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A review by jenbsbooks
No Human Contact: Solitary Confinement, Maximum Security, and Two Inmates Who Changed the System by Pete Earley
3.25
Hmmm ... not sure how I felt about this one. It's always a little hard rating a non-fiction book. You can't really comment on the "story" per se, so it's more the organization and presentation, the overall feel. I generally like to note if a book is first person or third person and it's a little hard to define here. At times it's first person from the author's POV, then he's telling the stories based on interviews and such (3rd person) but then uses a lot of quotes and such (1st person) ...
This begins with an Author's Note ... I do think this was better at the beginning than afterward, as most author's notes are situated. As mentioned on the POV above, the author states "this is written from their points of view. Missing are the voices of their victims and the families who suffered" and so this does come across a little as a slant toward these murderers ... are we supposed to feel sorry for them? It does address the basic questions - were they "born bad" or can childhood abuse be blamed? Is prison for rehabilitation, or punishment? When can it be taken too far?
The sub-heading on the title ... "two inmates who changed the system" almost makes it sound like the change was for the better ... and I guess that depends on WHO it it better for. The change IS the move TO supermax and solitary, and no contact, which was deemed necessary as these two prisoners really didn't have anything left to lose. Why wouldn't they kill again and cause more problems in prison? Honestly ... I guess I am a death penalty gal. I just don't understand why prisoners like this shouldn't receive it. I need to read a story that makes me question the death penalty, this did not (except to ask why it wasn't an option).
I had a little trouble focusing on the "story" ... I went with the audio edition, but had the Kindle copy close by for reference. The narration was a little bland, and didn't set things apart as much as in print. In the Kindle copy, it was obvious it was a quote as the text was in italics and indented. In audio, it all blended together a bit more.
While the title states TWO men ... this seems to be Silverstein's story with Fountain more of a footnote. Mentioned at the start, then not again until Chapter 11, and taken under Silverstein's wing.
Plenty of proFanity (x51) and violence and gore ... feces was only in there 12 times? I could have sworn it was more.
Not really a book I'd recommend - just a lot of misery without really offering something to take away from the information given.
This begins with an Author's Note ... I do think this was better at the beginning than afterward, as most author's notes are situated. As mentioned on the POV above, the author states "this is written from their points of view. Missing are the voices of their victims and the families who suffered" and so this does come across a little as a slant toward these murderers ... are we supposed to feel sorry for them? It does address the basic questions - were they "born bad" or can childhood abuse be blamed? Is prison for rehabilitation, or punishment? When can it be taken too far?
The sub-heading on the title ... "two inmates who changed the system" almost makes it sound like the change was for the better ... and I guess that depends on WHO it it better for. The change IS the move TO supermax and solitary, and no contact, which was deemed necessary as these two prisoners really didn't have anything left to lose. Why wouldn't they kill again and cause more problems in prison? Honestly ... I guess I am a death penalty gal. I just don't understand why prisoners like this shouldn't receive it. I need to read a story that makes me question the death penalty, this did not (except to ask why it wasn't an option).
I had a little trouble focusing on the "story" ... I went with the audio edition, but had the Kindle copy close by for reference. The narration was a little bland, and didn't set things apart as much as in print. In the Kindle copy, it was obvious it was a quote as the text was in italics and indented. In audio, it all blended together a bit more.
While the title states TWO men ... this seems to be Silverstein's story with Fountain more of a footnote. Mentioned at the start, then not again until Chapter 11, and taken under Silverstein's wing.
Plenty of proFanity (x51) and violence and gore ... feces was only in there 12 times? I could have sworn it was more.
Not really a book I'd recommend - just a lot of misery without really offering something to take away from the information given.