Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence
by Bill James, Nonfiction – Crime
Bottom Line: Read it…if you like crime stories.
Summary: A study of tabloid crime from the 1800′s through present day including the implications of the media’s involvement in crimes and trials, the public’s fascination with certain types of crimes, theories of famous unsolved crimes (i.e. JFK’s assassination and JonBenet Ramsey), and thoughts on the criminal justice system.
My Thoughts: This is a totally random book that I discovered in a recent Bill Simmons column on ESPN. Though PC is a bit random and includes too many obscure cases, James’ discussion of famous cases (i.e. Sam Sheppard, the Zodiac, the Boston Strangler, the Lindbergh Baby, OJ Simpson, Robert Hansen, and JonBenet Ramsey) is fascinating. He also includes interesting macro level observations about crime such as the fact that many serial killers are sons of prostitutes. Popular Crime isn’t for everyone, but it’s an unique read if you find yourself following crime cases in the news. I’m adding it to my Books for Guys List.