Crime, The Mystery of the Common-Sense Concept

Reviews / Votes

"This book displays in abundance the hallmarks of Robert Reiner's work: it synthesizes a vast amount of literature and data into a remarkably accessible and compelling narrative, and it is both sociologically dispassionate and morally serious about its subject matter. The result is an accomplished introduction to the concept of crime." Ian Loader, University of Oxford "'Crime' is a keyword in contemporary politics and culture: widely used, powerfully consequential, and - for all its seeming simplicity - deeply complex and contested. In this masterly account, Robert Reiner traces the concept's multiple meanings and ramifications, its role in criminological theory and political discourse, and its intimate association with the history of capitalism. This is an essential, eye-opening guide to one of the central issues of our time." David Garland, New York University "Reiner brings together a vast amount of literature, and makes a compelling case." Professional Security Magazine Online "Crime is a succinct and eminently readable work that is none the worse for its occasional streak of combativeness. Notwithstanding the variety of topics covered, Reiner's writing is invariably clear, rich in detail and draws on a variety of theoretical and empirical studies." LSE Review of Books