<P>In recent years, the&nbsp;lifecourse&nbsp;perspective has become a popular theoretical orientation toward crime. Yet despite its growing importance in the field of criminology, most textbooks give it only cursory treatment. <EM>Crime and the Lifecourse: An Introduction</EM> by Michael L. Benson provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary research and theory on the life-course approach to crime. The book emphasizes a conceptual understanding of this approach. A special feature is the integration of qualitative and quantitative research on criminal life histories. This book:</P>
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<LI>provides an overview of the life course approach and describes the major concepts and issues in&nbsp;lifecourse&nbsp;theory as it applies to criminology</LI>
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<LI>reviews evidence on biological and genetic influences on crime</LI>
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<LI>reviews research on the role of the family in crime and juvenile delinquency</LI>
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<LI>provides a detailed discussion of the criminological&nbsp;lifecourse theories of Moffitt, Hagan, Sampson and Laub, and others</LI>
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<LI>discusses the connections between youthful crime and adult outcomes in education, occupation, and marriage</LI>
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<LI>presents an application of the&nbsp;lifecourse approach to white-collar crime</LI>
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<LI>discusses how macro sociological and historical developments have influenced the shape of the lifecourse in American society as it relates to patterns in crime.</LI></UL>