Book Review - Mysteries of the Criminal Mind

TIME-LIFE Mysteries of the Criminal Mind: The Secrets Behind the World's Most Notorious Crimes

By: Time-Life Books
Publisher: Time-Life
Publication Date: February 2015
ISBN: 978-1618933539
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: April 11, 2014

Okay, I admit it – I love gangster movies, forensic shows and who-dun-it mysteries on television. So when I was offered this new Time-Life book on the criminal mind, I jumped on the chance to review it. Does it live up to my expectations? Yes, and I really enjoyed the somewhat different approach it takes on what makes these hoodlums tick.

Before delving into the stories of the most infamous criminals, this book explores what turns some people into cold-blooded killers. We get a brief history of what early criminologists suspected happened in the minds of these men – and women – from left-handedness to bumps on the head to turn them into criminals. From here the authors take us to present-day DNA research, environmental influences and other possible causes. It all makes for some interesting reading.

The bulk of Mysteries of the Criminal Mind focuses on the most notorious killers, many of whom the reader will be familiar with, from Lucky Luciano to Ted Bundy. There are, also, many criminals in this book who may not be at the forefront of history books but their stories are no less compelling. Profiles are sectioned by topics such as Mobsters, Arson, The Lethal Female, and include photos, sidebars and inserts. I found myself repeatedly flipping forward/back, skipping to biographies that grabbed my attention. Before long, I had read the whole book.

If you’ve read my reviews, you will know that I’m a big fan of Time-Life books. They tackle interesting topics and present the information in an informative, quick and attractive way that keeps me reading. While the format doesn’t allow for in-depth examination of each topic, it consistently presents a brief overview that will pique the interest and offer an excellent starting point to investigate further. Mysteries of the Criminal Mind follows this winning formula and is an excellent book to learn more about some of the world’s most infamous criminals.

Quill says: Mysteries of the Criminal Mind will keep you turning pages, learning some fascinating facts about some of the most evil people this world has ever known.

TIME-LIFE Mysteries of the Unknown: Inside the World of the Strange and Unexplained

By: TIME-LIFE Books
Publisher: TIME-LIFE
Publication Date: September 2014
ISBN: 978-1618933522
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: September 17, 2014

Time-Life Books has tackled some interesting topics in the past, and this book is certainly no exception to their quest to bring to light the strange and unusual. From ghosts to secret societies, this book offers a plethora of unexplained phenomena.

There are fifteen chapters in this book, tackling everything from “Psychics and Mediums,” “Curses,” “Vampires and Zombies” to “Witchery.” Did you know that “The father of Vlad the Impaler, or Dracula, was Dracul. Dracula means son of Dracul, or little devil”? How about the belief that salt is “said to ward off demonic forces”? Ever hear why the dragon was associated with the devil in the Middle Ages? You’ll read about these varied topics in Mysteries of the Unknown as well as so many more.

Along with stories of ghosts, zombies and mythical creatures are accounts of real events and occurrences that you may not know about, or understand the underlying causes of – until now. Did you know that there is actually a “Quiet Zone” of 13,000 square-miles in West Virginia where no cell phone works, there’s no Wi-Fi and very little else. Sound eerie? Actually, the explanation is simple – the Government established this zone to keep the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope free of interference as it searches the cosmos.

The back cover of Mysteries of the Unknown asks, “We are alone in the universe. Or Are we?” and states that with these series of books (which include World War II in 500 Photographs and Everything You Need to Know About the Bible), you will “Discover Something New; Know It Fast; See the Story for Yourself” and yes, this book delivers on all points. Each topic is presented quickly (note that doesn’t mean hastily and lacking information), with typically a two-page spread for each one, and plenty of full-color photographs. The stories are interesting, well-written, without fluff that would add pages but no useful information. In short, this is an easy reading, fun, informational book on all sorts of mysteries.

Quill says: With short, concise presentations on all sorts of “strange and unexplained” phenomena, this book is a great addition to the libraries of those who like to know the inside scoop on all sorts of mysteries.