Lords of Lawndale: My Life in a Chicago White Street Gang

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time.
Review: Lords of Lawndale is not worth reading at all. The author and the publishing company should never put out another book until someone takes a class in the English language. The spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, word tense, and all other basic writing skills are on a third grade level (and even that may be giving the author and the publisher too much credit). The author has an obsession with using metaphors and similes that do not fit in with the context of the story. It seems that Michael Scott wrote a rough draft for the book and the publisher had no time to proofread it or edit it and decided to just put it into print without considering the fact that the author was a high school drop-out with no grasp of the English language. The amount of run on sentences and repetion of the same facts over and over is enough to drive someone insane.

Now, for the story itself, it's ok. There are about 100 pages of this 335 page book that I actually enjoyed reading, but its not worth reading the whole book to find those pages. The story is pretty much the same page to page with just the change of characters who have the most ridiculous and stupid names. No one goes by their own name.

So if you want to read a book about a street gang, I don't suggest this one if you have any education at all. It will drive you crazy with the poor writing skills and lack of editing. To those who do wish to read it, good luck.

Rating:
Summary: Societies guide to true neighborhood life.
Review: I found the book very compelling, considering I am a suburban male. The media and white society tend to ignore the fact that many white people are dying on the streets everyday. This book is a true account of the way political powers in Chicago have catered to the gentrification process. It is unfourtunate that between crooked police, and the infiltration of drugs that people of the Lawndale Nieghborhood couldn't live a peaceful life. I strongly reccomend this book, as it will open alot of doors for people that believed that gangs in the city were only built of minorities and drug dealers. Michael Scott does not claim to be a hero, but In my eyes he is a survivor of curcumstance, and I truly enjoyed reliving his experiences.

Rating:
Summary: Excellant portrayal of gang life
Review: I found this book to be very good, for most chapters, I literally couldn't put it down. I was fascinated by the straight forwardness of it all. I have never lived where there gang's being a country girl. It had to be hard for the author to write this book, bringing back all the sad memories. The book made me really think about how hard gang life is. There was times when I cried and other time I laughed. I think the author did an excellent job writing about what goes on, and in opening society's eyes to the everyday struggles and pressures that our young men have to go through. I strongly recommend this book for everyone

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book
Review: I live in Chicago and know the neigborhood that this book takes place in. I grew up in the Logan Square area. Reading this book makes you feel as being there walking with the young man and his advetures.
I higly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read the true life of a person caught up in inner city life as it was for this person.

The one thing I found interseting is that it doesn't condone GANGS and doesn't portray himself or the gang as heros, it's just a TRUE, HONEST view.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ

Rating:
Summary: WELL WORTH READING
Review: My sole purpose for reading this type of book was to gain some knowledge of an individuals point of view of being in a gang. He took me through the thick and thin of it all. The book was both interesting and sad, I could feel his pride and his pain. Great book for all social classes, regardless of age, race or religion.

Rating:
Summary: Lords of Lawndale
Review: The Gaylords were a predominately White street gang in Chicago that had its beginnings in the 1950's, and Michael Scott tells his story as a member during the early 80's. Chicago, as all major cities in the United States, experienced a dramatic shift in its racial and ethnic makeup during the 20th century. The process of assimilation is not always a smooth one and Lords of Lawndale tells a compelling story of what happens when things go wrong.

It is a violent story of people protecting their neighborhood. Innocence is lost at a young age, as is life itself sometimes. The amount of violence Michael Scott presents is disturbing and it is a sad state of affairs to realize that this is all too common for the young men of Lawndale. For Michael Scott and his fellow Gaylord members violence was what Little Leaugue Baseball was to other boys.

The reader should not worry about the grammar and punctuation mistakes that exist--no armchair sociologist would be willing to do the field research for such a book. This book was written by a warrior of the streets.

For a inside look at the all too common violence of our city streets Lords of Lawdale is a highly recommended read.

Rating:
Summary: DONT PASS THIS BOOK UP
Review: What I thought was maybe going to be another useless gang info book for gang members turned out to be a page turning gut wrenching story.This book is a story of heroes and their response to tragedy, not a story of tragedy itself.In addition to a addictive plot,the author treats us to a unique narrative that makes the reader part of the story.The stories in this book haunted me for days after reading them. If you want to know when innocence dies,just read the stories in this book. This book also puts to rest that the ghettos only exist in black and hispanic neighborhoods.Bravo MICHAEL SCOTT for telling your story.