A pickpocket relates how he chose his "occupation" because it offered a lucrative means of living without having to work every day. A thief tells how his desire for adventure and need to defy authority led him to a life of crime. In this unique approach to criminal behavior, Joseph W. Rogers looks at these two examples and many others from "non-criminals" to contrast reasons people give for choosing to live on either side of the law. The author presents the personal statements of many non-offenders whose lives reflect conscious decisions - people who have weighed the rewards of the "straight" vs. the criminal life and those who had an early brush with crime but decided against it. This book offers stimulating insights into criminal behavior by recognizing that law-abiding persons may have more in common with convicted offenders than is ordinarily assumed - a conclusion that raises questions for contemporary criminal justice. --from inside jacket flap.