Customer Reviews

Forensic Psychologists Casebook: Psychological profiling and criminal investigation

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Crime Profiling originated in popualr writings of FBI Special Agents like Douglas and Ressler and caught the imagination of the world with Hollywood films like the 'Silence of the Lamb' and TV series like 'Profiliers', 'Cracker'. The last decade has seen acdemics attacking some of the fundamental postulates of the popular ideas on 'Offender Profiling". Today for each book advocating 'Offender Profiling' there is another book criticising 'Offender Profiling' and the battle lines were getting drawn with serious academics beginning to distance themselves from the Profiling Programme. As a practioner ( I work as a senior police officer in India) I was becoming cynical about salvaging anything from the initial promise of profiling as a helpful tool in investigating difficult crimes.
This book is the first serious attempt to bridge the gap and create a possible middle ground. It tells us the extent to which a criminal investigation can be enriched by inputs from serious academics and the manner in which such advice should be dealt with. I think it is a must-read for Police Officers and legal practioners around the world and should now show us the way to develop further collaboration between academics and practioners to make psychological profiling tenable and scientific.
The book avoids unnecessary academic jargons so typical of complex academic journals and is in the jenre of academic writings that are making a serious effort to reach out to practioners like me.
Great Job.