Last post of the year so it's a big one.

There's been a few reports and things I'd like to mention to you before 2013 waves goodbye.

I don't usually stick different things together like this, but I thought one message might be easier on this occasion.

So the first thing is the annual report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) looking at poverty in the UK. If you're a first year this may be your first introduction to the JRF. As a word of explanation they're a charity who conduct excellent research in the areas of housing, ageing, poverty and welfare. The new report is a vast exploration of social exclusion in the UK and you can read (and save) it from here.

The second thing may be of interest for criminology students. There's been a study looking at re-offending rates which the Guardian has reported like this. I think the full thing may be out tomorrow so I'll draw your attention to it in the new year.

OK. One more. An academic called Jock Young died a few weeks back. You may have seen his most famous book on your reading list (The Drug Takers) although he's done many more recent things on criminological theory.

Here is a video of him discussing the concept of moral panic.

I'm now away until January 8th so please don't be offended if you don't hear from me until then. As fabulous as you all are I'm really looking forward to doing nothing more academic than eating cheese for a few weeks. Thank you for all your encouragement this year, I hope your Christmas break is everything you're hoping for.

Al

Google books and 'Moral Panics'.

This morning I noticed that there's 14 reservations on 1 paper copy of Moral Panics by Krinsky.

If you're 14th on the list (in fact, even if you're further up the list than that) then forget it-you're never going to get it in time to write your assignment.

This book is not available as an e-book but have any of you tried finding it via Google books yet?

Basically, Google has digitised 1000's of mostly out of print books and stuck them on the Web.

In some cases you can access the whole book or sometimes it's just a chapter - often the introductory chapter.

In the case of the Krinsky book you can access the first 63 pages which is pretty much the first 3 chapters. I hope those 3 chapters contain something of relevance.

Click here to get to the basic book search page.

Just remember to correctly reference whatever you use.

If any of you access the book using Google books then I'd really like to know.

Alan