The second volume in this series tackles crime and punishment. As in the first volume, the chapters are organized into three main sections. "Core Contributions" exemplifies how sociologists and other social scientists think about otherwise familiar phenomena like crime, incarceration, and suicide. Chapters in the "Cultural Contexts" section engage crime in cultural realms-from politics to families to international crime and justice-that are often ignored or taken for granted among laypeople or in other social science disciplines. Finally, the "Critical Takes" chapters provide sociological commentary, perspective, and reflections on crime and its control.