This book is a gem, one of the best I've ever read. It's not sad: it's mostly a deep point of view about reality, but no space for sadness here. Ed Bunker is a really gifted writer, and I was stunned by his book: I found it as strong as any good piece of literature. So powerful, so vivid, so close to the truth. It's cruel, cynic, but so real: there's more truth in this book than in 1000 different ones. The author lets you analyze the nature of crime, without analyzing it for you, just telling a story. What a discovery.

A crime-novel from a man who knows the inside of the criminal mind. This book is interesting both as a social study and as a suspense novel. Bunker does not keep his punches, and he writes with brutal honesty. The story of Max Dembo(the main character), is both exiting and sad, as Max tries to become a straight citizen, but soon realize that he is "born to loose". A great book, no matter how you look at it. This should be something they make the kids read in highschools.

This is an incredible book about criminals and their twisted philosophies. Bunker writes with brutal honesty. I found better psychological insights in these pages than a handful of sociologists could blabber out of their book training. This book came from the REAL DEAL! It doesn't glamorize anything-it just is what it is. Not to filibuster here, but with the ongoing debates about capital punishment and crime in general, this book should berequired reading for anyso-called "experts" on the subject. Bunker's words make a lot of sense and help you to understand a criminal's mind a little better.

Having read MR.Bunker"s books begining with "No beast so Fierce" and ending with "The Education of a Felon" I am disappointed that his books have become so expensive. Im afraid that Mr Bunker has priced himself out the market, especially in the Barrio where Mr Bunker is so eloquent in describing his time spent with us Chicanos. Bunker writes with a gritty in your face style that leaves no doubt as to where he was educated. Mr Bunker should reconsider the prices on his books or else all his great books will end up collecting dust in some bookstore"s backroom.This would be a loss to the legion of his faithful readers.

This is a great book! I am so sad that it is over. I am trying to look for The Minute Boys of Green Hill................I loved it so much. My Mom made me read it and after the first 20 pages I knew that she was right!!!!! Once again my Mom was right!!!! (just kidding) I would recommend this book to ALL kids..........boys and girls. It was kind of gross. And also, it was kind of sad. I usually do not like sad books, but this was balanced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had only read Edward Bunker's 1st novel before I was arrested for armed robbery and I had this book sent in to me when I was in Snohomish County Jail awaiting sentencing and it gave me a strange courage when I read it. Edward Bunker is the real deal.
Nobody can touch him in terms of understandng and experience. Prison is like war; you can never understand it unless you've experienced it firsthand.Most people will never have to endure what Eddie Bunker(and me) have had to endure but because Bunker is so talented, they can get a little taste by picking up any one of his books; I've read them all and they're uniformly awesome. Edward Bunker is my hero. My first book STONE HOTEL was strongly influenced by him. I think he's the greatest.

I have read all of Bunkers books and love this one . A story of a boy and the cycle of life of crime trouble depression... if youve been there you know already. So there is hope out there a way out of the darkness.. Read all his books.. real gritty gangsta ..

All I can say is that "Little Boy Blue" is a blueprint for how a troubled boy can be transformed into an adult sociopath. Ironically, the system that is supposed to reform him is the culprit in pushing him toward further hopelessness and delinquency. Alex Hammond is basically a good kid with good instincts who is battered by authority until he lashes out and becomes submerged in hatred. There are many instances when he can choose between obedience and rebellion, and even though he inevitably decides to rebel, he often seems to have little choice. Frustration with a dictatorship of adults who have little patience or tolerance for the special needs of this disturbed boy sends him hurtling on a collision course with tragedy. Especially troubling is the scene where Alex is placed with relatives who are inflexible in their method of discipline--he seems to be making slight progress when a fabricated lie shoves him back down the mudslide. Here Alex actually shows a hint of conscience--or has he simply gained dominance over the aggressor? The harrowing course of his life is told in uncompromising, brutally-honest terms. Every professional involved in rehabilitating children should own a copy of this book. It chronicles the downfall of innocence, introducing a doomed child whose life is always threatened by an undercurrent of depression.

A wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker. An impressive accomplishment, documenting not only his survival, but especially his amazing ability and drive to write while being hammered through the slime of the California Prison System. I couldn't put it down. Capturing the 40's and 50's of a long-gone LA (especially Hollywood) with his particular perspective was most illuminating. Reminded me of the works of John Fante. The 'inside' picture of the movie business was particularly facinating. The amazing contrast between opposite poles, wealth, power & glamor, and the tough streets of those surviving on the edge is particularly effecting. This is straight talk. He talks to you and you're there. The great satisfaction of enjoying his ultimate success and recognition make this book especially commendable.

A wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker! Here's a unique view of Los Angeles, and Hollywood, in the 40's and 50's. The scope of Bunker's life is impossible to imagine: the wealth, power and glamour of Hollywood contrasted by the realities of survival on the tough streets of LA. The utter horrors of the criminal justice system, for those without means, are documented here in unabashed personal detail. It's the rare person who has experienced such dramatic contrasts in life let along live to write it. Edward Bunker's amazing drive to devour books and to write while surviving long periods of brutal incarceration is in itself a unique example of intellectual survival. His portrait of Southern California in the 40's reminded me of the writings of John Fante (Black Sparrow Press). Being a native Californian with much "Hollywood Time" I was fascinated by his descriptions of familiar places and the invisible underworld that existed beyond the vision of most of us. His glimpses into the very heart of those at the panicle of power and fame, from the vantage point of a kid looking in from the outside only to be welcomed inside and nurtured in spite of his horrendous criminal life, are fascinating. I couldn't put this book down. It really is straight talk from the depths of hell. An experience you'll share and not soon forget thanks to the skill of Edward Bunker's honest writing style. The after word provides unqualified satisfaction. For a man who should be long dead and whose name and very existence passed unnoticed, his triumphant survival and achievements leave you with a powerful, and beautiful, image of what man can do given the will to overcome the impossible.

Wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker! His "Education of a Felon" was riviting, to say the least. Here's a fancinating glimse into the long gone days of Los Angeles, and especially "Hollywood." The poles-apart contrast of his early life couldn't be more extreme. There's plenty of material here for thoughful reflection about the current state of our Criminal Justice and prison system. His work reminds me of the works of John Fante. He paints a picture of the LA of decades past with the sharpness and impact of a switchblade. His truly incredible drive to write while being hammered through the California Justice system is not just admirable but amazing. I couldn't put it down. His is a rare perspective running between two completely opposite worlds: Hollywood with all its glamor, power and wealth, and life on the edge, on the tough streets of LA where very few survived. He makes it all real. Straight talk. He's out front, talking to you without covering the shame and desperation of his early years. In the afterword we get to share a tiny glimpse of his survival and triumph, as a writer, as a human being. This leaves you with a great deal of satisfaction.

This book was so gripping, I read it (blush) in a single sitting at a bookstore. Never bought it. The ending could have been a bit more plausible, but I woke up the next two mornings having dreamt about it. Whew!

With Dog Eat Dog Edward Bunker shows us his talent for writing down-and-dirty, there are no keeping the punches in this shocking novel about three friends and ex-cons that come up with a plot to rip off other criminals. The book does side slightly with the criminals, but it does not glorify them as misunderstood good guys, it shows them as mean and evil at times, but also let us see that they are human, and that not all the bad that is inside them is of their own doing. Bunker might not master the language as well as seaseoned crime-fiction writers, but this adds to the authenticity of the book too, making it seem more "there", while it leads us towards the ending. The book is a character study too, and we see some truly terrible characters here, even a few without any "good" sides. It is a brutal and shocking book, and not for every one.

Edward Bunker's "Dog Eat Dog" may lack the sophisticated prose and style of a more seasoned crime writer, but its realism more than makes up for it. These men are real criminals with real evil in their hearts. They are not cartoonish buffoons like they would be in an Elmore Leonard novel. Bunker knows the hell of cocaine addiction, he knows the desperation that drives men to commit robbery, he knows the allure of the criminal life, he knows there is no true "honor" among thieves. This book is like a kick in the teeth. Unlike some cartoonish crime novels, "Dog Eat Dog" is not meant to entertain. It is an uncompromising portrayal of what it really is like to be a criminal, and how difficult (almost impossible) it is to distance yourself from the criminal lifestyle. It's not surprising that Bunker is a reformed ex-criminal. It's doubtful anyone else could have written such unflinching realism.

Few writers can describe more effectively the horrors of prison - the Animal Factories that turn minor offenders into hardened criminals and murderers - than Edward Bunker. This is the first and only of his books that takes place entirely inside the walls of a prison. I expected more.

Bunker's weakness has always been his dialogue. "The Animal Factory" features his worst attempts at writing dialogue. His descriptions of prison life are vivid and real. The words he forces into his character's mouths bring the flow of the narrative to a screeching halt. This is particuarly pronounced in the relationship between the new arrival - a young man who has been sentenced on a drug charge - and the hardened convict who befriends him, a relationship that doesn't ring true.

"The Animal Factory" is not without its merits. As we see the young convict, Ron, change his values and actions in order to survive, it's hard not to view prison as anything but a another phase in the making of a career convict. Bunker effectively portrays prison as a breeding ground for a more violent, desperate brand of criminal. Unfortunately, the weaknesses of this book outweigh the merits.

For readers who have heard of Bunker but have not yet read him, I wouldn't recommend "The Animal Factory" as a starting point. Try "Little Boy Blue" - Bunker's best work - instead.

Everyone,
This is a good book. However, I expected a little more from it. When I bought this book I was expecting to see a real look at prison society and life. It was a little too politically correct for me. I was expecting a gritty California prison novel, but I was greeted with a look at prison from the eyes of what seemed to be a middle class author and not a convict. It just didn't seem all that real. It seemed like I could have thought up the ideas myself. But, it was a really great read and I will buy more Edward Bunker books. His writing is addictive(I finished the book in less than 2 days), and I really want to read another to see how different or similar it will be. I would recomed this book for anyone who enjoys crime novels or prison novels, but I will read another one of Bunker's books before I tell people that he is worth reading more than once.

Like edward Bunker I've spent time in prison for armed robbery and i'm here to tell you that no one has been able to capture the boredom, frustration and quicksilver outbursts of violence that characterize prison better. He is simply the greatest "crime" writer ever. He's been there. He's done it. A fiercly determined and talented man, Edward Bunker is an inspiration to me.