Okay, so I’ve been digging into this book, “Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach,” 12th edition. It’s a beast, but a good one. Let me tell you about how I got into it and what I’ve been doing with it.
First off, I stumbled upon it while I was looking for solid materials on criminal psychology. I’ve always been kinda fascinated by what makes people tick, especially when it comes to, you know, the darker side of things. Anyway, I found out that this book is written by these two folks, Curt and Anne Bartol. They seem to know their stuff.
So, I grabbed a copy. It wasn’t easy to find a physical copy, but I did manage to get a hold of the ebook. I started by skimming through the table of contents, just to get a feel for what I was getting myself into. It’s packed with a bunch of different topics, everything from the basics of criminal behavior to some really in-depth stuff about different types of crimes and the psychology behind them.
After that initial look-through, I started diving into the first few chapters. They lay down the groundwork, talking about different theories of crime and how psychologists approach the whole thing. It was a bit heavy at first, but I pushed through. The book is pretty well-written, although it’s definitely not light reading.
Then, I decided I needed a system. Reading a book like this, you can’t just go through it like a novel. So, I started taking notes. Lots of notes. I have a notebook just for this book now. I jot down key concepts, interesting case studies, and any questions that pop into my head. I even started summarizing each chapter in my own words, just to make sure I really got it.
- Chapter 1 was all about introducing the field.
- Chapters 2 and 3 got into some of the biological and developmental factors that can contribute to criminal behavior.
- And then, I moved onto Chapter 4, where they started discussing learning theories.
Currently, I’m working my way through the middle part of the book. This is where it gets really interesting because they delve into specific types of crimes. They’ve got sections on violent crimes, property crimes, and even stuff about white-collar crime. It’s a lot to take in, but I’m learning a ton.
Honestly, this book isn’t just about reading. It’s more like studying. I find myself going back and rereading sections multiple times. I also try to connect what I’m learning to real-world examples, thinking about news stories I’ve read or cases I’ve heard about. It makes it all feel a bit more… real, you know?
My Goal
My main goal here is to just absorb as much as I can. I’m not trying to become a psychologist or anything. I just find this stuff really interesting, and I want to understand it better. This book is definitely helping me do that. It’s a slow process, but I feel like I’m making progress. I have even tried to find some other people online who are interested in this subject to discuss with them some of the more confusing parts, and to get a second opinion on things.
So, yeah, that’s my journey with “Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach” so far. It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience. It is kind of a wild ride, but one I am fully engaged in. And I think you all could get a lot out of it, too.
