From Booklist
In an increasingly litigious society, as more and more people identify themselves as crime survivors or victims, this guide may be a useful addition to any library. Writing in layperson's terms, attorney Ginsburg explains what legally constitutes violence, what is a crime in the eyes of the law, who qualifies for compensation, and how to obtain compensation and other forms of recourse. He explains such recent enactments as the so-called stalker laws and also the legal meanings and ramifications of terms such as pain and suffering. His effort may read as if it were an ambulance chaser's manifesto, but its timeliness is undeniable. For victims' rights, including the right to compensation, exist and seem to be growing, as is attested by the bulk--fully half the text--of this book's appendixes, which include a checklist for filing a victim's claim to compensation, a state-by-state list of crime compensation agencies, state-by-state summaries of compensation laws, and a filled-in sample claim form. Mike Tribby
