“The Making of a Cop presents a realistic look at a supremely difficult job.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Very informative and engrossing.”
—Library Journal

“Gripping . . . Rachlin follows a rainbow of recruits of both sexes through their paces . . . an impressive account.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Rachlin got a firsthand look at how five and a half months of extensive training transforms ‘run-of-the-mill civilians’ into members of New York’s Finest . . . We see how greatly actual police procedures and situations differ from those portrayed on television and in films. As readers vicariously walk the beat with new graduates, some will tingle with excitement.”
—Associated Press

“A good read . . . The Making of a Cop has much to say that is interesting about fighting crime in New York City and therefore about one of the predicaments of modern urban life . . . Finally, we feel a sense of connection to real, breathing individuals on the line . . .”
—Boston Globe

“A thorough, sincere, informative account.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer

“The Making of a Cop is an accurate account of the rigorous discipline and intensive instruction in the police academy and of how that teaching changes the lives of the young men and women who will soon be out there on the streets.”
—Mark Baker, author of Cop

“Harvey Rachlin’s The Making of a Cop is a simply written but fascinating account of how, during a six-month training course, average citizens (that is to say, men and women with no criminal record and no overt psychological disorders) are converted into dedicated policemen and –women…The drama of this day-to-day account is based on the very lack of drama involved in the gradual transformation and toughening of these recruits. This book provides a well written and rare glimpse into the relatively unknown world of police work.”
—The Jerusalem Post

“A hard look inside the life of cops — The Making of a Cop takes away the mystery of what happens at police academies.”
—Staten Island Advance