Once a prominent radio reporter; Mumia Abu-Jamal is now in a Pennsylvania prison awaiting his state-sactioned execution. In 1982 he was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner after a trial many have criticized as profoundly biased. Live From Death Row is a collection of his prison writings--an impassioned yet unflinching account of the brutalities and humiliations of prison life. It is also a scathing indictment of racism and political bias in the American judicial system that is certain to fuel the controversy surrounding the death penalty and freedom of speech.
#386850 in Books Vintage Books 2001-09-18 2001-09-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .50 x 5.10l; .53 #File Name: 0375727752207 pagesGreat product!
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Unobservant Sociologist? The Duck that Doesn't Quack?By MargoI understand why some reviewers are frustrated. Conley IS self-indulgent and paints an extremely one-sided picture of the neighborhood outside his window. Those things; for the most part; frustrate me too. BUT. As a graduate student that just finished my thesis on spoken/written narratives; let me tell you how difficult it is to find white people willing to engage race in relation to themselves -- anything after 1999 starts looking real dicey real quick. Of course he's going to mess up - but that just makes it more fun for me. Of course he's self-indulgent - he's an academic.The most frustrating thing to me is the degree to which his narrative is one-sided. The only character that seems fully formed; besides himself; is Gerome and that only seems to be to make a complete circle compositionally. This self-induglent academic is a sociologist He is paid to observe. Come on; man! Observe!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. thought provoking and meaningfulBy MichaelLike the author; I am white and spent part of my childhood living in low income housing in a predominantly black and hispanic neighborhood. I found this memoir so fascinating I could hardly put it down. Like the author; I have often pondered the complex reasons why I was able to escape to middle class success from the world of poverty; hopelessness; and violence that almost all my elementary school classmates presumably still live in. The book is a funny and honest memoir of childhood with just a light dose of analysis from the author's standpoint as an adult sociologist. Conley's description of the "cultural capital" and other resources that fueled his escape to an easier life really fits with my experience. This is a short book; and its brevity makes it a quick; entertaining read. I agree with some other reviewers that brevity also causes it to lack material that would be a great interest to many readers. What were the feelings and motivations of his parents? I also agree that Conley could have talked more about the complex; positive aspects of black family life that contrast with practices in white families; since his experiences should put him in a rare position to comment on this issue. I well remember the experience of being at a birthday party in the home of a black friend in second grade; sitting in a warm embrace on the lap of his grandmother; and realizing that the exuberant; loving; multigenerational family atmosphere there was a striking contrast to that in my family.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting ReadBy Laura SantillanI bought this book for English class; at first I wasn't impressed. I didn't like the title or the opening "yo momma" joke. Once you get past that and start to read the book it gets interesting. The innocence of a child that sees people for just that a person vs the color of their skin to the troubles of growing up in the inner city; to the social acceptance. I can say I can mostly appreciate this book.
