Richard A. Ball & Francis T. Cullen 
Criminological Theory [PDF ebook] 
Context and Consequences

"The best organized and most comprehensive theory textbook to use for both graduate and undergraduate students. It provides historical context to the theories, and the authors make it easier for students to relate theory to reality." -Mirlinda Ndrecka, Ph.D., University of New Haven Updated Edition of a Best-Seller! Offering a rich introduction to how scholars analyze crime, Criminological Theory: Context and Consequences moves readers beyond a commonsense knowledge of crime to a deeper understanding of the importance of theory in shaping crime control policies. The Seventh Edition of the authors’ clear, accessible, and thoroughly revised text covers traditional and contemporary theory within a larger sociological and historical context. It includes new sources that assess the empirical status of the major theories, as well as updated coverage of crime control policies and their connection to criminological theory.