Out of Control : Assessing the General Theory of Crime

Out of Control promises to be a key supplemental textbook in criminology and sociology courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Providing an indispensable overview of Gottfredson and Hirschi's influential self-control theory, this fundamental text evaluates whether the theory truly helps us to understand the facts of crime.

A range of prominent criminologists offers diverse views in fifteen original essays, providing students with the first proper assessment of self-control theory. This lucid book addresses important general considerations relevant to the theory, its relationship to other theories of crime, and its relevance to different types of crime. The book ends with a response from the originators of the theory, who tackle their critics' concerns and offer new explanations and revisions. This compelling text will be an asset for academics, researchers, and students interested in explaining criminal behavior.

Erich Goode is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and is currently Visiting Scholar at New York University. He is the editor of a half-dozen anthologies and the author of ten books, including Drugs in American Society.