David Simon and Edward Burns - The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighbourhood

Pros: well written, delves into the issues that make the cycle of addition spin faster everyday
Cons: not very optimistic

I'm writing this review as part of a write-off to celebrate the great poseidon's 400th (or so) review. This is the first time I have ever participated in a write-off but I have long been a fan of reading entries in them. The topic of this write-off is...

Pros: well-written account of life in the inner city
Cons: many questions, few answers

David Simon, former Baltimore Sun crime reporter and author of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (the inspiration for the critically-acclaimed NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street) teamed up with Edward Burns, a retired...

Pros: Accurate look into a drug based street corner existence most people don't know or understand
Cons: does not address how Gary McCullough's life is impacted by and impacts his 14 siblings.

This is an excellent first hand account of a year centered on life at the infamous corner of Fayette and Monroe. Although the book concentrates on how drugs impact Gary McCullough and his immediate family, this story is nothing special. It is the norm...