introduction that balances case studies of both extreme and non-extreme behavior against more general discussions of psychology and methods of understanding. Part of the book's power, haunting as it is, comes in the fact that Simon doesn't only examine extreme cases that have been taken from headlines and true-account horror stories; instead, he also takes a look at the average man or woman who leads a normal life, but contends with some of the same desires and struggles at a very basic level, but succeeds where a so-called criminal has failed. In other words, he looks at the good and the bad, and at how one can slip into being the other.

Obviously, with each chapter devoted to a particular type of deviancy, the discussions are overviews, but the bibliography offers an impressive resource for the reader who wants more of a view into a particular area.

All told, I'd recommend this one to readers with an interest in the subjects presented, offering only the caveat that it is, of course, not a pleasant or easy read in terms of the content that's covered. show less

I love the idea behind the book: that everyone has a bit of whatever it is that makes a criminal a criminal in them. But the fact-checking is *horrible*. There are so many errors and, well, just made up stuff!

Other reviewers have pointed out some of them. Just one more example that I noticed: under the heading of Group Rape in Ch. 4, the author states "Perhaps the most notorious gang rape was that of the Central Park jogger [...] Her attackers were eventually put on trial and convicted." show more Well, sort of. Yes, a group of men were convicted, but later their convictions were vacated!

There were other statements that were presented as accepted fact that I'm sure have either been disproved or are controversial. Just sloppy research. show less

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