When Professor Thompson wrote the book in 1919, it was intended for 16-year-olds.

Nevada, not surprisingly, gets by far the largest proportion of its revenue from gambling, 42.6 percent, Professor Thompson found.

"The criminal justice system in Houston is completely dysfunctional," Professor Thompson said.

"This is not economic development," said Professor Thompson.

"We used to try to identify ourselves by trying to display what we like," Professor Thompson said.

Professor Thompson said Fox almost cannot help but be in the vanguard of the more aggressive second wave of reality shows.

Such attitudes drive Professor Thompson to become "even more zealous," as he put it, in defense of his research.

Professor Thompson sees in that fact a potential educational benefit.

"All of these shows take place at magazines that deal with fashion and celebrity," Professor Thompson said.

Professor Thompson, an expert on the dynamics of black families, said that in the harsh realities in which the children live, "it's better than stealing."