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stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
Watkins makes it so incredibly clear why the drug trade flourishes in America's inner cities. His story and perspective are vital to understanding how even the "good kids" can become a part of the game.
annahendi's review against another edition
3.0
Absolutely flew through this book. The Cook Up is a very raw, honest, and violent look into D. Watkins life as a drug dealer in Baltimore, Maryland. The narrative is extremely detailed and really allowed me to get a sense of the environment and characters who floated in and out.
One thing I couldn't really get past was the number of grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. The editing seemed sub-par and it was hard to look past it at certain points. I also wished there was more self-reflection from D at the end. I was expecting more loose ends to be tied up, and to walk away with a better understanding of what he got out of it in the end.
Takeaway quote: "It took twenty-three years for me to figure out that money and love are two different things. Until that point, my whole life had been centered around what I had, what I could do for others, or what I could make. My friends and family felt like me—we all share the same bullshit-money-equals-love mentality. We are all equally flawed."
One thing I couldn't really get past was the number of grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. The editing seemed sub-par and it was hard to look past it at certain points. I also wished there was more self-reflection from D at the end. I was expecting more loose ends to be tied up, and to walk away with a better understanding of what he got out of it in the end.
Takeaway quote: "It took twenty-three years for me to figure out that money and love are two different things. Until that point, my whole life had been centered around what I had, what I could do for others, or what I could make. My friends and family felt like me—we all share the same bullshit-money-equals-love mentality. We are all equally flawed."
vangela91's review against another edition
3.0
The book was good in that it exposes a side of Baltimore and a lifestyle that most won’t get to see. It pulls on you emotionally in that way, by giving you a look into the lives of people we typically ignore. The grammar and set up of the chapters set the tone of the book, which was kind of “Eh” for me. I wish it was better edited and set up more so in the tone of a Ta-Nehisi Coates memoir or book. But I guess that is what makes every author unique. They each have their own tone and style.
orsayor's review against another edition
3.0
I was hoping to connect with the author's experience on a deeper level, but I didn't. (3.5)
Full review on www.bookreferees.org
Full review on www.bookreferees.org
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating memoir from a former drug dealer in Baltimore. Watkins really doesn't hold back as he lays out the specifics of how and why drug dealers operate. It's an eye opener. It's also heartbreaking as it becomes clear that the intelligence required to create a successful drug dealing operation could readily be deployed in some more traditional pursuits, but the money, and almost as importantly the "prestige" is seductive. I love memoirs that give insight into something you know little or nothing about, and this book does that in a gritty, no holds barred voice.
rose_peterson's review against another edition
4.0
When I recommend books to my dad, he often laments that they are all so sad and hopeless, and I give him some spiel about how insulating ourselves from the struggles of others comforts us but doesn't solve problems. The Cook Up, though, left me more cynical and hopeless than most books do--and oddly, that's what I loved about it. There was no redemption. There was no white teacher who swooped in and fixed everything, no community center that opened and magically got kids off the street, no policing initiative that changed the landscape of the community. It reinforced the cyclical nature of the problems that face urban youth.
It was honest.
I'm already ordering a class set for my students. I know it will resonate with them because so many of Watkins' lines read like Rod Wave lyrics which, of course, means so many lines read like my kids' own lives.
It was honest.
I'm already ordering a class set for my students. I know it will resonate with them because so many of Watkins' lines read like Rod Wave lyrics which, of course, means so many lines read like my kids' own lives.
knit3314's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the author reading this memoir as an audiobook.
I highly recommend this memoir to anyone who has an interest in authentic, honest, and cultural storytelling. The story flows so well form short chapter to short chapter. The reader has a front row in every page. And it has a great ending.
I appreciated the view into a culture I’m not familiar with, personally. It took 2 days with the audiobook (and interruptions) but I’m sure it’s a 1-day read in print or ebook.
Also, if you liked the memoir “Heavy”by Kiese Laymon you will love this.
I highly recommend this memoir to anyone who has an interest in authentic, honest, and cultural storytelling. The story flows so well form short chapter to short chapter. The reader has a front row in every page. And it has a great ending.
I appreciated the view into a culture I’m not familiar with, personally. It took 2 days with the audiobook (and interruptions) but I’m sure it’s a 1-day read in print or ebook.
Also, if you liked the memoir “Heavy”by Kiese Laymon you will love this.
bisaacson52's review against another edition
4.0
I'm always impressed by a memoirist's ability distill their experience into relatable detail - describing the who/what/where/when while also evoking the feeling of the moment AND providing a plot that pulls the reader along. Watkins succeeds with all this - the specific, emotive, and narrative - his characters jump off the page and the story flies along.
Watkins relates his experiences as a crack dealer from the perspective of someone who got out, who managed to tease himself away from the allure of money and prestige and eventually earn two post-grad degrees. Most essential to this, Watkins lets see and feel his Baltimore, from his perspective. This book will stay with me for a long time.
Watkins relates his experiences as a crack dealer from the perspective of someone who got out, who managed to tease himself away from the allure of money and prestige and eventually earn two post-grad degrees. Most essential to this, Watkins lets see and feel his Baltimore, from his perspective. This book will stay with me for a long time.
curiously_curly's review against another edition
4.0
The Lowdown: Dwight "Dee" Watkins tells a harrowing tale of his life as a drug dealer on the streets of East Baltimore in the aftermath of his brother "Bip's" death.
The Good:This book was gritty, visceral and real. Watkins minces no words as he describes the drug life, the murders, the flashy lifestyle, the strip clubs, the grinding poverty. The portrayal of East Baltimore is a sad reality and testament to the devastating effects of housing segregation, crack cocaine, economic depression, strict federal drug sentencing guidelines, failing schools and overall lack of resources that plague many predominately black and brown communities.
The Bad: While [b:The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir|27416063|The Cook Up A Crack Rock Memoir|D. Watkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456091202s/27416063.jpg|47465150] is marketed as a memoir to me, as a reader, it felt much more like a collection of short stories and vignettes. Most of the writing came across as a bit disjointed e.g. Watkins would be describing how he and his drug crew were hanging in the cut, drinking, smoking weed or breaking down bricks and then the next minute Watkins would be at the strip club or buying a new whip.
I was also disappointed the author didn't delve deeper into his life after the streets. He mentions briefly in the very last pages of the book that he wants to be a teacher in E. Baltimore and, to my surprise and delight, I find in his duskjacket bio that he went on to earn two master's degrees and is a professor at University of Baltimore! A few chapters on his transformation from drug dealer to college professor would have been compelling.
Also, my Kindle edition was fairly rife with errors. Small grammatical errors that any good editor worth his or her salt would've caught. Not sure if the print edition has the same problems.
You should read this if:
-You're a fan of The Wire, David Simon's [b:Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets|18956|Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets|David Simon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432402772s/18956.jpg|3187942] or [b:The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood|18957|The Corner A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood|David Simon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388202800s/18957.jpg|20297] (all of these are great, btw)
-You like when a memoir "keeps it one hunnit" and doesn't gloss over harsh realities
Don't even bother if:
-You can't handle Ebonics or what I like to call "urban patois" or heavy slang and find this type of stylistic writing distracting. I think one reviewer said something to the effect of she felt like she was in the room or on the corner with "these people." (eye roll...that was the whole point). So if you have to look up what "sherm," or "yak," mean in the Urban Dictionary and find this too taxing...don't bother.
Overall, a 3.5 star read. Disjointed in some places but a quick yet disturbing look into the reality of life in East Baltimore.
The Good:This book was gritty, visceral and real. Watkins minces no words as he describes the drug life, the murders, the flashy lifestyle, the strip clubs, the grinding poverty. The portrayal of East Baltimore is a sad reality and testament to the devastating effects of housing segregation, crack cocaine, economic depression, strict federal drug sentencing guidelines, failing schools and overall lack of resources that plague many predominately black and brown communities.
The Bad: While [b:The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir|27416063|The Cook Up A Crack Rock Memoir|D. Watkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456091202s/27416063.jpg|47465150] is marketed as a memoir to me, as a reader, it felt much more like a collection of short stories and vignettes. Most of the writing came across as a bit disjointed e.g. Watkins would be describing how he and his drug crew were hanging in the cut, drinking, smoking weed or breaking down bricks and then the next minute Watkins would be at the strip club or buying a new whip.
I was also disappointed the author didn't delve deeper into his life after the streets. He mentions briefly in the very last pages of the book that he wants to be a teacher in E. Baltimore and, to my surprise and delight, I find in his duskjacket bio that he went on to earn two master's degrees and is a professor at University of Baltimore! A few chapters on his transformation from drug dealer to college professor would have been compelling.
Also, my Kindle edition was fairly rife with errors. Small grammatical errors that any good editor worth his or her salt would've caught. Not sure if the print edition has the same problems.
You should read this if:
-You're a fan of The Wire, David Simon's [b:Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets|18956|Homicide A Year on the Killing Streets|David Simon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432402772s/18956.jpg|3187942] or [b:The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood|18957|The Corner A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood|David Simon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388202800s/18957.jpg|20297] (all of these are great, btw)
-You like when a memoir "keeps it one hunnit" and doesn't gloss over harsh realities
Don't even bother if:
-You can't handle Ebonics or what I like to call "urban patois" or heavy slang and find this type of stylistic writing distracting. I think one reviewer said something to the effect of she felt like she was in the room or on the corner with "these people." (eye roll...that was the whole point). So if you have to look up what "sherm," or "yak," mean in the Urban Dictionary and find this too taxing...don't bother.
Overall, a 3.5 star read. Disjointed in some places but a quick yet disturbing look into the reality of life in East Baltimore.