rick2's review against another edition
4.0
After binging on half a dozen Taibbi books over winter break, this is by far my favorite. Multifaceted, complex, and brimming with moral indignation. This is Taibbi at his best.
The narrative structure is jarring. Contrasting the differences in white collar crime to low income living. I grew up in the rural midwest, seemingly a world away from either pole on this description. But there are bits that still poke through. I remember being dropped off at home after being picked up by the police while walking home from a party. After moving to Houston, I remember talking to a police officer and being amazed at how rude he was. "Why aren't these big city cops nicer?"
Anyways, I'm sure having read this disqualifies me from a career in investment banking which isn't too much of a loss. Highly recommended to investment bankers having a midlife crisis, or anyone interested in my thesis that the United States is closer to a South American country than the European nations we like to tell ourselves we belong to. It's a great look at systematic inequality.
The narrative structure is jarring. Contrasting the differences in white collar crime to low income living. I grew up in the rural midwest, seemingly a world away from either pole on this description. But there are bits that still poke through. I remember being dropped off at home after being picked up by the police while walking home from a party. After moving to Houston, I remember talking to a police officer and being amazed at how rude he was. "Why aren't these big city cops nicer?"
Anyways, I'm sure having read this disqualifies me from a career in investment banking which isn't too much of a loss. Highly recommended to investment bankers having a midlife crisis, or anyone interested in my thesis that the United States is closer to a South American country than the European nations we like to tell ourselves we belong to. It's a great look at systematic inequality.
stokka's review against another edition
4.0
Great blend of quality information, simple explanations, and the perfect voice for the subject.
ertrunnell's review against another edition
5.0
Most of us have an inherent understanding that the criminal 'justice' system treats those with money differently than it treats those without. But the extent and cruelty of those differences often remains hidden from those of us who have not directly experienced these interactions. Taibbi is a brilliant journalist, researcher, and story-teller. In The Divide, he illustrates the chasm between rich and poor through side-by-side cases from Wall Street to Bed-Stuy, from the boardroom to the chicken plant. I initially found some of the sections on corporate fraud less enthralling (the lingo isn't something I'm accustomed to), they became more interesting and important as the book progressed. However, the stories Taibbi relayed about people who've experienced life on the 'wrong side,' or the 'poor side,' of the law will never leave my mind. This book is an essential read (or listen-- highly recommend the audio version).
nobody999's review against another edition
3.0
Put it away after hitting p. 178 or so, just because it was the same stuff over and over. Taibbi is correct in all he observes, but for my part, there's not much news here.
xguacamolex's review against another edition
5.0
Page-turning account juxtaposing the justice system the poor go through with the justice system the 1% are exposed to.
dorhastings's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first Matt Taibbi book, and I am completely sure it's not my last.
I picked up this book because Taibbi did an interview with Rachel Maddow and talked about this book. (At least I think that's where I found it. The only ones I can find online are with Chris Hayes and Lawrence O'Donnell. Go figure.) Had to read it.
Other people here make remarks about how angry they are reading this book. "Prepare to be pissed off." They are totally not kidding. I was fired up after every single chapter. I read this book in the context of two major and related events: Citigroup paying $7 billion for being a bugger, and several thousand immigrants (many of whom are unaccompanied minors) from Central America crossing the border into the USA. It's staggering.
I really like Matt Taibbi's writing style. Normally a bunch of the financial stuff would be over my head, but the explanations were really helpful. A really clear, direct writing style. The explanations of inequality are spot on. I'm surprised there's not more sourcing in the book, but that's probably my only concern. Great book. Will read more by him.
I picked up this book because Taibbi did an interview with Rachel Maddow and talked about this book. (At least I think that's where I found it. The only ones I can find online are with Chris Hayes and Lawrence O'Donnell. Go figure.) Had to read it.
Other people here make remarks about how angry they are reading this book. "Prepare to be pissed off." They are totally not kidding. I was fired up after every single chapter. I read this book in the context of two major and related events: Citigroup paying $7 billion for being a bugger, and several thousand immigrants (many of whom are unaccompanied minors) from Central America crossing the border into the USA. It's staggering.
I really like Matt Taibbi's writing style. Normally a bunch of the financial stuff would be over my head, but the explanations were really helpful. A really clear, direct writing style. The explanations of inequality are spot on. I'm surprised there's not more sourcing in the book, but that's probably my only concern. Great book. Will read more by him.
joebuuz's review against another edition
5.0
"Low-class people do low-class things."
This quote appears about a quarter into the book and sticks with you the rest of the way through. The translation being without wealth you will never receive, nor do you deserve, the benefit of the doubt.
This book felt like the journalistic sequel to Taibbi’s previous book Griftopia, which was about the financial crisis of 2008. As a contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine Taibbi has been a vocal and aggressive opponent of the principal investment banks he argues were the cause of 2008. However, his style, often compared to Hunter S. Thompson, can rub people the wrong way. The same can be said of this current book which makes the case that there are two concurrent trends in our judicial system, growing wealth inequality and mass incarceration, leading to a new paradigm of justice. Here Taibbi presents a thorough argument for why $26 billion dollars in fraud equals zero felonies but we can kick in 26,000 doors a year for welfare fraud.
It is worth a read.
This quote appears about a quarter into the book and sticks with you the rest of the way through. The translation being without wealth you will never receive, nor do you deserve, the benefit of the doubt.
This book felt like the journalistic sequel to Taibbi’s previous book Griftopia, which was about the financial crisis of 2008. As a contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine Taibbi has been a vocal and aggressive opponent of the principal investment banks he argues were the cause of 2008. However, his style, often compared to Hunter S. Thompson, can rub people the wrong way. The same can be said of this current book which makes the case that there are two concurrent trends in our judicial system, growing wealth inequality and mass incarceration, leading to a new paradigm of justice. Here Taibbi presents a thorough argument for why $26 billion dollars in fraud equals zero felonies but we can kick in 26,000 doors a year for welfare fraud.
It is worth a read.