Barker, Joan C., Danger, Duty and Disillusion: The Worldview of Los Angeles Police Officers, Waveland Press, 1999.

In this book, anthropologist Barker documents over two decades of fieldwork studying Los Angeles police officers in their element. She paints a detailed picture not only of the structure and environment that LAPD officers inhabit, but also of the ways in which these elements shape an officer's behavior and attitudes.

Bushart, Howard L., et. al., Soldiers of God: White Supremacists and Their Holy War for America, Kensington, 2000.

Through extensive interviews with white supremacists, this book provides an in-depth look at their beliefs and attitudes without condemning or condoning those involved. The authors simply seek to understand why such people think the way they do and to share that understanding with the reader.

Ramsland, Katherine, The Science of Cold Case Files, Berkley Trade, 2004.

This book, a companion to the A&E...