Crime and Punishment : 100 Questions and Answers.

Author : Anita Ganeri
Genre : non-fiction
book review 6
This book is a compilation of questions and facts about crime.  It takes you on a journey about crime and punishment across the ages.

There are sections on Greek and Roman ancient laws.  I think this chapter is especially useful, because some of our modern-day laws in New Zealand originally came from Roman law, and is studied in our New Zealand universities.

Fascinating Greek and Roman facts include

• in 400 BC, as punishment for the crime of treason against the government of Athens (Greece), the accused were made to drink a goblet of poison, to end their lives
• in Rome, a person found guilty of killing his own father was tied into a sack with a live cock, snake and a dog, and drowned in a river.
• the most recognised way to kill in ancient Roman times was by crucifixion, and this book mentions the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by order of Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate in AD 30.

This book has sections on crime and punishment in the Middle Ages, famous Cowboy, Indian and Mafia mobster crimes in America at the turn of the century, right through to modern day crimes, and how our court system in New Zealand works to deal with crimes today.

My favourite section is the chapter on different objects used to torture or punish criminals around the world, like French guillotines, the human treadmill, gallows for hanging etc.

I rate this book a 12/20 just because it does get kinda boring having to read and remember all these facts.