OT, books

brightonalex · Post by **brightonalex** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:09 pm

landrvr1 wrote:I realize you're in the UK and might have zero interest in this, but.....

Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
by Sudhir Venkatesh.

Just finished this book, and it's an amazing fucking piece of work. Venkatesh was a grad student here at the University of Chicago when he decided to study the urban poor. He ended up spending the next 7 years practically living in the Robert Taylor Homes (basically the worst housing project in America), and hung out with the Black Kings - Chicago's notorious gang.

When all you know of the urban poor and gangs comes from White Liberals (who have never set foot in a project, but seem to have all the answers as to how to make things better) and rap/hiphop artists (who have completed distorted and glamorized life on the street) this book is a real eye opener.

The most fascinating part was how closely life in the projects resembles life everywhere else. Far from the lawless 'Wild West' stereotype you see in the movies or hear in music, the projects and poor neighborhoods are cities unto themselves; where the Gangs act as defacto government, social services, police, etc. The structure of the gang is not unlike that of any corporation in the world; which is scary in and of itself. Practically everyone is a hustler; trying to get by anyway they can.

I could not put it down.

That sounds right up my street (not literally or course har har). Thanks.

the spirograph crew · Post by **the spirograph crew** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:11 pm

Cheers for all the replys loads of good suggestions!!

a welcome change to all the science books i've been reading lately.

barry tone · Post by **barry tone** » Wed May 07, 2008 4:48 pm

brightonalex wrote:
barry tone wrote:- a million little pieces
- my friend leonard ( the sequel)

by James Frey
Yes except it turned out that most of it is lies.

yes but we try to ignore that ...!

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Wed May 07, 2008 5:35 pm

The Alchemist

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Wed May 07, 2008 6:22 pm

Moody wrote:The Alchemist

+1

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed May 07, 2008 8:05 pm

Zen and the Art Of Motorcyle Maintenance
Snowcrash

two books that I still think about 10-15 years later. lots of good suggestions in this thread.

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Wed May 07, 2008 9:16 pm

Iron John
A Little Book On The Human Shadow

~both by Robert Bly

jez3122 · Post by **jez3122** » Wed May 07, 2008 9:36 pm

Just came back from Egypt...

While there i read "my booky wook" by Russell Brand........most of the books that have been mentioned are great works of art written by great people.......but this book is v good, as soon as i'd read the 1st Chapter i was hooked, it made me laugh alot but also made me think a great deal..

and when or if you ever read it......i dare you to say it wasn't a great book

Rogue Scrunt · Post by **Rogue Scrunt** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:23 pm

Robert Anton Wilson "Cosmic Trigger 1, 2, and 3"

changed my life

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:30 am

Joyce: Ulysses. Best. Book. Ever!

Also, the Satanic Verses. That's also like Ulysses; one of the greats, and very few have read it.

Moody · Post by **Moody** » Thu May 08, 2008 3:00 pm

Rogue Scrunt wrote:Robert Anton Wilson "Cosmic Trigger 1, 2, and 3"

changed my life

+1

bottha · Post by **bottha** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:04 pm

Nabokov's Ada. This one changed my life, but don't ask why/how as it's a little embarrassing. It may be tough going, especially the first part, but it's one of the greatest books ever, worth the effort.

Speaking of embarrassing: this is one of my very few posts to the forum and it's not even related to Live. Please don't hold it against me.

telekom · Post by **telekom** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:27 pm

Cormac McCarthy - The Road. Bleaker than anything I've ever read but absolutely compelling and necessary.

Life A Users Manual - Georges Perec. Just a huge awesome poetic game of a book, about a Parisian apartment block.

Hey Tone Deft, I'm with you on Snowcrash but I liked The Diamond Age even better - Neal Stephenson.

A friend gave me The Corrections by Jonathan Frantzen recently and I thought it was superb.

Also highly recommend Jonathon Safran Foer - Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close.

Enjoy!

overdub · Post by **overdub** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:40 pm

These guys have been a constant source of inspiration to me for the past 25+ years.... if not at all times musically, then I still admired their adventurous travelling lifestyles and constant search for truth and and awkward beauty..... 30 years and still going strong

http://www.amazon.com/Music-Vagabonds-T ... 162&sr=8-3

OT, books

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