Popular Crime : Reflections on the Celebration of Violence (Hardcover)

from Opinionated

I bought this book on a whim when visiting the USA. I'd never heard of Bill James, but apparently he is well known over there. I thought that a book that explored the celebration of violence in popular culture could be very interesting. This isn't really that book though. What it is is a cross be...

from jen.e.moore

I'm not entirely sure what this book is about - I mean, yes, it's about popular crime, but in what sense? It seems to be mostly about why certain stories become famous, but it's also about why crimes are and aren't solved effectively, what's wrong with the American justice system, and how things ...

from crazyjster

I enjoyed the book. I think he did a good job highlighting many of the cases and made his point how the media drives the popularity of a case and can in some cases taint it in the criminal justice system. My only problem with James is he should keep his personal view on politics to himself.

from MerryMary

I loved this book! It is not just a list of horrible crimes, but an examination of how popular culture is affected by the "big" crimes. And, conversely, how splashy over-reporting and public opinion affects the investigation of the crime and the system of justice that tries to deal with the situa...

from Smokler

Love Bill James. Love his sense of humor. You gotta slog through some BS here about crime policy and correctional institutions where he's in over his head but if you just want someone to tell you stories of famous crimes for 400 pages, pick this one up immediately.