The Professional Thief

"The Professional Thief" is a classic work by sociologist Edwin Sutherland, published in 1937. It explores the lives of career criminals, focusing on their social environment, motivations, and the techniques they use. Sutherland emphasizes that criminal behavior is often a response to societal factors, and he advocates for understanding crime within its social context rather than merely labeling individuals as "bad." The work examines how thieves organize, operate, and justify their actions, providing insights into the nature of crime and challenging conventional perceptions of criminality. It remains influential in criminology and sociology.