THE BOOK PRESUMES NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF CRIMINAL LAW ON THE PART OF THE READER AND MAY BE OF USE TO LAW STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AS WELL AS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. OPENING CHAPTERS DELINEATE THE NATURE OF CRIME BY EXAMINING THE COMMON UNIFYING PRINCIPLES THAT DEFINE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. THESE CHAPTERS EXPLAIN WHAT IS MEANT BY THE WORD CRIME WHEN THAT WORD IS USED ACCURATELY, HOW CRIMINAL CODES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, HOW CRIMINAL ACTS ARE CLASSIFED IN TERMS OF SEVERITY AND PENALTY UPON CONVICTION, HOW CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY IS DEFINED, AND THE DEFENSES BY WHICH PEOPLE CAN FREE THEMSELVES OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE DISCUSSION THEN TURNS TO SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS: OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON (SUCH AS MURDER, RAPE, AND ASSAULT); OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY (SUCH AS LARCENY, EMBEZZLEMENT, FORGERY, BURGLARY, AND ARSON); CRIMES AGAINST BODY AND PROPERTY (SUCH AS BLACKMAIL AND ARMED ROBBERY); AND OFFENSES AGAINST THE PUBLIC WELFARE (NATIONAL DEFENSE, GOVERNMENT PROCESS, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, FAMILY, PUBLIC PEACE AND REPOSE, AND PUBLIC MORALS OFFENSES), THROUGHOUT THE TEXT DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ELEMENTS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ARE STRESSED. IT IS NOTED THAT, IN MOST INSTANCES, CRIMINAL CONDUCT DOES NOT YIELD CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT PROOF OF THE OFFENDER'S CRIMINAL INTENT AT THE TIME THE CONDUCT OCCURRED. STATUTE AND CASE LAW CITATIONS AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)