In Review

Journey Into Darkness
John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
NY: Scribner, 1995.
384 pages, hardback. $25.00

In this new book, John Douglas, the special agent who pioneered the science of behavioral profiling as a means of investigating serial crimes, once again penetrates the minds of human predators, particularly those who prey upon children. Douglas relates the crimes and their ensuing investigations in disturbing detail - vividly portraying the gruesome nature of these acts and the heinous motivations of their perpetrators.

Public safety personnel will find this book fascinating, as it affords a glimpse behind the crimes themselves - the horrible realities behind the 9-1-1 call, behind the images of victims and crime scene, into the very psyche of the serial killer. Douglas finds out what makes him tick and, more importantly, what makes him susceptible to capture. His consulting on hundreds of cases has aided in the capture of dozens of serial murderers. Douglas even proffers his own analysis of the Nicole Simpson/Ronald Goldman murders, based on his objective profile of the case.

But the book is about much more than just crimes and investigations. Douglas humanizes their victims, personalizing them to us so that we honestly grieve at their most untimely and unfair demise at the hands of evil men. He portrays the dozens of collateral victims friends and family&nbsp and documents the efforts of one family in particular who turned their personal tragedy into a cause that has done much good for many. And he offers one of the most reasoned essays on the death penalty I've ever read, and one that will probably be of interest to many on the law enforcement and public safety field, whatever your persuasion on the topic.

As a parent, I found it difficult to confront many of the crimes perpetrated against innocent youngsters, yet in a chapter that should be read by all parents, Douglas offers some invaluable safety tips parents can give children to help protect them against the predators lurking outside our garden walls.

The book is not such much a true-crime account as a valuable glimpse into the minds of murderers that lurk in too many corners of our communities. Learning how they behave, what motivates them, what compulsions they have, is the first step into recognizing them and protecting ourselves from them. This is a topic that should be of concern to all who are honestly committed to the notion of public safety, for it involves public safety as its most basic level: protection of the innocents from the predators. It's a very dark and disturbing journey, but you will be stronger for having taken it.

Fire Line: Summer Battles of the West
by Michael Thoele
Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1995.
170 pages, hardback, $34.95

Dedicated "to the twenty-seven who went to battle in the western fire season of 1994 and did not return," Michael Thoele has authored a lavish, coffee-table styled book delineating, in eloquent detail, the hazards and heroics of wildland firefighting.

Thoele introduces the reader to the subculture of 50,000 Westerners who fight forest fires from Alaska to New Mexico. With gorgeous color photography and a perceptive flair of writing, he focuses on the men and women who wage war against the dragon wildfire, through interviews, war stories, and the journalistic respect that comes from studying people and their work. Thoele devotes chapters to ground crews, smokejumpers, air tanker and helicopter crews, and notable chapters on female firefighters and command and support staff personnel. This creates a fascinating look at the people behind the firelines, and Thoele does a remarkable job of relaying their thoughts and emotions as they face their various tasks. The result is an excellent, very readable, and strikingly illustrated account of what it takes to confront wildfire.



	Journey Into Darkness John Douglas and Mark Olshaker NY: Scribner, 1995. 384 pages, hardback. $25.00 In this new book, John Douglas, the special agent who pioneered the science of behavioral profiling as a means of investigating serial crimes, once again penetrates the minds of human predators, particularly those who prey upon children. Douglas relates the crimes and their ensuing investigations in disturbing detail - vividly portraying the gruesome nature of these acts and the heinous motivations of their perpetrators. Public safety personnel will find this book fascinating, as it affords a glimpse behind the crimes themselves - the horrible realities behind the 9-1-1 call, behind the images of victims and crime scene, into the very psyche of the serial killer. Douglas finds out what makes him tick and, more importantly, what makes him susceptible to capture. His consulting on hundreds of cases has aided in the capture of dozens of serial murderers. Douglas even proffers his own analysis of the Nicole Simpson/Ronald Goldman murders, based on his objective profile of the case. But the book is about much more than just crimes and investigations. Douglas humanizes their victims, personalizing them to us so that we honestly grieve at their most untimely and unfair demise at the hands of evil men. He portrays the dozens of collateral victims friends and family&nbsp and documents the efforts of one family in particular who turned their personal tragedy into a cause that has done much good for many. And he offers one of the most reasoned essays on the death penalty I've ever read, and one that will probably be of interest to many on the law enforcement and public safety field, whatever your persuasion on the topic. As a parent, I found it difficult to confront many of the crimes perpetrated against innocent youngsters, yet in a chapter that should be read by all parents, Douglas offers some invaluable safety tips parents can give children to help protect them against the predators lurking outside our garden walls. The book is not such much a true-crime account as a valuable glimpse into the minds of murderers that lurk in too many corners of our communities. Learning how they behave, what motivates them, what compulsions they have, is the first step into recognizing them and protecting ourselves from them. This is a topic that should be of concern to all who are honestly committed to the notion of public safety, for it involves public safety as its most basic level: protection of the innocents from the predators. It's a very dark and disturbing journey, but you will be stronger for having taken it.

	Fire Line: Summer Battles of the West by Michael Thoele Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1995. 170 pages, hardback, $34.95 Dedicated "to the twenty-seven who went to battle in the western fire season of 1994 and did not return," Michael Thoele has authored a lavish, coffee-table styled book delineating, in eloquent detail, the hazards and heroics of wildland firefighting. Thoele introduces the reader to the subculture of 50,000 Westerners who fight forest fires from Alaska to New Mexico. With gorgeous color photography and a perceptive flair of writing, he focuses on the men and women who wage war against the dragon wildfire, through interviews, war stories, and the journalistic respect that comes from studying people and their work. Thoele devotes chapters to ground crews, smokejumpers, air tanker and helicopter crews, and notable chapters on female firefighters and command and support staff personnel. This creates a fascinating look at the people behind the firelines, and Thoele does a remarkable job of relaying their thoughts and emotions as they face their various tasks. The result is an excellent, very readable, and strikingly illustrated account of what it takes to confront wildfire.