Criminal : the truth about why people do bad things / Tom Gash.

[UK] : Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books, 2016.

x, 336 pages : black and white illustrations ; 24 cm

Mahine generated contents note: Cop shows, dramatic commentary and the two eternal viewpoints -- Myth 1 Crime is rising -- Tides of crime, shark attacks and reasons for optimism -- Myth 2 Taking up a life of crime -- Little angels, little devils and crime's rat race -- Myth 3 Criminals will stop at nothing -- Life's marshmallows and the routine of crime -- Myth 4 Organized crime is big, bad and booming -- Joe Valachi, American Gangster and the peculiarities of crime's economic laws -- Myth 5 Biology determines criminality -- Brain scans, genetic testing and what terrible twins tell us about biological influences on our behaviour -- Myth 6 Poverty is the real cause of crime -- Noisy neighbours, disappearing cities and the odd effects of money -- Myth 7 Immigration increases crime rates -- Little Poland, new El Paso and the unpredictable effects of porous borders -- Myth 8 We need more bobbies on the beat -- Wartime Denmark, experimental police chiefs and the side effects of terrorism -- Myth 9 Tough sentences are a sure-fire way to deter crime -- Crime and punishment from Finland to Los Angeles -- Myth 10 Leopards can't change their spots -- Gangsters who bake and the curse of premature policymaking -- Myth 11 We need radical reforms to reduce crime -- Metal theft, old-school bouncers and why little things can make a big difference.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-317) and index.