Sudhir Venkatesh's "Gang Leader for a Day"

I found this to be a fascinating read, a book you can't put down. The author comes across as a likeable, genuine guy, but honest enough to admit two-thirds the way through the book that his motives and interactions weren't as innocent as he presented them. I find this fascinating because it makes you think, think hard about right and wrong.

His stories about the gang leader J. T., the building president Ms. Bailey, and other characters bring to life the realities of the inner city blacks in a state-imposed "housing" project. On one level the story is grim because the facts of their existence is grim. But on another level there is a wonderful characterization of community and caring and relationships. That's life, a complex melange. Reality is not black-or-white, it is "all of the above".

If you want to understand the grim reality of a drug gang, this book gives you the feel for it. The relevant section in Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner's book Freakonomics that discusses Venkatesh's collaborative reserach with Levitt gives you the gritty economic reality, i.e. being a low level gang member pays less than a MacDonald's job!

Here's a book that you wouldn't normally reach for, a book in the "criminology" section. Sounds dry. But this reads with as much life and passion as any novel I've read. It has the drama, but it also puts you up close and personal with the reality of inner city poverty. Fascinating.