Criminal Law Books - Page 12

News of a Kidnapping (Vintage International)

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Garcia Marquez's non-fiction 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I bought this (Spanish edition) at a little shop in Montreal, expecting GGM's usual weird fiction. I was surprised to find that it wasn't weird fiction at all, but a true story (if such a thing exists). Actually, I was very disappointed throughout most of the book - it read like sappy "news" reporting in the US, all about what wonderful people the kidnap victims were, along with all their successful children & marvellous friends, etc. I had lived in Colombia for a couple of years just before the events in this book took place & was at least somewhat acquainted with some of the people & situations involved, and I am not that enthusiastic about them. The priveledged, educated, neo-liberal class in Colombia doesn't get an awful lot of sympathy from me - I was mostly surprised that GGM was so supportive of them - but then I realized that that is where he comes from. By the end of the book, I had to admit it was very intriguing & I'm glad I read it, but I think it's spoiled GGM for me, too. This book will probably change the way I see his fiction works.

Editorial Review:

In 1990, fearing extradition to the United States, Pablo Escobar – head of the Medellín drug cartel – kidnapped ten notable Colombians to use as bargaining chips. With the eye of a poet, García Márquez describes the survivors’ perilous ordeal and the bizarre drama of the negotiations for their release. He also depicts the keening ache of Colombia after nearly forty years of rebel uprisings, right-wing death squads, currency collapse and narco-democracy. With cinematic intensity, breathtaking language and journalistic rigor, García Márquez evokes the sickness that inflicts his beloved country and how it penetrates every strata of society, from the lowliest peasant to the President himself.

The Verbal Judo Way of Leadership: Empowering the Thin Blue Line from the Inside Up

George J. Thompson; George Thompson; Gregory A. Walker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Unvarnished, But Necessary Counsel 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Dr. Thompson, the founder of the Verbal Judo program, has teamed up with Gregory Walker, to comment on the dysfunctional problems found in organizations and they propose some interesting solutions, unique problem solving tactics and effective success strategies. This is a somewhat idiosyncratic commentary on organizational politics, communications and leadership in today's world.


A short book, 180 pages, it is divided into 15 topical chapters that range from the Tao of Leadership to the Art and Gift of Persuasion. The unifying theme is the need for improved leadership built upon honest and effective communication. The book addresses what went wrong, communication styles, principles for supervisory success and approaches to analytical thinking and effectiveness.


With such a broad range of topics in a small book, there is a real risk of skimming the topics and leaving the reader confused. However; the authors skillfully handle the task often referencing their collective experience in the form of brief stories. Their overall approach is certainly less than diplomatic, for example at their discussion of the four levels of expertise, they write:


To allow incompetence a berth in your organization is in itself a sign of incompetence at the highest level of responsibility. It is also a sign of a moral and ethical coward.


While their approach may offend, it does cause the reader to actively engage in the discussion and consider both their primary points and supporting arguments carefully.


Thompson and Walker are skilled teachers and seasoned practitioners, the time you invest reading this book will be enriching. Buy the book, read this book and more importantly put these principles into action.

Editorial Review:

From the founder of the renowned Verbal Judo Institute! What you say and how you say it critically impacts the outcome of your contact with people...be it subjects on the street or officers in your agency. - Discover the linguistic structures and strategies that made Verbal Judo so popular! - Learn to apply both the art and science of using words & phrases to lead, persuade, clarify, diffuse...and generally navigate nearly any situation. - Become a solid, respected and highly effective leader! Effective Communication Makes Effective Leaders Learn... - 3 key leadership ingredients - Behavior correction skills - Real lessons from the field - How to avoid ego errors - Communication profiling - The true power of listening

Police Field Operations (7th Edition)

Thomas F. Adams

Amazon Price: $77.12 List Price: $96.40 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $69.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Police Field Operations 3 out of 5 stars.
22 of 24 people found this review helpful.

Too vague and general for someone using the book to use as a reference. Does not go into a lot of key points you actually use on patrol. Also, tends to make remarks that do not reflect the reality of todays police work. The author seems out of touch with policing today.

Editorial Review:

The industry standard for 21st-century policing, "Police Field Operations" is written from the perspective of a working police officer, presenting real-life scenarios an officer is likely to encounter while on-duty. With its focus on community policing, it describes how and why certain procedures are used, and gives informative techniques from leading police academies from around the country. Provides readers with the widest range of up-to-date information. Use-of-force issues - e.g., when and how much force to use under what circumstances. Provides clearly defined guidelines for shaping and enforcing policy. Officer Survival and Stress Reduction  - Exceptionally complete coverage. Helps readers develop the necessary skills of observations, perceptions, interviewing techniques, and crowd and riot control. Great resource material for those involved in police patrol procedures and police and field operations.

HCSB The Police Officer's Bible

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very satisified 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is just what I wanted and will meet the needs for which it is intended. It is compact enough to carry in a large pocket, large enough print to read comfortably, and has great helps in it.

Editorial Review:

The events of September 11, 2001 brought to our awareness the quiet heroism at work in both the large cities and the small towns and villages across the U.S. Every day police, men and women, put their lives on the line as servants of God, restraining the evil that seeks to destroy society. In the U.S. a police officer dies in the line of duty every 57 hours. Not only that, facing the worst elements in society exacts a toll both personally and in the family of police officers.

God’s Word provides both power and perspective for these who are on the frontlines of our cities and villages. The Holman Christian Standard Policeman’s Bible is designed specifically for these who serve in a clearly God-ordained role. It contains devotions, prayers, and suggested Scripture readings for a wide variety of occasions.

Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice

Joycelyn M. Pollock

Amazon Price: $78.95 List Price: $78.95 Not yet published By: Wadsworth Publishing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Book 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I used this book for my crimnal justice ethics course and I did not find it to be very useful. The only purpose this book served was for my quizes I took through the course, otherwise the rest of the material was from my professor. Even my professor didn't care for this book very much either.

Should have specified book was torn-not used 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The book was classified as used but did not specifically say on the condition of the book being torn. The book was in really bad condition.

Editorial Review:

A comprehensive resource that addresses the ethical implications of decision-making in the criminal justice field, including the police, court, and corrections systems.

True Blue: To Protect and Serve (To Protect & Serve)

Randy Sutton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Lieutenant Randy Sutton’s fascinating collection of stories and memories, solicited from law enforcement officers across the country, offers a broad and insightful look at the many facets of police life: courage, exhilaration, frustration, loss, and even humor, from the everyday to the career-defining moments on the job. Told by the cops that lived them, these stories show what it truly means to protect and serve.

Readers will come to recognize the faces behind the badge, as they witness officers charge into the unknown on The Beat, honor and mourn friends in The Fallen, hear the War Stories spread in police locker rooms and bars, discover the unbreakable line between civilian and cop in the Line of Duty, and feel the blood-boiling adrenaline during those life-altering moments when a cop must use Deadly Force. TRUE BLUE: To Protect and Serve is a funny, exciting, haunting compilation of true stories written by active and retired police officers, most of whom have never written before, alongside published officers from all over the United States. 

A portion of the royalties for this book will be donated to The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction (3rd Edition)

Frank, Ph.D. Schmalleger

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction 4e is a clear, contemporary and comprehensive introduction to the study of criminology. Offering a thematic approach that contrasts the social responsibility and social problems approaches to crime theory, the book encourages readers to think critically about the causes of crime. Introduces the field of criminology in the 21^st century with completely up-to-date coverage of sociological theories of crime, terrorism and white collar and high tech crime (including identity theft, cyber-terrorism, computer viruses, hacking and more). Contemporary coverage features breaking crime news pulled from today’s headlines. Part III: “Crime Causation Revisited” expands the coverage of historical and contemporary sociological theories of crime causation. Also features important topics such as (Ch. 3) Research Methods; ( Ch. 15) Criminology and Social Policy; and (Ch. 16) Future Directions. For criminal justice practitioners or those in law enforcement.

Crime Scene Chemistry for the Armchair Sleuth

Cathy Cobb, Monty L. Fetterolf, Jack G. Goldsmith

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Chemists and science authors Cathy Cobb and Monty L Fetterolf have teamed up with Jack G. Goldsmith, fellow chemist and reserve police officer, to create another intriguing trek through the science of chemistry, this time using the fascinating field of forensic chemistry as their framework. All new hands-on demonstrations and fictional minute mysteries illustrate chemical concepts as the authors present the science - and the realities - of forensic chemistry in a narrative style that makes this timely topic accessible to the non-chemist. The authors lead you through actual and simulated forensic techniques such as: presumptive and confirmative drug testing; body fluid identification including luminol testing; DNA analysis; trace fibre and gun shot residue analysis; latent fingerprint development and collection; and, forensic soil analysis. Through over twenty-five demonstrations, using ordinary household products and items, you can become familiar with the basics of forensic chemistry and gain insights into the painstaking work that goes into criminal investigations that is rarely seen on TV. If you are a fan of true-crime stories or mystery fiction, or interested in the science behind dramas like CSI, this informative and entertaining book is a must-have addition to your library.

Blue Blood

Edward Conlon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 117 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

More of a biography than cop stories 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is less about cops and robbers and more about the author's family tree. Not that this is a bad thing, it just was not what I was expecting.

Long winded 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I don't follow best seller lists or follow any Oprah type trends, but I love reading crime novels, mafia type stories, true crime, etc.

My neighbor dropped this off as a recommended read so I got to it. I have to agree with the majority of reviews here that it would have been much better had it been shorter.

I enjoyed reading about the history of the Bronx, the corruption, and even his family background, but it was very disjointed. You go from reading about a buy and bust and the next page he's in a graveyard talking about his dead uncle. Then the next page he's talking about 9-11. Its pretty hard to follow.

The part I enjoyed the most were the politics and manpower involved in buy and busts, but it didn't have too many details with this. Every instance was short and small time stuff and usually his take was from a rooftop. There was only 1 case that lasted a few pages where there was actual weight involved with lookouts and door alarms but again ended quickly.

I guess I was expecting more detailed experiences, especially since he worked narcotics in the Bronx, but it just seemed unfulfilling. If it had been shorter and different experiences having their own chapters it would have been a much better read.

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.

Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, the Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind

Bruce Watson

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The riveting true story of one of the nation’s most infamous trials and executions

When the state of Massachusetts electrocuted Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti on August 23, 1927, it concluded one of the most controversial legal cases in American history. In the eight decades since, debate has raged over what was probably a miscarriage of justice.

In the first full-length narrative of the case in thirty years, Bruce Watson unwinds a gripping tale that opens with anarchist bombs going off in a posh Washington, D.C., neighborhood and concludes with worldwide outrage over the execution of the “good shoemaker” and the “poor fish peddler.” Sacco and Vanzetti mines deep archives and new sources, unveiling fresh details about these naïve dreamers and militant revolutionaries. This case still haunts the American imagination. Authoritative and engrossing, Sacco and Vanzetti will capture fans of true crime books and everyone who enjoys riveting American history.