There is no doubt that Burns' most pressing reason for writing his book was to garner sympathy for himself. And for the most part, the book is well written and accomplishes the job of setting forth the harsh reality of life on a chain gang. There are a few spots in the book where, in my opinion, the author's words do not have the "ring of truth", but over all you will come away with the obvious conclusion that definite prison reform was needed in a drastic way. The institution of the chain gang was really nothing more than legalized slavery--only much harsher. In defense of the brutal chain gang system of Georgia, I simply say that every person in that time was aware of the harsh punishment that was meted out in the south and elsewhere; people knew that if they committed a crime, then there was the possibility of being consigned to a chain gang. So even though a person cannot help but to sympathize with Burns' experiences, it has to be said that ultimately he gambled and he lost.