Review by Choice Review
Hickey (California State Univ., Fresno), best known for his monograph, Serial Murderers and Their Victims (1991; 3rd ed., 2002), offers 244 entries that he and 116 contributors wrote on criminal terms, concepts, and "case studies." The contributors, drawn from academia and law enforcement, include 23 graduate students and a handful of others who cite no academic or professional affiliation. Entries vary greatly in length and quality: while those covering concepts like "serial murder" and "linkage blindness" show competence, individual "case studies" like Bonnie Parker/Clyde Barrow are amateurishly written and contain numerous factual errors. Editorial decisions and criteria (none stated) are inexplicable. Serial killer Ivan Milat is given an entry, but not John Wayne Gacy. Entries containing bibliographies (17 percent do not) often omit major books covering the topic but refer to Hickey's 1991 publication. Alphabetization of entries is unstable: discussion of religious violence hides under h ("History of Religious Violence"). Numerous tables contain misinformation: one offering a sample of international serial killers (1700-1995) begins in 1600 with the Sawney Beane family. Not only are those infamous Scots placed in a table whose dates do not cover them, but they were active in the 13th century. ^BSumming Up: Not recommended. D. K. Frasier Indiana University-Bloomington
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Edited by a specialist in criminal psychology, this volume contains more than 200 signed entries from more than 116 contributors on a variety of topics related to violent crime and murder. The majority of the alphabetically arranged entries can be divided into two categories: biographies of murderers or violent groups and overviews of theories of violence, legal processes, or types of violence. There are also several short articles on issues that do not address violence directly but are related somehow (e.g., The Brady Bill). The biographical entries range from less than one page for Al Capone andack the Ripper to four or five pages for Charles Manson and Osama bin Laden. While the focus is on American criminals and crime, there are several entries for international figures (for example, Andrei Chikatilo, the "Russian Ripper"). The articles on types of violence average three to four pages and cover the expected topics (Rape, School shootings, Serial murder, and Stalking are but a few). Articles on court or legal procedure also average three to four pages and are written in clear language. The most interesting component is the inclusion of articles related to theories of violence, such as Aggression: Psychological theories and Violent behavior: Personality theories. This gives the book a psychological and sociological slant that sets it apart from similar publications, such as Encyclopedia of American Crime (2d ed., Facts On File, 2000). Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime is a good single-volume introductory source. It is written in a very readable style and presents controversial topics without bias. It is well indexed and includes listings of murderers and organized crime figures in the appendixes. For libraries that own the three-volume Violence in America (Scribner, 1999), this would be a useful companion purchase as it contains information from recent headlines (for example, the Beltway Snipers and Andrea Yates) and provides better coverage of the psychological aspects of violence and crime. A superior purchase for academic and public libraries. -- RBB Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
In a seemingly endless parade of specialized encyclopedias, editor Hickey (California State Univ., Fresno) has compiled a valuable and comprehensive work whose nearly 500 entries range from "Aeronautical Mass Murder" to the "Zoot Suit Riots." Among the diverse topics covered by over 100 professionals are documented cases of serial killers, organized crime, cyberstalking, the death penalty, ethnic cleansing, and terrorism. In addition, the text boasts many fact-filled special-interest sidebars; a convenient, easy-to-use "Reader's Guide"; comprehensive bibliographies for every article; and appendixes listing key criminological theorists, serial killers, and organized crime groups. This book is written to appeal to a wide audience, which is appropriate: the public is greatly interested in the subject. Recommended for all public libraries.-Tim Delaney, SUNY at Oswego (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-This volume covers all manner of violence-mostly American-from "Cyberstings" to "In Cold Blood" and "Drug Trade" to the "Beltway Snipers." The more than 200 entries range in length from one paragraph to several pages with multiple subheadings. Arrangement is alphabetical, with a few anomalies ("Violence in the Media" is found between "Timothy McVeigh" and "Medical Murders"). However, a helpful "Reader's Guide" categorizes entries by topic at the beginning of the book. Almost all entries have see-also references and solid suggestions for further reading; very few have photographs. The preface is good reading as it puts violent crime in the U.S. into perspective and gives narrative attention to some tough terms and concepts. Hickey has assembled an extensive set of contributors, and the articles range from straightforward and dull to slightly more dynamic. The most interesting and useful elements are the appendixes. They cover historical criminological theorists and their tenets, several charts on serial killers (including monikers, which is helpful for ready reference), and domestic and international organized crime. A glossary explains some necessary terms in paragraph format. This volume has a broader scope than similar sources and will be particularly useful in high schools with criminal-justice programs.-Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
