ABSTRACT
The American standard of living is one of the highest of any nation, yet burglary, robbery, car theft, and other forms of larceny are frequent. These predatory crimes are, as a matter of fact, much more numerous than crimes against the person such as murder, rape, and aggravated assault. Furthermore, and this accentuates the paradox, in the United States a thief who steals because he is hungry or cold is a rarity.
