Secrets of a Superthief

by John MacLean, Tom Zito

A former thief explains how to deter burglers and discusses doors, locks, windows, alarm systems, and other ways to protect one's home

Genres: Crime

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1983

Reviews

[Mx.Lucey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must first mention that Goodreads says this book is by John MacLean and I'm not sure why but the physical copy says Jack so I'm going with Jack. While you may think "it's from 1983 so how helpful can it be?" that's a lot of why it can be so helpful. Most people would write it off. Of course mentioning things like phone lines aren't very helpful ; they're still pretty interesting and educational if you like history or technology. The inmate and burglar point of view is nice to hear from. I picked this up strictly because it's my grandma's copy and I felt like reading a book of her's but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I highly recommend for a fun history read or hoping to protect a home or business.

[Wes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book, and certainly one that is good for getting into the mind of a burglar. Is the book "out of date?" Sure, only if you want to look at it from a technological perspective. It seems to me that even with an updated technological section, the book would still be espousing the same basic techniques and revealing the same burglar mindset. So still pretty valuable if you ask me. Especially coming from such a successful burglar.

This isn't a book you're going to find very often. As far as I know it's out of print and there are probably many more modern books that would tell you the same thing. The long and short of it is that there is no way of guaranteeing you won't be stolen from, but there are a number of cheap and easy ways to greatly reduce that risk.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago. I knew him, because I was working at the prison he was in. I found the book very interesting and it has tips on how to better secure your home, that can still be used today.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn how to protect yourself from the most famous and successful Burglar in history. With an IQ of 167 John Maclean teaches us that mind games are sometimes the best deterrent of crime.

[Gary Stothers · Rating 2 out of 5]

started out great, but turned to more of a "tips to secure your home" kind of book.

quite dated.