David Canter's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books David Canter recommends? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of David Canter's favorite book recommendations of all time. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.

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Forensic Psychology for Dummies

David V. Canter, Ian Rankin

4.4

A fascinating guide on the psychology of crime. Thinking of a career that indulges your CSI fantasies? Want to understand the psychology of crime? Whether studying it for the first time or an interested spectator, "Forensic Psychology For Dummies" gives you all the essentials for understanding this exciting field, complemented with fascinating case examples from around the world.

Inside you'll find

Recommended by David Canter.

David Canter

When I was given the task of putting Forensic Psychology for Dummies together, I really had to embrace the whole discipline and find a way of dealing with it that was engaging and scholarly, without being pompous. [source]

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Havelock Ellis Collection - The Criminal - Illustrated (Unforgettable Classic Series)

Havelock Ellis

3.0

This is a new edition of “The Criminal,” originally published in 1890 by Scribner & Welford, of New York. Part of Adeptio’s Unforgettable Classic Series, this is not a facsimile reprint. Obvious typographical errors have been carefully corrected and the entire text has been reset and redesigned by Adeptio Editions to enhance readability, while respecting the original edition. The eBook edition was

Recommended by David Canter.

David Canter

The Criminal by Havelock Ellis is a remarkably sensible, well-informed book. It’s a reminder that in many ways, we’ve not moved on tremendously well in understanding criminality. Well, perhaps we understand it, the problem is we’ve not really found a way of dealing with it. [source]

Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition

Stanton Samenow

4.3

Long-held myths defining the sources of and cures for crime are shattered in this ground-breaking book--and a chilling profile of today's criminal emerges.

Recommended by David Canter.

David Canter

What I like about it is the honesty with which, as psychologists, they described their interactions with criminals. They discuss, initially, various attempts to get people to stop being criminals… It emphasises agency. A lot of the sociological explanations ignore the fact that the people from very similar backgrounds can end up very differently. [source]

The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice

Ronald Blackburn

4.4

Taken from published reviews: " Dr Blackburn has written a remarkably good book; indeed, the best book on the topic from either side of the Atlantic I have read. the breadth of the author s knowledge is nothing short of encyclopaedic. Not only psychology developmental and social, as well as clinical but also psychiatry, biology, philosophy, and law are addressed in this volume. Finally, the book i

Recommended by David Canter.

David Canter

This is a real compendium: a clinical psychologist’s perspective on criminal behaviour. And it’s a very thorough account. It tends to emphasise criminal activity that has a very strong psychological disturbance component to it; a lot of coverage of personality disorder, for instance, as well as sexual offences and violence. [source]

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Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application

Anne M. Bartol and Curtis R. Bartol

4.1

Written by authors with extensive experience in the field and in the classroom, Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application, Fifth Edition, by Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol, demonstrates how to analyze psychological knowledge and research findings and then apply these findings to the civil and criminal justice systems. Focusing on research-based forensic practice and practica

Recommended by David Canter.

David Canter

Well, the Bartols have devoted their lives to writing these very broad-based, very well-informed textbooks. It’s very much in the American tradition of the textbook, which is a really major undertaking… It’s got an American bias, inevitably. But if somebody wants a detailed overview of forensic psychology, this is probably the best. [source]