This is a pleasant book about a life in the practice of the law. It got a very favorable review in the ABA Journal, so I bought it. It was a nice read, but pretty light-weight, and I do not feel that I had gained much from the reading. There are better books available on the subject.

The 'Walden' is very interesting book

I was impressed with this novel, which I found while searching for biographies of Henry VII of England. The author really made the period come alive. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Henry VII; the Wars of the Roses and just English history in general. By the way, it's not a "trashy" novel, so for those of you looking for romance/historical, this one's not for you! But it's very interesting & well-written so if that's what you want, I recommend it.

What a waste...and I don't mean that the author recently killed himself, instead what a waste of time it is to read this book. This is the only book in my life that I threw away in the trash when I was done with it. At the time I read the book it was "radical chic" to do so. Time has proven radical chic to have been a passing fad and this book nothing more than the then flavor of the month, not the work of art is was claimed to be.

Norman Mailer has always had a inflated view of himself and his writing and he carries that inflation into his view of Abbott and Abbot's writing. I can only wonder if Mailer ever felt or feels guilty about his role in the parole of Abbott and Abbott's killing of a man in New York.

I really don't want to expand more time in writing this review than the book deserves except to end with two comments: 1) Don't waste your time on reading this book, it isn't very good at all; and 2) after killing two persons Abbott finaly got it right and murdered the right man, himself.

Jack Abbott provides his own individual insights into the criminal justice system he has encountered using personal accounts and evaluations based on his self-guided education. He gives an extraordinary window of vision into a world that those of us on the "outside" will never know. Considering that popular opinion deduces all those incarcerated are of low intelligence and have no desire for academic enlightenment, he forms a new image of at least a percentage of the imprisoned population.
A wide array of subject matter is covered far past the basic account of "a day in the life of an inmate". The rationale of the inmate hierarchy is displayed from the inside with a totality that would take years of research and interview compilation to establish. Solitary confinement, or The Hole, warrants an entire chapter, which is fitting considering the author claims to have spent almost fifteen years of his sentences there. There is no room for doubt left concerning the feelings Jack Abbott has for his jailers and the establishment they represent. He clearly expresses throughout his writings that the corrections system exists to oppress the unfortunate and underprivileged.
This book is an invaluable learning tool for the criminology student, if it can be taken for what it is - a product of an individual who has not had the benefit of common social interaction and compassionate guidance. Not all criminals have been "state raised" or abused by the system. Each issue approached in the book must be weighed against the frame of mind and obvious bias held by the inmate. Although Mr. Abbott has had the benefit of reading great ideas, he has not had the chance to apply those ideas or witness the application in a working society.
Mr. Mailer writes in the introduction that Abbott's letters are "remarkable." I understand that the stories related in the correspondence are depictions of extraordinary events, but I believe that in reading letters from incarcerated individuals it is important to remember from where the letters come. One would not read a letter from a death-row inmate with the same frame of mind as reading a letter from a psychiatric patient although the content may have salient similarities.
For types of social scientists other than criminologists, "The Belly of the Beast" is also a notable source of observations that could never be ethically gathered by social scientists in an experimental situation. To study a subject who has been incarcerated for the overwhelming majority of his life in itself is a great opportunity, but many other aspects of deprivation and human psyche left to its own devices are deep wells of analytical possibilities with Jack Abbott as well. His life patterns could be used to look at questions such as the importance of family interaction or personal relationships with the opposite sex in human development.
I was also very interested in the way Jack Abbott communicates the philosophical and political ideas he has studied without professional guidance. Almost any college student will agree that the professor's, or other professional's, direction regarding certain subjects is invaluable. Abbott admits that he has never heard certain words he has read actually spoken aloud and therefore cannot choose how they should be pronounced. This is an unbelievably intense concept to grasp considering most of us learn to speak most words by imitating others.
Although previous scholars had no proven work to build upon, in this era with tons of data and theory, it seems implausible that a person could write from prison with such confidence in himself on these academic subjects. I'll admit I had to read some passages over several times to connect the philosophical thought or quote with the contemporary idea that Mr. Abbott was trying to convey. Many times as I would begin to follow a concept, I would trip headlong over a non sequitur. Knowing that the letters had been edited for publication, I had to wonder what I was missing.
Even with a very strong passion for what he believes, Mr. Abbott can be very confusing. He rants about racism and making another human being inferior, yet calls correction officers pigs. He likens criminals to a dog by discussing the idea that an animal can learn to do what it's told by punishment by deprivation or infliction of pain. He further explains that if the animal cannot learn that punishment will result in deprivation or pain, that it must be destroyed. These statements do seem to support his views on reform of the criminal justice system.
He goes on to say that a person must have a certain degree of wealth to stay out of jail. A poor man will go to jail for committing a crime, basically at the mercy of the system. Yet the point seems unclear. To argue for the better treatment of prisoners while equating them with animals creates a very ineffective line of reasoning for the reader. There is no rational proposal for prevention of criminal behavior. The main theme states that police will look you up for no apparent reason and once incarcerated, you are forever condemned to remain in the system.
In order to get the fullest effect from the reading of this book, I also scoured the Internet for what others might have to say. I think that one user on Amazon.com was absolutely correct by stating, it "is best experienced by examining what other people say about it, and not by actually reading it. It's more fun to read Norman Mailer's beatification of Abbott than it is to read Abbott himself. In this case, intellectual distance makes the book easier to tolerate." Although I did read the book and feel I am the better for it, I can easily see where non-students may get lost in the propaganda of the book. It is a wonderful tool to spark debate and stimulate the mind.

Jack Henry Abbott 's book is a must read read if the reader is interested in the life behind concrete and steel....Abbott is the consumate con, places all blame on everyone but himself, hoodwinking Norman Mailor in the process....this guy is a con, a person who could not adjust to societys norm....i work in a medium security prison in Massachusetts and i will agree that most of his account of prison life is accurate...a tough,dangerous, and care free enviroment is the truth..however abbott attempts to put the blame on the penal system and society...read for yourself....its not hard to see who the con is.......

A friend of mine sadly wasted his money on this book in the expectation that it might actually be worth reading, but just like everything else Pat Blashill writes, It sucked. I am saddened deeply, as well as embarrased to say I actually wasted the time reading some of it. Pat Blashill can't write Rolling Stone reviews, so of course she sure as hell can't write a book...

Misunderstood tripe parading itself as a journal of "Alternative Music." Punny, Unfunny title... quickly veers into unreadability. Stick to the acurate Rolling Stone reviews, Pat...

I bought this book when it first came out,somewhere in the mid-to-late 90's i suppose,and was looking forward to some cool info about alot of the bands that i grew up with of whom turned me on to music that wasn't the outdated guns'n'roses or aerosmith that i was into so damn much untill i found out about the likes of soundgarden and mudhoney and so on. to be honest, i mainly bought this book for the photography to learn more about all of those different scenes in a visual sense which worked quite well, but the story severely lacks - spewing out all of the blunt kind of info that i bet everybody who kept their ears to the ground would already know.i'd give this book 4 stars if it was only photos, which should be the main reason for anyone to purchase

In this lusty tale of cape cod's lush countryside, Thoreaumanages to do everything wrong! I give it a two only because ofThoreau's thorough description of a beaver frolicking in a pond.

Although the books is correct in it's title, "Copper and it's alloys" leading you to believe it's mostly about pure copper items,,,,it's all about brass. The title should have been "Metalwork in America - Brass" Photos are black & white sepia toned. The book is physically well made and on good paper.