Black King _1311666 originally uploaded by Chris Irwin

A few weeks ago I read a post over at The Deets about books he had recently finished. Among them was Sudhir Venkatesh’s Gang Leader for a Day. Ed over at The Deets mentioned:

A very interesting read. If you like the show The Wire, you may find this interesting because it looks at gang structures, chain of command issues, and dealing with corrupt cops, among other gang related issues.

While I have never seen The Wire I have heard that it is quite worthwhile and being that I am quite uninformed when it comes to gang related anything, I figured it would be a good way to familiarize myself with something which seems to be on the rise in the Metro and especially the South Metro. With that in mind I headed over to the library system and reserved myself a copy at the Minneapolis Central Library as I could not find any in stock in the Dakota County system.

I picked the book up at the library after work on Tuesday. I found myself burning through the page turner and by the time I stepped off the bus at AVTS I had already made it through more than 1/3 the book. While this tackled some pretty tough topics including the economics of the crack trade, how public safety works/doesn’t work within the projects, how to game the system, and most importantly how non-gang members have a love/hate relationship with the gang and how that impacts their lives.

While the book moved quickly for the first half, it did start to drag (as much as one can drag when it only takes a day to read it, something which Sank can attest to) through till the end–mostly when the author began wandering, at the request of his thesis advisers, from the most interesting topic which was about the gang leader himself to the social impacts the gang had on those who lived within the projects.

Overall a book I highly recommend you read if you are at all interested in the trials and tribulations of a nerdy Indian kid from a suburban California background who suddenly entrenched himself in the gang culture of Chicago’s Black Kings.

Have you read Gang Leader for a Day or any of Venkatesh’s other works? Do you have any books you’d recommend based on this topic? Are you surprised that an academic was able to easily worm his way into the heart of one of Chicago’s most successful crack-selling gangs? Do you have any fears about local gangs attracting the attention of corrupt cops who may let them do what they want in some parts of our area? Whatever you have to say about Gang Leader for a Day go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Main Entry: read·er
Pronunciation: \ˈrē-dər\
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century
1 a: one that reads b: one appointed to read to others

Being an avid reader seems to be a part of my make-up. My mom read to me and my sisters most every night before bed. We got books for gift giving occasions and always had books to read around the house. All of sitting around with our nose in a book was not an unusual site. Does this behavior turn someone into an avid reader? I’m not sure but I know that it did it for me and my sisters. Each of us loves to read and in turn is passing that love of reading on to the next generation.

A recent discussion here about banning books made me think about my own childhood and books. I was allowed to read any age appropriate book from the school library or any book from the school library when you get right down to it. It was different on our trips to the large public library in town. Mom steered us to the section of books we could pick from and helped us select something. There was guidance offered but I can’t ever recall being told out right that I couldn’t read a particular book. Maybe that’s the difference having a reader for a parent makes. My mom read some of the books that we read. To see the content first hand, to be ready to answer questions we might have. She was very involved in that way. I will always be grateful for the time and effort my mom made on behalf of my sisters and me when it came to books and reading.

I know some very lovely people, smart, accomplished people, who don’t read for pleasure. They say that reading for work or school has taken the joy out of it for them. With our busy lives and being pulled in multiple directions I know it’s hard to carve out time to sit down with a book. But a lot of us still take the time. We take the time to pass the joy of reading to our children. What made you a reader? Or if you’re not a reader, why not? Do you think reading to/with children is important? Please share your stories. I can’t wait to read them.

beethovens trip to the beach originally uploaded by Boydy Junior

Even if my plans don’t include an actual trip to the shore I always think of summer as beach reading time. Sitting outside and reading the afternoon away, whether at the beach, by the pool or in your own backyard, is one of the greatest pleasures of summer. A tall frosty beverage of choice and the beckoning pages of a new book is a combo that can’t be beat. This is the time of year where “light reading” seems to be not only accepted but encouraged.

I think of “beach reads” like summertime block buster movies, fun and entertaining and a bit over the top. Mystery & intrigue, suspense & thrillers, even romance if that’s your thing.

Some of my favorite authors are Lee Child, James Lee Burke, Steve Berry, Michael Connelly and occasionally JD Robb’s In Death series and the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. These authors have been pretty consistently entertaining for me over the years.

I read all kinds of books, fiction, non-fiction, history, sociology, but come summertime I’m ready to put down the more serious reads for something a little lighter and just pure fun.

My beach bag is on the way to overflowing with hours of fun in the sun reading.

What’ll be in your beach bag this summer? Who are some of your favorite authors? What is your favorite place to enjoy a fun summer read? Please share your thoughts. I look forward to comparing notes.