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toebean5's review against another edition
4.0
Well-written, stylized- I liked it. Not a feel-good story, not even much of a story. Just one man's evolving interactions with violence over the course of a lifetime. I found it very revealing and thought-provoking.
pattricejones's review against another edition
4.0
I'm going to echo all of the positive reviews here, with one quibble. On the last page of his own story,
Spoiler
Canada attributes his own decision to throw away a gun to his Christian faith (fair enough, if that was his experience) but then goes on to assert that young men not raised in the church cannot possibly have a moral center from which to make such ethical decisions. That left a bad taste in my mouth as I closed what was otherwise a remarkably insightful book. That one problematic page notwithstanding, this is indeed essential reading for anybody who hopes to understand, and thereby be in a better position to undermine, violence.cemoses's review against another edition
5.0
This book is still very relevant today. Geoffrey Canada describes a world where gangs are a part of daily life.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
A story about surviving in the Bronx and how violence has escalated over time from fists, sticks and knives to the guns that are found today. A gritty, truthful narrative.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
Geoffrey Canada's story is vivid. He remembers his childhood so well, describes it in great detail, and [a:Jamar Nicholas]' illustrations really bring it to life. This story, about Canada's integration into a violent urban life, is heartbreaking, but I couldn't stop reading. It's a great personal story of [b:The Code of the Street|44845|Code of the Street Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City|Elijah Anderson|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347417519s/44845.jpg|44167].
I honestly think the epilogue does not serve the story well. It pushes the book into didactic, instead of letting Canada's experiences speak for themselves.
But I really appreciate Canada telling his story, and Nicholas does a fantastic job of adapting it to the graphic novel format.
I honestly think the epilogue does not serve the story well. It pushes the book into didactic, instead of letting Canada's experiences speak for themselves.
But I really appreciate Canada telling his story, and Nicholas does a fantastic job of adapting it to the graphic novel format.
ahpotts's review against another edition
Powerful & interesting. Canada's experiences are clearly not unique, but the clarity with which he shares them really got my attention. And the last bit... when he gets a gun... that along with the afterword is really thought-provoking. I suspect that my students will be less surprised by some of this book than I am; hopefully it will also make them see things with a little distance.
dcmr's review
3.0
The more you know the more you realize you don't know, and the more you're compelled to learn more. Essential reading.
ashrafulla's review
5.0
This is a gripping treatise on the culture of violence in inner city youth. The book is meant to engage both the system 1 and system 2 biases of the reader. System 1 comes from all of the author's personal stories, stories where he had to stand up for himself or act hood or carry a gun. System 2 comes from all of the author's work as an adult, where you learn the rationality behind having children play enforcers and being consistently deferential to the community members themselves.
The author is very, very good at weaving policy into his experiences while ensuring that he's not bludgeoning you or using bad arguments. The arguments themselves are very solid and point to the main issues he sees with current welfare systems. Adding more police is only meant to arrest more criminals, not deter them. Building objects is not as important as building time. Volunteer service is going to outweigh cash donations. These are all properly described as changes that should be made, have low cost and can provide multiplicative effects.
The implementation in this book is also strong. This must be related to the author's personal role as the director of the Harlem Children's Zone. Through those experiences, the author can immediately provide baby steps to solve the complex problem of inner city violence. Baby steps are a good indicator of someone who is actually trying to solve the problem rather than someone who is trying to use the problem to make themselves feel or look good.
One thing to note is that this book's message does not resonate in rural or suburban society. There are a few reasons. Due to the low density, the notion of a death of an "innocent bystander" doesn't exist in rural or suburban communities. Due to the slower pace of rural and suburban society, members of those societies are more relaxed and less inclined to antagonize. The notion of being bored with nothing to do is something that isn't as much of a problem in rural or suburban society because you just go outside. In urban society, as the author demonstrates time and time again, just going outside requires that the community ensure it is safe and worthwhile. So for those who read this book and poo-poo it as something that doesn't describe them, that probably means you live in a different society with different problems.
This book is a great and fast read, with you wanting to hear both the stories themselves and the author's viewpoints/analyses on those stories.
The author is very, very good at weaving policy into his experiences while ensuring that he's not bludgeoning you or using bad arguments. The arguments themselves are very solid and point to the main issues he sees with current welfare systems. Adding more police is only meant to arrest more criminals, not deter them. Building objects is not as important as building time. Volunteer service is going to outweigh cash donations. These are all properly described as changes that should be made, have low cost and can provide multiplicative effects.
The implementation in this book is also strong. This must be related to the author's personal role as the director of the Harlem Children's Zone. Through those experiences, the author can immediately provide baby steps to solve the complex problem of inner city violence. Baby steps are a good indicator of someone who is actually trying to solve the problem rather than someone who is trying to use the problem to make themselves feel or look good.
One thing to note is that this book's message does not resonate in rural or suburban society. There are a few reasons. Due to the low density, the notion of a death of an "innocent bystander" doesn't exist in rural or suburban communities. Due to the slower pace of rural and suburban society, members of those societies are more relaxed and less inclined to antagonize. The notion of being bored with nothing to do is something that isn't as much of a problem in rural or suburban society because you just go outside. In urban society, as the author demonstrates time and time again, just going outside requires that the community ensure it is safe and worthwhile. So for those who read this book and poo-poo it as something that doesn't describe them, that probably means you live in a different society with different problems.
This book is a great and fast read, with you wanting to hear both the stories themselves and the author's viewpoints/analyses on those stories.