Theoretical Criminology

This is a good book for those who are studying criminology since it introduced a lot of theories explaining crime and criminals. The author, George Vold, was such a well-learnt criminologist. It is worth of keeping his book in our bookshelf.

This book is a "must have" for those interested in criminology or the history of criminology as well as how criminal research impacts social policy, laws, and programs

This is hands down the best crim theory text book available. It's designed for undergrads, but it provides a brief, thorough, and direct synopsis of all the most important theories a grad student might study for comprehensive exams, so it's a great way to review and to make sure you're covering all your bases. The only reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is because this edition is already 7 years old. A ton of research has come out in the last few years, and I think theoretical topography has changed quite a bit, especially with self control theory, developmental and life course perspectives, and recent work on communities and crime dominating the field. A must-have for any criminology grad student.