1 comments about My Father, My Don.

1. This story MUST make the big screen. The message of this story is much more important than the actual details. This story is everything from scary to inspirational.

5 comments about Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans.

1. This is a tragic story of the looting of hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers money, money that could've gone for needed social services or other things. The government let it happen and this book tells you how.



2. A must read - will leave you speechless and much wiser.



3. I highly recommend this to those of us who were not adults at the time: in the 80's, I was still a kid - I couldn't be bothered to know what was happening in the world of S&Ls. Little did I know, but those high-flyers would affect my taxes for years (and years and years).
   
   The book is easy to read - not too technical. It was a bit repetitive at times, but I think that's because many of the S&L crooks used the same types of illegal ponzi schemes to move money from one pocket to the other.
   
   If you're like me, and knew very little about the S&L debacle, then let this book educate you. It's a telling tale of the problems brought-about by rampant de-regulation. I never knew that the S&L scandal(s) involved the wholesale looting of these banks (and American taxpayers - since they were federally protected deposits).
   
   If you're already well-versed in the subject, you can read this to get some of the more personal stories of theft and graft.
   
   There were also stories of corrupt politicians. I know it's a shock, but to me there's nothing more disgusting than a public trustee bending the rules to their advantage: they work for us.



4. I give this 4.5 stars out of 5 - very well done. The most accessible, well-documented history of the S&L crisis caused by Reagan in the 80's. Even though the topic is dated, the book provides a good subject for students of history, and also an eye-opener for people interested in the irresponsible (and costly) fiscal policies of the neo-con right wing.
   
   In the first few pages, this book summarizes a problem (a scam, actually) perpetuated on the American taxpayers by a small handful of ultra-wealthy elitists. In just a few minutes, you will have a firm grasp on how the scam works, and the long term effects on the US economy - something even the press never really understood and failed to adequately convey to the public. The author uses metaphors and plain language, and even though it is dense, the book is easy to read.
   
   Besides being a good overview, what I found most interesting was the secion on Neil Bush and his insurance fraud scams (over 100 of them), and how George H Bush was able to pardon him before the public or press got full wind of his embezzlement. Subsequently, I read the book "Silverado: Neil Bush and the Savings & Loan Scandal" - which was also very good, but franky, I thought that the short section on Bush in the Inside Job did more than an adequate job of covering all the facts.
   
   Except for the historian, economist, or political scientist, this book is probably too much detail for the average reader. For those of you who want the quick & dirty fact, I suggest reading about it online (Wikipedia), or getting the the abridged version of this book, or listening to the abridged audio book. But the length of the book does not detract from my positive rating - very well done.



5. The book itself is a fantastic example of very thorough investigative journalism. The writers obviously spent years doing massive amounts of research and interviews. It reads very well and presents a cast of characters as they truly are. It is written for the layman and casual reader. Once you put it down you will be extraordinarily disheartened at how the S&L crisis came about. The book sheds light on the roots and origins - the push for industry deregulation in the '80s and its massive, and quite apparently not well thought through, embrace by legislators. But it does a fair and balanced portrayal of the actors - highlighting that the worst people were already professional con artists and had links to organized crime. What is truly disheartening is the massive participation by and interference by top level career politicians (a handful of whom are still around)- many of whom were found by their peers to have severely violated ethics standards. It does a good job of portraying why regulation and oversight of certain industries - particularly the financial services industry, is so difficult. The rulemakers (legislators) are often severely conflicted because they are so heavily funded by the industry - most people don't like taking shots at their meal ticket. Some legislators, as detailed here, won't even hesitate to attack regulators when they threaten their lobbyist/campaign lifeline - rather than protect their citizens overall.
   
   This is a very good read in light of current events with the mortgage lending crisis. One will find creepy, even shocking similarities. The bottom line is the same - poorly written loans (given to an elite group in the S&L case) with no real, credible basis for believing they would be repaid - shoddy underwriting, shoddy controls, shoddy monitoring, weak regulation/deregulation/regulation with no teeth [which is always exploited by those opportunistic few who quite literally make a living as con artists (criminals)], massive interference by the rich and connected.
   
   The best, and saddest part, is this book is real - the events really happened, the facts are portrayed very objectively (the writers did an extraordinary job with research and documenting sources of information), the people involved were people well known and are still around in some circles, the costs and consequences are real and still being paid for to this day. Reading this book in light of current events will make one pause...pause and worry.

5 comments about All I Want To Do Is Kill (Pinnacle True Crime).

1. This is the second book I have ready by Dale Hudson. It was so well-written and so intense that it gave me nightmares. The murder scene was
   so vivid and surreal that I felt like I was right there all the way, watching as Holly Harvey and Sandy Ketchum killed the Colliers. I have never read about any murder before that scared me this much. My only problem was that even though I was frightened by what I read, I couldn't
   stop reading until I was finished. I highly recommend this book for any true crime lovers, but caution you to keep the lights on while you read.



2. Such a heinous crime commited by girls that are really no more than young children. How could their lives have gone so wrong to committ such a heinous crime against elderly grandparents ? I highly recommend this book as a true crime read. It is very graphic and well written. The author takes you on a roller coaster ride. Some parts are very intense, then he gives you a little rest and back to the drama unfolding.



3. This book was very hard for me to read. I had to take breaks because it was very graphic and such a tragic ending that didn't have to be. Such a horrible way for a couple of elderly grandparents to spend their last minutes of life. I highly recommend this book. The author certainly put in some leg work with researching this story. Thanks for a well written true crime read.



4. I had originally read this story in brief in a magazine and decided that I needed more info. I found the book hard to get into at first. So many details and facts not much about the victims or the killers. After the first chapter I could not put it down I read the book in full in three days. I think that the author did very well in describing the details. I felt sorry for everyone involved. I didn't to much agree that Sandy was as innocent as the author made it sound, she played a equal role. But I enjoyed the book over all. Such a tragedy such young girls doing such a horrible thing.



5. While it's certainly shocking what these two girls did to Holly's grandparents, I was shocked that a book this poorly written and edited made it to the shelves. It was so poorly written, in fact--so full of misused words, typos, silly idioms and redundancies that it distracted from the fascinating story. The author really, REALLY needs to be a little more careful and not in such a rush to meet a deadline. Editing truly is important. A lot of editing would have made this a much better book.

5 comments about Exquisite Corpse: Surrealism and the Black Dahlia Murder.

1. I was aware of the Black Dahlia murder as one of those notorious, super-mediafied events that was big enough to sorta stay in the public conciousness through the years. It's incredible to me that, after all this time, there is still stuff to discover about the murder. And one might be inclined to say why bother dwelling on it? And, for me, the answer is that this book is about something much more interesting than just the murder: it's about the connection between the murder, the murderer, surrealist art, and some of the major artists of the 20th century. The author's arguments are convincing and the connections they surface are -- to me -- amazing. It says a lot about art and the culture of artists. As an artist myself, I find this particularly interesting.
   
   I read some of the other reviews of this book. I think it'd be best if people who review a book have actually READ the book. Nobody would read this book and give it only 1 star. Even if you don't like the subject, you can't deny that the authors have approached the subject soberly, argue their points well, and that the research/images/writing are good. This is no shrill, sensational supermarket pulp product. It's a good read and an *interesting* read on many levels.
   
   I learned some new things about art, artists, culture and the experience was wrapped in a remarkable bit of art-historian sleuthing about one of the most grisly, notorious murders ever. The fact that one of the most horrific murders in US history was actually part of a dialogue with a major movement in 20th century art is, well, amazing...
   
   I recommend the book. Read it and you'll know what i mean.



2. 
   KUDOS TO MARK AND SARAH. As relates to the Nelson/Bayliss EXQUISITE CORPSE: SURREALISM AND THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, I would like to add my heartfelt appreciation and high praise for their outstanding research, dedication and documentation. I believe their independent and academic investigation, adds mountains of evidence to my original lay/foundational thesis that suggested surrealism and its art were the key to the DAHLIA crime signatures. Mark Nelson and Sarah Hudson Bayliss have connected the dots and the people and presented them for all of us to see. They have taken the long silent voices of those who knew (or suspected) and by holding up their works (riddles wrapped in mysteries)--HAVE MADE THEM SPEAK!
   
   Steve Hodel
   Los Angeles



3. This unusual book argues that the killer of Elizabeth Short aka the Black Dahlia was a Surrealist who worked on the Hollywood scene. It does provide a surprisingly convincing case that the killer was a member of a particular artistic school that had a particularly strong influence on the movies of the time.
   
   The book is very well illustrated with ghastly photos from the crime scene and is recommended to all true crime buffs.



4. There's some fairly interesting visual analysis here, but it's all but buried in overstatement and unsupported innuendo. Similarly, one can also see fragments of a fascinating story, though it, like the stronger visual arguments, tends to get lost.
   
   This is not a true-crime book, and anyone who purchases it expecting one will be disappointed. It's a book about the similarities between the Black Dahlia crime scene and works of avant garde and surrealist art that were made both before and after the murder. Some of these suggested commonalities feel like quite a stretch. (Man Ray's reclining nudes are nearly all corpses to the authors; a 1961 William Copely picture of a long-haired female nude, a doctor, and a set of surgical tools is cited as proof that the murder continued to haunt the artist for a decade and a half.) Others, especially those having to do with Marcel Duchamp's late work, are better supported, and genuinely interesting.
   
   With regard to the personal relationships between the book's principals, the arguments are often much weaker. (The authors spend the book's entire first half establishing surrealism as a bloodthirsty aesthetic whose proponents were entralled with violent criminality and the sliced-up forms of women. Then, after claiming Duchamp for the surrealist movement, the authors suggest that his apparent continuing fascination with the Black Dahlia murder would likely have been the result of a "personal connection" with the killing.) They do, however, do a fine and interesting job of documenting involvement between their suspect and Man Ray.
   
   The most compelling parts of the book are the ones that deal directly with their suspect, George Hodel. His life and predilictions recall Anton LaVey in some ways. Hodel's son, Steve, has also written a book about the Black Dahlia killing. That, I'd like to read.



5. One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel
   
   The authors...did an incredible job...Surrealism and The Black Dahlia Murder...it supports Steve Hodel's work...proving his father killed Elizabeth Short...

5 comments about Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives.

1. Erased is an intense and insightful book that explores the disturbing trend of men who decide to "erase" the women in their lives whom they consider no longer of any use.
   
   Marilee Strong is an excellent writer, who dissects historical and current cases involving men who decided that disappearing inconvenient wives or girlfriends is an easier decision than divorce or separation. Most notably these women are eliminated due to an unwelcome pregancy that the man believes will negatively disrupt his life (lifestyle).
   
   Ms. Strong uses Scott Peterson as a template of an eraser killer~and also discusses the Mark Hacking case in detail. She enables the reader to understand the motivations behind these killings and the mindset of the killer. Most of these men are narcissitic sociopaths, therefore it is easy for them to kill without guilt, because they don't know the true concept of love, compassion, or empathy. The reason they don't just split or get a divorce, is that they don't want to look bad (the narcissistic part of their personality cannot bear to have others look down upon them, and since it would look bad to leave a pregant wife, it is easier to "erase" the wife, and maybe in the process gain attention and sympathy from family/friends/community). In the killer's mind, once the wife is erased, he can move on and do what HE wants to do, not be saddled with a wife and kid.
   
   I recommend this book, as it delves much deeper into the psyche of the "eraser" killer than any of the true crime books I have read. Again, Ms. Strong is an eloquent writer who presents many facsinating cases, some I have never heard about~and the mind and motive of these horrendous husbands.



2. I am really surprised by the review below that criticizes the prose in this book. I thought it of high quality and unobtrusive. Adjectives have not been eliminated from the language, and they were not inappropriately overused in this book. Curious.
   
   Does the true crime genre really need a fifteenth book about the Scott and Laci Peterson case? One could reasonably conclude that the question answers itself. Then I read Erased.
   
   Unlike the fourteen titles that preceded it -- including books by the jurors, the journalists, Laci's mother, Scott's sister and lover -- the latest title to delve into the most widely publicized U.S. case since OJ's acquittal stands alone. Erased: Missing Women, Murdered Wives [Amazon; B&N] by Marilee Strong (with Mark Powelson) is very well informed by history and psychology. The lead author has delved to the nth degree into the criminal history of the United States, and the result is a unique study of a certain type of uxorcide. I couldn't skim or skip a page of this book, which marries, if you will, two of my favorite subgenres: spousal murder stories and criminal psychology.
   
   In developing a profile of what she terms "eraser" killers, the author recounts many cases that have remarkable parallels to the Peterson case, highlighting dozens already familiar to some of us: Chester Gillette, Carlyle Harris, Reverend Richeson, Robert Blake, Mark Hacking, Bartin Corbin, Michael Peterson, Father Hans Schmidt, and numerous other more obscure murders. In developing her profile, she comes to some strong conclusions while offering a depth of research to support them. For example, she points to the fact that Scott Peterson reported his wife missing on Christmas Eve. I had assumed that he was a psychopath who gave himself a Christmas present. Author Strong points out a more mundane possibility: that a disappearance on a holiday would not result in a vigorous investigation by experienced detectives. Just as Theodore Dreiser "profiled" Chester Gillette and his brothers in crime in fictional terms, this author does so in the language of clinical psychology.
   
   I approached this book skeptically, frowning at the flap copy, groaning at the press release ("missing women cases ... have come to dominate the national print and broadcast media since the highly publicized disappearance of Laci Peterson," it says, when it should say such cases have always dominated the media). I've also grown more skeptical of the work of profilers and agree with the general prohibition against admitting their testimony in court, while at the same time I think they are useful to the general public. And crime encyclopedias usually disappoint this reader with numerous errors. Not this time. Erased is cogent and compelling.



3. This book really hit home for me and I stayed awake all night to the point of exhaustion to finish it. I came very close, twice, to being a missing or murdered wife. My ex-husband finally served some jail time after kidnapping and attempting to murder me but when we were married the police acted as though my being beaten by him was a "domestic disturbance" and they refused to file a report.
   
   I finally understand why my ex-husband acted the way he did and how he was able to screw everyone who ever cared for him without remorse.
   
   This book should be required reading for every cop around the world and for every prosecuter who wants a better understanding of the "charming sociopath".



4. Strong believes she has found a new category of killers. That is not to suggest that eraser killers, like serial killers, another category lately described, didn't exist previously. Just that she can now find a pattern and has labeled it.
   
   Eraser killers are men who want women gone from their lives. Erased, vanished, no longer a bother. Frequently, these wives or girlfriends are pregnant. "Recent studies from several states...have found homicide to be the number one cause of death among pregnant women and that women continue to be at increased risk for being murdered for usp to a year after giving birth...A 2005 study...found homicide to be the second leading cause of ...dead...behind in pregnant and postpartum women, being motor vehicle accidents" (p 28).
   
   Essentially, as in the famous case of Scott Peterson, these men created forced abortions.
   
   The cases are fascinating. And certainly the utter callousness of the men astonishes. Edward Kakas was "obsessed over his appearance, waring $1,000 suits" (p 154) and pleased with his pretty wife until she insisted, without his agreement, on getting pregnant and having the baby. He started to refer to her as "'the fat wop'". (p 155). He could have divorced her. But that would have meant money for her and the child. So, instead, he killed her.
   
   Interesting but scary.



5. This book's strength in my opinion is that the author has an original idea (giving a name to a particular type of crime) and that it is well researched. The weakness is the somewhat choppy writing style. It follows the Laci Peterson story and weaves in other cases. I would have liked a little less weaving and more of a chronological approach.

5 comments about The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime).

1. A briskly written and brief yet very informative history of Joe Massino, former boss of the New York Massino organized crime family. The author does a great job in his description of the operations of the crime family during Massino's leadership and his early career of crime. At the finish Massino decides to sing to the Feds himself to avoid a possible death penalty. I guess he thought that because some many of his former mates in crime ratted on him and spilled the beans, he may as well join them as omerta meant nothing in the finish.
   
   Essentially the mob exists to make as much money as it can as quickly as possible and to keep the money steadily flowing in. The author superbly captures the culture of the Mafia organization and its members and describes clearly the rackets, payoffs, murders etc. This book is great for those true crime buffs that have a clear understanding of the American mafia as the author assumes the reader has a solid understanding of the subject. This a narrowly focused book about the history of Massino and his leadership of his New York mafia family. For a novice l would suggest read Thomas Reppeto's book; American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power or "The Mob, 200 years of Organized Crime in New York' by Virgil Petersen to dig further into this history.
   
   The information the author reveals about the activities of this mafia family is incredible and he obviously has excellent sources and has done his research very effectively, overall an informed, well written and brisk account, a good addition to the many books on organized crime.



2. Excellent reading for mob book people. Great insight to the aftermath of Donnie Brasco and what happens as the Bannano family actually gets a lot stronger before being taken down...



3. Short, novella-length account of Joey Massino; written in a hurry; not much documentation; rehash of available sources; follows up on Pistone's book; a light read on a lazy day.



4. if this is a topic that is of intrest of you i recommend this book.
   easy to read and gives you a small insight in the world that the Cosa nostra lives in.
   
   Even as a Dutchman the written text is easy to follow not to many difficult English words.



5. This guy made it through the Bananas War, Galante's takeover, Donnie Brasco, The Pizza connection, and the Commission case. Only to become boss and get knocked by the cops. Joe Massino was one of the smartest I've ever read about. But once all that power was obtained, it clouded his judgement.

5 comments about The Dreams of Ada.

1. This book is a great read, one of injustice and leaves the reader puzzled and sad, and wondering why in God's great world is this man (the DA) is still in office. It must be an embarrassment to the citizens of Ada, OK. I am in prayer for these men and their families.



2. No American can afford to not read either The Dreams of Ada by Robert Mayer or The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Coming from a family of cops I have always known that innocent people are convicted of serious crimes all the time but the cases outlined in these two books are detestable. You absolutely must read these books. Now.



3. I bought this book after reading The Innocent Man by John Grisham. I personally could not get into this book like I did the other one. But other reviews tell me it is an excellent book.



4. I live in Pontotoc County. Now that everything has settled down, it's back to normal. This is a scary place to live. This book is a very accurate account, things like that happen here all the time again. OSBI, doesn't seem to care. FBI will not return anyones calls. It's a must read people!! I just hope I don't disappear for saying so. You just don't go in front of most of the Judges here for anything. I am glad to not be a criminal but around here you don't have to be. I have been lucky thus far.



5. I read this story from three different authors. It is a sad but true story. Worth your time to read.

1 comments about Mom Said Kill (Pinnacle True Crime).

1. I have been criticized for writing what appears to be book reports and spoiling murder mysteries. Unfortunately, the true crime books are all about real people and the truth is out there regarding the circumstances of their crimes. The title says a lot about the Barbara Opel case who is also a prime candidate for the worst mother in the world regarding the Jerry Heineman case in Everett, Washington.
   Burl Barer is an excellent true crime reporter who prefers to write about crimes that don't always get attention. Maybe because this group of characters would be more appropriate on the Jerry Springer Show than anywhere else.
   Barbara Opel is quite a manipulator, con-artist, and quie frightening to her own children. Her case is one on par with Diane Downs easily involving a murder for rich scheme which backfired so badly that it is almost laughable except for the victims involved.
   Barbara Opel robbed her children of a lot more than just a normal, stable childhood and loving environment. She brought them into this world to use them in her own schemes for quick money no matter who it hurts.
   After all, she allowed her thirteen year old daughter, Heather, to have sex in her own home with a seventeen year old boy who she recruited for her crime.
   This case reminds me of the Gertrude Baniszewski case in Indiana where she used the neighborhood kids to torture her young boarder. Fortunately, Barbara Opel was never bright enough to carry out the scheme herself but used her own children which should have been taken away by the state children's services long before they were harmed not only physically, psychologically, emotionally, and sexually by their own mother.
   I recommend reading this true crime book because most of the books out there are repetitive and redundant with the same stories that you are actually comparing which writer is better than grasping the whole story.
   Burl Barer doesn't write about those cases but writes about the familiar environment of Washington state. He cares about the victims and the participants involved.

5 comments about Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America.

1. Author David Wise did a remarkable amount of research in a relatively short period of time as preparation for writing this fascinating real life story of treason and betrayal. Robert Hanssen joined the FBI in 1976 and over the subsequent 25 years rose through the ranks to the very highest levels of the bureau's counterintelligence unit. The trouble is that for the latter 22 years of his tenure, he was a paid spy for Russian intelligence.
   
   Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America gives an unembellished view of what is known about Hanssen's early life. his marriage, his career and how he systematically used his top secret clearance to sell out his agency and his country to three different Russian intelligence services, most notably the KGB.
   
   This fact filled book spares no detail in describing Hanssen's lengthy career. Some chapters make for rather dry reading while others are absolutely riveting. In the course of describing the treasonous acts of Robert Hanssen, Wise also touches upon the facts surrounding some other very interesting espionage cases. For example, the strange story of Felix Bloch to name just one.
   
   The Robert Hanssen story is a shocking one for a number of reasons and this well researched book lays it all out for the reader in relatively straightforward fashion. A worthwhile read worthy of a 4 star rating.



2. After watching the movie Breach, I decided to check out this book. It's very comprehensive and easy to follow for myself and fellow novices to this subject. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.



3. Normally, I do not read spy stories or thrillers, but after seeing the movie "Breach" I wanted to know more about Robert Hanssen and how he managed to send sensitive American security information - that put our country in danger - to the Soviets for 22 years without being caught.
   David Wise has told his story well. On page after page, he describes Hanssen's activities as an FBI agent, his savvy computer skills, his marriage, his large family, his staunch Catholicism. Wise also describes a man who loved pornography, described his sex life with a loyal and loving wife to his best friend, (as well as taping their bedroom activities and showing them to him). He also visited strip clubs, bringing one stripper with him on a government mission to Hong Kong.
   Wise details each secret "Drop" which took place in a Washington D.C. park, Hanssen's Soviet counterparts, and above all his betrayal of everyone around him while calmly continuing his double life - until one day - one small detail tripped him up. I couldn't put this book down - astonishing!



4. More gripping than any novel because it is true. Shocking. The lack of remorse in Hanson is chilling in its completeness. Wise is a great author. Highly recommend this book.



5. Excellent book. Written like a novel and use of real documents well placed. I had a hard time putting it down. Gave greater insight to the Movie "Breach".

5 comments about The Gangs of Los Angeles.

1. I was expecting Mr. Dunn's 2nd book to be about his CRASH (LAPD gang unit) experience, similar to 'Boot' a book about his probation experience. 'Gangs of Los Angeles' is so much more. It is history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy and psychology combined with old fashioned police investigation. Mr. Dunn has contributed greatly to the study of Gangs that no academic or policy maker can ever replicate because Mr. Dunn (as well as other LAPD officers in this field) is at a vantage point not too many people are privvy to. I hope Mr. Dunn writes more books.
   
   The US Marines have a required reading list, the LAPD should also. For any current coppers or those in the lengthy application process read (and watch):
   
   1. Warfighting (USMC)
   2. The Small Wars Manual 1940 (USMC)
   3. Boot: An LAPD Officer's Rookie Year by William Dunn
   4. Gangs of Los Angeles by William Dunn
   5. The New Centurions by Joseph Wambaugh
   6. The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh
   7. Danger, Duty, and Disillusion: The Worldview of Los Angeles Police Officers by Joan Barker
   
   8. Badge of Honor: An Insider's History of the LAPD (DVD)
   9. LAPD: Life on the Beat (hopefully they'll come out w/ a DVD series, but for now you'll have to watch it on youtube.com or through reruns)



2. good introduction to the corrupt world of los angeles and southern/northern california - through a cops point of view. though bearly scratches the surface as to what is really going on. it felt a little biased at times and is historically inaccurate in some cases. LOTS of type-0's. almost completely neglects the asian community in the book for some reason. but all in all a good read if you are or were from LA.



3. With the American Mafia pretty much out of the picture, its having relocated to more white collar Wall Street crime (where there's plenty of company), the spread of gangs in the country's cities and smaller population centers where there's construction or some type of meat processing work to be had has become a real problem and a bigger threat to city life than ever before.
   "The Gangs Of Los Angeles", by William Dunn, is a bit of a knock off of the classic "Gangs Of New York", but no less important or interesting. From the "Tomato Gangs" to the "West Side Story" style gangs of the late '50s, to the riots in Watts in 1965 and up to present day terrors like the Bloods and Crip gangs and Latin gangs like the dreaded MS13, Dunn paints a bleak picture, but also places the blame on lazy parenting, lack of a male authority figure and the nation's most historically corrupt and racist police force as ingredients in this violent stew that has spread nationwide.
   The passion is there, the research is fine. The editing and grammar, however, are absolutely unforgivable for a published book. I have never read a book so full of misspelled words, even in direct quotes from other sources, poor punctuation, and italicizing where none is needed or makes sense. While I am the last to criticize his knowledge of his subject or his obvious concern, I recommend any further printings undergo a serious editing job. Such a botched script is insulting and costs the book two points. I'll edit a new manuscript for you, Mr. Dunn at a fair price if you're interested, because whomever your publisher and editor is, they sure aren't doing their job.



4. Gangs of Los Angeles is a factural history of the evolution og tangs in the 20th century. It bolsters and highlights the fact that gangs are a serious growing menace and that law enforcement efforts to eradicate gangs should be given top priority by our elected officials.
   Carl Fischer



5. "The Gangs of Los Angeles", William Dunn, NY, iUniverse, Inc., 2007, ISBN: 978-0-595-44357-4, Pbk, 272 pgs. Includes Preface 3 pgs. Table Contents 1 pg.. 9" x 6".
   
   A recognized gang expert and CRASH officer, UCLA Graduate Wm. Dunn is Detective Sgt. With Los Angeles Police Department. He has extensive first-hand knowledge of currently active gangs of their evolution and has provided nationwide instruction on the current MS-13 gang epidemic. Dunn provides a revealing accounting of the history of gangs since Biblical times and emphasizes the origin and evolution of Hispanic gangs, the Mexican Mafia, Blood & Crips, Hells Angeles, and details on dozens of the hundreds of other gangs now dispersed throughout the United States. He describes methodologies used by police, public officials and International authorities is identifying and dealing with gangs - with succinct commentary of the effectiveness or deleterious consequences of different intervention programs. Of especial importance is his depiction of the Mara Salvatrucha and its various offshoots, all of Salvadoran origin
   
   Inveiglements for added clarity to this book would have been inclusion of maps of Greater LA, Mexican Counties and the Countries of Central America. This book is concise, covers the A to Zs of gangs and gangsters in its 19 chapters; and it is truly a classic book of the rise and dissemination of gangs, their diverse memberships, activities and influences throughout many parts of the world. Although moderately technical with names, dates and memberships, I'd consider it to be "Gangs 101" for anyone who professes to be knowledgeable in gangs and their activities. The disastrous consequences of "Sanctuary Cities" is provided, noting Los Angeles City and Boston join the ranks with San Francisco on aiding and abetting these most evil criminal elements. [Too many Mayors seem to put themselves above the law (are they "on the take" or just stupid?)].
   
   Dunn is not only an accomplished writer but he is a refined historian with excellent citing and commentary on those economic, military and political forces which helped shaped gangland activity that now is overtly involved in money laundering, drugs (heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Marijuana), prostitution and more recently, International Terrorism. It's a good read, one that's hard to put down!