Amazon.com: The Encyclopedia of High-Tech Crime and Crime-Fighting (Facts on File Crime Library) (9780816049790): Michael Newton, John L. French: Books

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Here are two reference volumes that tackle topics related to crime.

In The Dictionary of Crime Terms, Sifakis, who also wrote The Mafia Encyclopedia (Facts On File, 2d ed., 1999), has brought together the language of Mobspeak--what wise guys and other American criminals say among themselves, not what is fabricated by writers or the media. The focus is mainly on Mafia-related terms, such as ace of spades (the widow of a departed criminal big shot), buckwheats (vicious spite killings), midnight flips (the law enforcement tactic of arresting mobsters between two and four o'clock in the morning), and sparkplugs (the most feared Mob killers), rather than street crime. Arrangement of the 900 clearly written entries is alphabetical, and there are some cross-references. The bibliography is current and comprehensive. The index is accurate and very helpful. In addition to book sources, the author has drawn on newspaper files and two attorneys with "special knowledge."

In 420 entries, the alphabetically arranged Encyclopedia of High-Tech Crime and Crime-Fighting, by prolific crime writer Newton, examines how technology combats crime and also makes crime possible, such as through the many Internet hoaxes (the Miller Beer giveaway, the Tweety Bird chain letter) and viruses (Rainsong, Rhapsody, Xalnaga, Xanax). There are entries for individuals who have been convicted based on DNA evidence as well as for hackers, computer saboteurs, and software and satellite TV pirates. The book also describes how technology is being used to free the innocent, particularly the huge number of persons who have been exonerated by DNA test results. Scope is international. Following the entries are a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Both The Dictionary of Crime Terms and The Encyclopedia of High-Tech Crime and Crime-Fighting are recommended for criminal justice collections in academic and public libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Michael Newton Page

A California native, Michael Newton has published 215 books under his own name and various pseudonyms since 1977. He began writing professionally as a "ghost" for author Don Pendleton on the best-selling Executioner series and continues his work on that series today. With 104 episodes published to date, Newton has nearly tripled the number of Mack Bolan novels completed by creator Pendleton himself.

Newton's first book under his own name was Monsters, Mysteries and Man (1979), a survey of unexplained phenomena for younger readers. While 156 of Newton's published books have been novels--including westerns, political thrillers and psychological suspense--he is best known for nonfiction, primarily true crime and reference books.

His firearms manual for writers, Armed and Dangerous (1990), remains a best-seller for Writer's Digest Books in its 8th printing. Newton's Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (Facts on File, 2000) is currently in its second edition. His history of the Florida Ku Klux Klan, The Invisible Empire (2001), won the Florida Historical Society's 2002 Rembert Patrick Award for Best Book in Florida History. His Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology was just named as one of twelve books on the American Library Association's 2006 List of Outstanding Reference Sources. Newton's shorter work includes horror fiction, true crime articles and case histories for Court TV's Crime Library online.

He is a member of several organizations, including the Centre for Fortean Zoology, the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club and Feral Cat Friends Inc.

His 24 upcoming books, scheduled for release through 2011, include 8 novels and 16 nonfiction works. He lives in Nashville, Indiana.