Description
Author Stanton E. Samenow
Publisher Times Books a Division of Random House, Inc.
Binding Hardcover
Condition Like New First Edition 1984 with Dustjacket
Summary
In 1984, this groundbreaking book presented a chilling profile of the criminal mind that shattered long-held myths about the sources of and cures for crime.
Dr. Samenow's decades of working with criminals have reaffirmed his argument that factors such as poverty, divorce, and media violence do not cause criminality. Instead, as Samenow documents here, all criminals share a particular mindset--often evident in childhood--that is disturbingly different from that of a responsible citizen.
To embark on a truly corrective program, we must begin with the clear understanding that the criminal chooses crime; he chooses to reject society long before society rejects him. The criminal values people only to the extent that he can use them for his own self-serving ends; he does not justify his actions to himself. Only by "habilitating" the criminal, so that he sees himself realistically and develops responsible patterns of thought, can we change his behavior.
It is vital that we know who the criminal is and how and why he acts differently from responsible citizens. From that understanding can come reasonable, compassionate, and effective solutions.