The title of this post pulls together topics that are in the news a whole lot lately. They are also painfully intertwined in the lives of millions of people, including many friends and acquaintances of my own. Maybe it’s not surprising (though I admit to being surprised) that the course entitled “Crime and Mental Illness” — one of dozens of sociology and crime and justice studies courses we offer at Suffolk University — consistently is the first course to fill up within the first few minutes of course registration.

With that in mind, I happily accepted an invitation to write a short piece for a series called “The Best Books About xyz”. The series is aimed at helping people find interesting books recommended by experts in various fields. Especially in an area that are controversial and emotionally charged, it can be hard to figure out what to read, which books are well-researched and well-written, and which books say something new and important.

My contribution is “The best books about mental illness, drug use, trauma, and crime.” Take a look. Share it with friends. And let me know what you think about it? Are there other books you’d want to add?