All too frequently, individuals come across a situation in which puzzles them about what is to be required of them, what choices they should pursue when opportunities present themselves, and what is the difference between the formal rules put in place, in comparison to the real rules, in which they are expected to do their jobs (Geis and Dodge, 2002). In Lessons of Criminology, Geis and Dodge attempt to confront these potential issues for a newcomer who is interested in pursing the life of academia. Geis and Dodge enlisted the help of some of the most prestigious scholars in the field of criminology today and demonstrate how becoming a successful criminologist can be an evolving process, one which presents many diversions and obstacles along the route.
Geis and Dodge (2002) requested that the criminologists tell the readers about the many acts, decisions, and choices which lead them to pursue a initial position in academia, some of which claimed were accidental, and others claimed as luck or fortuitous circumstances. The authors also encouraged the criminologists to enlist the number of lessons they believed they have come to learn over the course of the years; what they have come to value as leading researchers in the field; and offer any advice to future scholars,…