College of the Ozarks, a small Work College nestled in the Ozark Mountains, has a patriotic goal and is taking a leadership role of filling in the gaps of American history by equipping future generations with the truth. Hopefully, this book will bridge the generation that fought the Vietnam War to the current generation, which has been taught little or nothing about the War and its meaning. As you will read, when students are taught the truth, they are willing to listen. In the case of the Vietnam War, there is no better way for today's generation of college students to understand this conflict than to travel to former battlefields with veterans who fought in these battles during their youth. Consequently, the country of Vietnam and the battle sites become a "classroom," and seeing them with veterans provides a "laboratory" for observations like no other. It is a generational bridge, connecting youth of today with Vietnam Veterans. This book depicts a course with a field trip. That is why it was written in an unusual style, common to what you might expect in a first-year "survey" class.

Organized crime in America today is not the tough hoodlums familiar to moviegoers and TV watchers. It is more sophisticated, with many college graduates, gifted with organizational genius, all belonging to twenty-four tightly knit "families," who have corrupted legitimate business and infiltrated some of the highest levels of local, state, and federal government. Their power reaches into Congress, into the executive and judicial branches, police agencies, and labor unions, and into such business enterprises as real estate, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, linen-supply houses, and garbage-collection routes.How does organized crime operate? How dangerous is it? What are the implications for American society? How may we cope with it? In answering these questions, Cressey asserts that because organized crime provides illicit goods and services demanded by legitimate society, it has become part of legitimate society. This fascinating account reveals the parallels: the growth of specialization, "big-business practices" (pooling of capital and reinvestment of profits; fringe benefits like bail money), and government practices (negotiated settlements and peace treaties, defined territories, fair-trade agreements).For too long we have, as a society, concerned ourselves only with superficial questions about organized crime. "Theft of the Nation" focuses on to a more profound and searching level. Of course, organized crime exists. Cressey not only establishes this fact, but proceeds to explore it rigorously and with penetration. One need not agree with everything Cressey writes to conclude that no one, after the publication of "Theft of the Nation", can be knowledgeable about organized crime without having read this book.

"Ralph Salerno, described by the New York Times as the man who "knows more about the Mafia than any person who is not a member of it," here puts together a very comprehensive portrait of "America's most successful industry." He amplifies and interprets much that came out in The Valachi Papers but also gives a very clear picture of the evolution of The Syndicate, why it is successful to the tune of $40,000,000,000 a year (a conservative estimate) and why the most powerful government in the world is incapable of protecting informers barring exile or a concentration camp existence. There is a lot of detailed information--recruiting methods, power tactics, means of corruption (work from the top down) and some sad projections for the future--Crime will pay better than ever. He discusses some possibilities of counter-attack; the rise of other ethnic groups and their influence; the gains of international crime confederations and the attitude of the American public--which should be disabused, hopefully, through an exposure like this. It's a thinking taxpayer's book."--Kirkus