The standard text in the field, Vold's Theoretical Criminology is universally known by scholars in the discipline. Taking a largely historical approach, it discusses both classic and contemporary theories, presenting historical context and empirical research for each one.

Vold's is a classic, trusted for decades as the definitive, comprehensive source of criminological theories. One of the marks of its success is that its usage spans introductory and upper level courses, and even is used in graduate level courses. The writing style is crisp, clear, easy to understand but not watered down.