About the Author Peter H. Rossi (1921-2006) was professor of sociology emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, director of research at the Social and Demographic Research Institute, and past president of the American Sociological Association. Known as one of the most eminent of American social scientists, Rossi authored over forty books and two hundred scholarly articles. His works include Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness; Just Punishments: Federal Guidelines and Public Opinion Compared; Natural Hazards and Public Choice;and Armed and Considered Dangerous.James D. Wright is an author, educator, and the Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. He has written twenty-four books and more than 300 journal articles, book chapters, essays, reviews, and polemics.