Criminal Types

Masten, V. M.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 313K words
Chapters: 32

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Criminal Types by V. M. MastenAuthor: Masten, V. M. (Vincent Myron),Language: English, Class: HV: Social sciences: Social pathology, Social and Public Welfare, Release Date: Nov 12, 2013

Editor's review

Criminal Types is an old English-language work on the classification of criminal types, placed in the social pathology and social welfare categories. Its interest lies in its typological approach to crime, attempting to classify offenders by behavioral traits and social circumstances, and it reflects the framework and language of early criminological writing. For today's readers, its classification standards and explanatory orientation may not conform to contemporary empirical research norms, and some claims carry the limitations of their era, so it should not be cited directly as current criminological conclusions. Still, it can serve as supplementary material for understanding the evolution of criminological thought: readers can see how typological thinking was used to organize knowledge about crime and can appreciate the argumentative style of early social science writing. The electronic edition is released by a public domain project, making it easy to search and excerpt. It is suitable for critical reading, comparing it with modern criminology textbooks as one reads and distinguishing observations that still have reference value from products of a particular historical context.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of criminological thought and early typological research
Sociology or law students using it for extensive reading of primary English-language sources
Learners who need public domain English materials to practice academic reading

Not a good fit for

Practitioners seeking a practical guide to contemporary crime prevention and governance
Readers expecting rigorous statistical data and empirical methods

Reading tips

Read the table of contents first to clarify the typological framework, then compare the basis for classification chapter by chapter.
After finishing each type, summarize the author's classification criteria in one sentence and note any questions.
Read alongside a modern introduction to criminology and record differences in viewpoint.
Excerpt typical English expressions as practice material for academic English reading.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are the criminal typologies in this book still applicable today?

They should not be applied directly. They reflect the typological thinking of early criminology, and both the classification standards and causal explanations carry the limitations of their era. Treat it as material for intellectual history to understand how questions were framed at the time, not as a current analytical tool.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

It is old-fashioned academic English, with long sentences and formal wording. University-level English reading ability is enough to attempt it; when encountering unfamiliar expressions, grasp the main idea of the paragraph first rather than looking up every word, so as not to interrupt the reading rhythm.

Can this book be used for criminology coursework?

It can be cited as a historical document, but its historical background and limitations must be explained, and it cannot replace contemporary research. If the assignment requires empirical data or current theoretical frameworks, modern textbooks and journal literature should be used instead.

Comments

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About the author

Masten, V. M. Author

V. M. Masten is an author about whom little public information is available; only one work by this name, Criminal Types, is held in the collection. Judging from the title, the book most likely deals with criminal types or the classification of offenders, placing it in the field of criminology or criminal justice. The available records do not give the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, education, or writing career, so it is not possible to confirm their identity or professional background. On the basis of a single work, it is also difficult to assess the author's overall writing style or development. What can be said is that the author approaches the subject through the category of criminal types, a kind of work usually intended for readers interested in the classification of crime, judicial practice, or related social issues. With no further bibliographic information or outside evaluation, the author's influence remains unclear, and both biography and scholarly standing await additional material.