Organized Crime: The Essentials provides students with an engaging introduction to the complex and pernicious world of organized crime. Students learn key concepts and principles within the discipline and study real-world examples of organized criminal activity. The text demonstrates how organized crime has adapted to changing times, become more sophisticated, and embedded itself into the fabric of economic, political, and social life in many nations around the world. The book begins with a definition of organized crime, an overview of key attributes and specific types, and discussion of its sociological foundations. Students are provided with a brief history of organized crime in America, including discussions of street gangs, prohibition, gambling, La Cosa Nostra, contemporary organized crime, and more. Later chapters examine illegal lotteries, sports betting, drug trafficking, organized theft, money laundering, and other ways in which organized crime operates as a business. The text concludes with chapters dedicated to transnational criminal enterprises, organized crime around the globe, and strategies for responding to organized crime. Approachable and informative, Organized Crime is ideal for undergraduate courses in criminology, criminal justice, and organized crime.