It is with distinct pleasure that I accepted the invitation by Professor Gappinger to write a foreword to Life Style and Criminality, which is the English-language report on the comparative study of young offenders conducted by the Institute of Criminology of Tiibingen University, and a rendition of the content of two of the author’s works based on this study and bearing the German titles Der Tater in seinen sozialen Beziigen (The Offender in his Social Relationships) and Ange- wandte Kriminologie (Applied Criminology). I consider that the availability in English translation of these Tiibingen studies by Professor Gappinger should be of considerable interest to American criminolo- gists. Professor Gappinger is a well-known criminologist in his country, whose vo- luminous textbook in criminology recently appeared in its fourth edition. Profes- sor Gappinger holds degrees in law and medicine, and throughout his life has made use of both of these background orientations and competencies in his work.