Experienced Author and Expert Criminologist Recounts Life of Crime and Education in Autobiography
SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 13, 2010 — In his riveting autobiography "Confessions of a Criminologist: Some of My Best Friends Were Sociopaths" (published by iUniverse), experienced author, renowned psychotherapist and expert criminologist Dr. Lewis Yablonsky draws upon his decades of experience as both a young delinquent and a professor of criminology in order to demonstrate how criminals can indeed change when given the opportunity to better their situation and future.
As a teenager he was involved in various delinquent activities. At 18 he joined the U.S. Navy in WWII. After his experiences in the Navy, through a dramatic change in his life, he utilized the GI Bill, acquired a Ph.D. at New York University, and became a noted Professor of Criminology. Dr. Yablonsky recounts the details of his life-altering experiences on the street and in the college classroom as well as thousands of interviews he's had the privilege to record from criminals and teenage friends. Though he has written countless award-winning books on crime, drug addiction and other social issues, he had said of his professional insight in television interviews: "In my early years, some of my best friends were criminal sociopaths, and I learned more about crime from them than I learned from acquiring my Ph.D. at NYU."
His writing style is described by the Los Angeles Times as "a powerful and incisive writing in the field"; the esteemed Dr. Yablonsky tells all without flinching. Dr. Yablonsky covers his rough childhood in Newark as well as his ascension through the ranks of university, reflecting on the subjects like sociology, psychology, criminology, gangs, extramarital sex, the hippie phenomenon of the 1960s, psychodrama and group therapy, all packed with the emotions and imagination that promise to resonate with both young and mature readers looking for insight into the human condition.
About the Author
Raised in Newark, Dr. Lewis Yablonsky later served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After his service, he graduated from Rutgers University and later received his doctorate in sociology and criminology from New York University in 1958. Dr. Yablonsky has taught sociology and criminology at the University of Massachusetts, Columbia, Harvard and UCLA. At his current age of 85 he remains active. Dr. Yablonsky has become Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Criminology at California State University-Northridge, and over the past decade he has participated as an Expert Witness in 300+ gang and murder cases in courts in California and around the U.S. He has lectured, taught and consulted throughout the world on various social issues. He has appeared on Oprah, Geraldo and several hundred television and radio programs. His books and his career have been reviewed by numerous media outlets, including Time, Newsweek, the N.Y. Times, AP, and UPI. His 20 published books in the United States and Europe include The Violent Gang (1962), Synanon: The Tunnel Back (1965), The Hippie Trip (1968), Criminology (2000), Gangs in Court (2008), The Emotional Meaning of Money and the especially relevant cheating expose The Extra-Sex Factor: Why over half of America's men play around (originally published by N.Y. Times Books and republished by iUniverse 2009). Interested readers and media professionals can visit or email Email for more information about the author and his numerous publications.
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