Sixteen European-based academics take a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding extortion rackets, such as those of the Sicilian Mafia and German predatory extortion, based upon the Global Dynamics of Extortion Racket Systems (GLODERS) project funded by FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development). This work is one of many in the unfolding field of computational social science that not only analyzes data, but additionally runs simulations and develops data-based models to understand current and future environments. As such it is a valuable study not only for the specific subject matter, but also for the potentially broad application of the techniques employed.

The book contains 13 chapters, about 245 pages, divided into the following sections: “Extortion Rackets as a Global Phenomenon”; “Society and the State”; “Extortion Rackets in Society”; “The Criminal Organization”; and “Synthesis and Conclusion.” Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and author contact information and concludes with a list of references. A comprehensive general index concludes the book.

Of special interest are computational text analysis and agent-based modeling. Text analysis may be applied in many forums, including police interrogations and more broadly to predict inclinations and trends. Agency-based modeling, a tool utilizing simple rules to model complex phenomena, is applied to Palermo extortion rackets, and also illustrates how escalating chaos in a feedback loop destroys a criminal organization. The authors’ research methodology is described in some detail. Also discussed is conceptual modeling, corruption, types and themes of extortion, norms, organizational structures, trust, and victim types.

This research is a noteworthy contribution to the emerging multidisciplinary and computationally aided social sciences.