This work investigates the sociological and psychological impact of street crime on both the victim and the urban environment. Morton Hunt, a seasoned journalist and social observer, utilizes a combination of investigative reporting and psychological analysis to examine the phenomenon of mugging in mid-20th-century American cities. The text argues that the rise of street violence fundamentally alters the social fabric and individual sense of security within metropolitan areas.

Experts often cite this work as a significant piece of investigative journalism that captures the anxieties of its era. Readers frequently note the clinical yet accessible tone Hunt employs when discussing the complexities of urban violence.