Samuel Walker's SENSE & NONSENSE ABOUT CRIME DRUGS & COMMUNITIES was one of the first books to challenge common misconceptions about crime & the new Eighth Edition remains uniquely effective at doing so Described as a "masterful critique" of American policies on everything from crime control to guns to drugs this incisive book cuts through popular myths & political rhetoric while emphasizing current research & proven practice The result is a lucid research-based work that clearly reveals what does not work in crime policy while identifying shared characteristics of successful approaches including carefully defined narrowly focused problem-oriented programs in policing & prosecution This engaging text captures the full complexity of the administration of justice while providing readers with a clear sense of its key principles & general patterns