Hidden Economy: The Context and Control of Borderline Crime by Stuart Henry is an academic exploration of “borderline crimes,” which are activities that exist in the gray areas between legal and illegal behavior. The book focuses on understanding the broader social, economic, and political context in which these activities occur, and how they are controlled or regulated by authorities.

Henry examines a range of activities that may not always fit neatly within traditional definitions of crime but are still considered socially deviant or illegal, such as tax evasion, drug trafficking, and certain types of white-collar crime. He argues that these forms of crime are often deeply embedded in economic systems, and that the lines between legitimate business practices and illegal activities can be blurry.

The book looks at how society and legal systems treat these activities, including how laws are applied and how enforcement can be inconsistent or influenced by power structures. Henry’s analysis explores the role of social norms, political economy, and power relations in shaping what is defined as crime and how it is policed.

By addressing the “hidden economy” — a term often used to describe illegal or informal economic activities — Henry critiques the mechanisms of control, focusing on how governments, institutions, and social systems handle behavior that falls outside formal legal boundaries. This book offers a sociological perspective on the intersection of law, crime, and economic behavior.

This is one of the most unusual books you will ever read - it is about an aspect of the Underground Economy not discussed in other books. This book is about the property crimes committed by ordinary people in legitimate jobs. It's about pilfering and fiddling with goods and services that goes on every day in factories, shops and offices up and down the country, and in every community in the world. This book explores that network: the people, the products, the impact on the economy . Well written and informative, this excellent book was out of print for many years