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bookishbrooke's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really well-written, of course with some help. There were many touching moments intertwined with humorous ones. Near the end of the book, it tends to get emotional so warning: get some tissues!! I almost cried like three times. 😂 I would recommend to this to true crime enthusiasts!
toesinthesand's review against another edition
3.0
taking off a star for the dog dying (so unnecessary to include) and for the constant reference to liberals, which seems to be code for Satan worshipers. I'm a liberal who likes cops just fine thank you.
lucysmom828's review against another edition
1.0
I've known a few cops in my day, and have done a ride along with one. It was an incredible experience, because he talked about the power he has wearing the uniformand wielding a gun, and how he's mindful of that when interacting with people. He emphasized always starting an interaction treating the other person like a person (and not a criminal), because more often than not, talking things through can solve a lot of problems. I have great respect for this person and his team, and this was what I was hoping to read more about. Oh boy, was I sorely mistaken. Strap in folks, because it's all downhill from here.
In the Introduction Steve Osborne talks about how he's not a writer, and it is quite apparent. Most books I can get through, but I stopped reading this book about halfway through because of the poor writing. There are also sections that are just so incredibly disappointing when it comes to his character and showcases fragile masculinity at its finest. Allow me to list them below.
- He talks about the long hours in the patrol car and how he ogles women during this time. He also brags about using his job title as a way to pick up women. But wait! The misogyny continues! In the introduction he mentions a nationwide tour he did telling his stories, stating that "it was a free vacation, and maybe a few more hot girls to hang out with (luckily [his] wife thought [he] was exaggerating)." Seriously? It boggles my mind that he thinks this is something appropriate to talk about, especially since he was doing this while on the job.
- Throughout the book he fears being called a liberal (because apparently that's the worst thing someone can call him). At one point he realizes that he was whispering to a prisoner because he didn't want the other cops to think he was a liberal (page 99). Now keep in mind, this comes after he bought the prisoner 6 hot dogs to eat and he thanked him for them. Only a few pages later (p. 101) he says "and not to sound like a liberal, because I'm not, but it was a really good feeling." So apparently caring for another human being and showing empathy is being a liberal. There are certainly worse things to be called. It's worrisome to know that someone whose job title involves caring for the community can't stand the idea of someone thinking that he's a kind and caring human being. Such bassackward thinking.
- On page 94 he says "don't believe all the crap you hear about cops beating prisoners." And yet, throughout the book, he talks about how he wanted to be a cop to beat up and arrest the bad guys. He tells multiple stories about how he corners someone with a "don't move, motherfucker, or I'll shoot you" (or some variant of that). I find it interesting how he tells us not to believe something that he confesses to doing time and again.
- He talks about arresting the same people multiple times, and how he'll run into them a few days after they're released and arrest them again. The justice system is broken, and here's a clear example. Rather than critically thinking about what he or his department can do to address ot prevent this "revolving door," he relishes in being able to arrest the same person multiple times. Quite frankly, it's disgusting. He sees these people as things to be "collected," rather than people that need help.
- p.115 "And it's not racial profiling - it's called good police work." To use an old adage, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. Call it whatever you want to make yourself feel better, but it's still racial profiling.
- Finally, the description that made me give up on this book completely. He talks about his "spidey sense" and how it would start tingling when he saw someone that looked good (aka, like a criminal). Except it's located in his ball bag, which then leads him to tell us about his "nut sack that was buzzing like a cell phone on vibrate." Umm, what? He says that he doesn't have a gut feeling, more like a tingling in his ball bag. I'm sorry, you mean to tell me that one of "New York's finest" is arresting people based on a feeling in his testicles? This is completely ridiculous, and I cannot fathom why he felt this necessary to share. I also can't believe his editor let him keep this in. What are they hoping to gain with this? How fragile is your masculinity that a "gut feeling" isn't enough, but it has to be in your ball sack?
To put it simply, this book is no more than a cop trying to relive his glory days by talking about ogling women, arresting anyone he felt looked like a bad guy, and his tingling ball sack. He tries to justify his racist, sexist, and classist behavior by saying that he's "keeping the city safe." But at the end of the day, he's just another person abusing his power and trying to protect his fragile masculinity. Save yourself some time and don't read this book.
In the Introduction Steve Osborne talks about how he's not a writer, and it is quite apparent. Most books I can get through, but I stopped reading this book about halfway through because of the poor writing. There are also sections that are just so incredibly disappointing when it comes to his character and showcases fragile masculinity at its finest. Allow me to list them below.
- He talks about the long hours in the patrol car and how he ogles women during this time. He also brags about using his job title as a way to pick up women. But wait! The misogyny continues! In the introduction he mentions a nationwide tour he did telling his stories, stating that "it was a free vacation, and maybe a few more hot girls to hang out with (luckily [his] wife thought [he] was exaggerating)." Seriously? It boggles my mind that he thinks this is something appropriate to talk about, especially since he was doing this while on the job.
- Throughout the book he fears being called a liberal (because apparently that's the worst thing someone can call him). At one point he realizes that he was whispering to a prisoner because he didn't want the other cops to think he was a liberal (page 99). Now keep in mind, this comes after he bought the prisoner 6 hot dogs to eat and he thanked him for them. Only a few pages later (p. 101) he says "and not to sound like a liberal, because I'm not, but it was a really good feeling." So apparently caring for another human being and showing empathy is being a liberal. There are certainly worse things to be called. It's worrisome to know that someone whose job title involves caring for the community can't stand the idea of someone thinking that he's a kind and caring human being. Such bassackward thinking.
- On page 94 he says "don't believe all the crap you hear about cops beating prisoners." And yet, throughout the book, he talks about how he wanted to be a cop to beat up and arrest the bad guys. He tells multiple stories about how he corners someone with a "don't move, motherfucker, or I'll shoot you" (or some variant of that). I find it interesting how he tells us not to believe something that he confesses to doing time and again.
- He talks about arresting the same people multiple times, and how he'll run into them a few days after they're released and arrest them again. The justice system is broken, and here's a clear example. Rather than critically thinking about what he or his department can do to address ot prevent this "revolving door," he relishes in being able to arrest the same person multiple times. Quite frankly, it's disgusting. He sees these people as things to be "collected," rather than people that need help.
- p.115 "And it's not racial profiling - it's called good police work." To use an old adage, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. Call it whatever you want to make yourself feel better, but it's still racial profiling.
- Finally, the description that made me give up on this book completely. He talks about his "spidey sense" and how it would start tingling when he saw someone that looked good (aka, like a criminal). Except it's located in his ball bag, which then leads him to tell us about his "nut sack that was buzzing like a cell phone on vibrate." Umm, what? He says that he doesn't have a gut feeling, more like a tingling in his ball bag. I'm sorry, you mean to tell me that one of "New York's finest" is arresting people based on a feeling in his testicles? This is completely ridiculous, and I cannot fathom why he felt this necessary to share. I also can't believe his editor let him keep this in. What are they hoping to gain with this? How fragile is your masculinity that a "gut feeling" isn't enough, but it has to be in your ball sack?
To put it simply, this book is no more than a cop trying to relive his glory days by talking about ogling women, arresting anyone he felt looked like a bad guy, and his tingling ball sack. He tries to justify his racist, sexist, and classist behavior by saying that he's "keeping the city safe." But at the end of the day, he's just another person abusing his power and trying to protect his fragile masculinity. Save yourself some time and don't read this book.
lilrandisaurus's review against another edition
2.0
Although it had the potential to be good, the amount of sexist and homophobic comments made me extremely uncomfortable. There is no need to talk about your penis size or how many hot chicks you watch on the street. Disgusting.
heyjude1965's review against another edition
4.0
Warning, lots of f-bombs! Interesting tale (I listened to the audio, read by the author), of a NY City cop and some of his adventures from 20 yrs. on the job. My brother's a retired cop, so I'm partial to cops, plus I Love listening to true life adventures.
blevins's review against another edition
3.0
Ex-NYC cop Steve Osborne delivers a group of stories about his days as a cop--from his early period as a beat cop to when he was an officer. Told with his thick NYC accent [I listened to the audio version that Osborne reads], some stories are funny, some are sad. I love reading about cop life, so I enjoyed it, but at the end of the book Osborne has a few of his live appearances at The Moth and hearing him with a crowd--that is where the magic happens! I wish the entire audio book had been him telling the stories in front of people. Written down, they lost a bit of the spark, but with Osborne in front of a crowd, the stories were way more vivid and alive.
caryneh's review against another edition
1.0
This book was horrible. Not sure how or why I finished it. Basically the same details were rehashed over and over again with no insight to The Job at all. Repetitive and shallow. Don’t bother.