Criminal Interrogation and Confessions, Third Edition (W&w)

Item was as advertised, delivered promptly, and was priced reasonably. Will continue to do business when needed.

I have to disagree with D. Rogers that there is "no scientific approach." Just one example would be the utilization of what is called by Dr. Robert Cialdini, (Influence; Science and Practice) the Commitment and Consistency Principal. The Reid Technique encourages interrogators to never let the suspect say, "I didn't do it." The scientific studies concerning why the suspect would be more solid in his denial are clearly supported in Cialdini's new book, "Yes," and also "Freedman, J.L;, and Fraser, S.C. (1966). Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4:195-203. This is just one instance of a plethura of examples I could site concerning the science involved in the Reid Technique. As for "overtly simple in style," I find nothing assaulting to my intelligence by a well written, clearly explained book. After all, the purpose of instructional books is to teach others. I give this book an A+.

This is a good book for anyone going into law enforcement. I had to buy it for class, but I will be keeping it because the book will be great for reference down the road!

Old material that has been rehashed a number of times, but it is necessary to read it in order to understand the bias that is inherent in contemporary investigations. It is clearly illustrated that there is no actual scientific approach, no consideration of alternative explanations, but instead there is only an attempt to obtain confessions. Inbau, Reid, and others have never included consideration of other, more scientifically supported discussions such as those by Gudjunsson and G. Wells. The writing in the book is not very good. It is overly simple in style, and the organization is also simple, but not informative. Read the book for history and for understanding, but not for factual, supported knowledge.

Decades after its first edition, this is still considered the best work on interrogating a criminal suspect. The authors walk you through every step, towards the goal of clearing the innocent and eliciting confessions from the guilty. No detail or nuance is left unexplored, not only of the suspect's behavior, but of your own as well. This book is a must read for anyone involved in criminal justice.