BOOK REVIEW: THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF CRIME

"This book was not written with the intention of [it] being popular with its readers," Adrian Raine, a professor in the psychology department at the University of Southern California, says in the introduction to The Psychopathology of Crime. But Raine's book should indeed be popular with physicians, criminologists, and other seeking a better understanding of how biological factors are contributing to America's epidemic of crime.

Raine begins with an incisive discussion as to how well crime qualifies as a "disorder." (Very well, he concludes.) He follows with intriguing speculation about the possible evolutionary roots of criminal behavior, before launching into a comprehensive review of the biochemical, physiological, genetic, and environmental factors linked to crime and delinquency. And finally, he discusses how these factors may operate in conjunction with sociological factors such as poverty and abuse.

Raine concludes that biological influences on crime are clear. "Whether or not we are willing to accept the reality and implications of such a conclusion," he says, "is a different matter."

Related Articles: [1996, Vol. 1]