Amazon.com description: Product Description: Brief, complete, and flexible: Barkan and Bryjak cover all the important topics in just the right amount of depth to be clear without being overwhelming. Innovative "Under Investigation" sections between chapters enable instructors to use as much or as little additional in-depth material as they wish. No other text gives the user total control over the length and depth of the textbook. A&B is once again breaking new ground in introductory CJ! By incorporating three main concepts that are central to the success or failure of the system--the tension between public safety and civil liberties; the capacity of the criminal justice system to control criminal behavior and reduce crime; and the role played by race, class, and gender in the operation of the criminal justice system--Barkan casts a realistic and constructive eye on the American criminal justice system. One reviewer writes, "This is probably the one text that would pry me away from my current textbook. It is very well-organized and the material is organized in an interesting and useful manner. Finally, an intro text that covers the essentials with exceptional analysis and practical examples. Nicely done."