Life in Prison by Stanley Williams, Barbara Cottman
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.94 You Save: $3.05 (51%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.16 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Life in Prison
Book Review: They killed tookie but they couldnt kill his message
Summary: 5 Stars
Recently my class read Life in Prison by Stanley "Tookie" Williams. I was a little unsure at first as to whether I'd like the book or not. I mean, it was written by a convicted murderer! Upon reading the first chapter of this book, I knew I would like it. On the first and second pages, Stanley Williams explained that he had learned to look up to people who went to prison. He saw prison as a way to tell the measure of a man. Mr. Williams also emphasized within these pages that, as he had learned from experience, prison is no fun place to go and "be a man", it was more of a place that you never want to even think about for too long. Tookie, the big bad gangster, had redeemed himself... by writing a children's book.
The California governor, Arnold Swarzenegger, was obviously remembering his old "Terminator" days when he ordered for Williams to be executed. What if Williams had changed? What if he had vowed to give up a life of crime? The death penalty didn't give him a chance.
Within the 80 pages of the book, Stanley describes everything about prison from the humiliation of strip searches to the claustrophobia of living in a cell. Some parts made me cringe, some made me want to cry, and others made me want to throw up, but none made me even think about wanting to go to prison. This book is one that everyone should read, even if you've never considered prison a place you'd want to go. Not once does Mr. Williams talk about having fun in prison or being glad he was there. Instead, he talked about the misery and horror of life in a cell. Williams wanted children everywhere to know what they were getting themselves into by leading a life of crime. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and had many people who begged for him to be let out of jail, but the efforts were wasted. After about 20 years of misery and redemption on Death Row, Stanley Williams was killed. Although the author of the book is no longer alive, his message lives on through his books and through his readers.
Book Review: It's sure to change your mind
Summary: 5 Stars
In my Language Arts class, we have just completed the novel, Life In Prison by Stanley "Tookie" Williams. It was about the man who co-founded the notorious gang called the Crips. He ended up going to jail and put on Death Row for co-founding this gang and convicted of murdering four people. When we were given this book, most people weren't too sure about reading a book written by a convicted murderer. Once we had only read the back of the book and the introduction, I knew I would be interested in the book. He told that he had regret every moment of everything he had done before that put him in prison, even though he denied all four murders.
The book not only told his story about getting to prison and Death Row, but he also described life in prison. Strip searches, little to no medical attention, and horrible food were only a few tragic things that happened. You could have friends, but you never know when they would turn on you. Some people who weren't even on Death Row would end up killing themselves. Some would even kill other people in fights that the guards wouldn't even break up. If you got in a fight, like I said the guards wouldn't break it up, they would shoot rubber pellets at the fighters. "Inmates getting shot at or killed is a sight that most men is prison see regularly." They may or may not aim right at the people fighting, so if they start shooting and your standing watching, run. "..a bullet can be meant for one person but end up hitting or killing somebody else."
I definitely would recommend this book to anyone older than twelve years old because of one particular part of the novel which described a strip search. It was an explicit part, but it was true and informing.
Anyone older would really enjoy it. If you think jail or prison is fun, or have heard it from someone, please read this book. It's sure to change your mind.
-Savannah
Book Review: "My Man Tookie"
Summary: 5 Stars
What would you do if you knew in a matter of minutes your life was coming to an end? What would you say what would you be thinking? Well think how Stanley "Tookie" Williams felt. Before he died he was able to write a book and get it published on how things really was. I enjoyed Tookie's book "Life In Prison", because it intrested me in many ways.I agree with him when he stated in his book that he was not sugar coating anything. I say that becuase he told how everything went down in prison. I feel that he wrote this book to show us that we can do better things with our lives than end up in prison. I could not imagine having to live in a box-shaped room for the rest of my life and , to make it worse, it did not even have any privacy. You could sit on the toliet to use the bathroom and everbofy who walked by could look at you. The same thing happened for when you took a bath.
When he talked about people going insane and getting claustrophobic I think I would have been scared because when he said they began throwing urine and feces and they don't take baths and began to stink up the whole row. I know that would've been horrible. I also don't know how I would've survived with horible food like that and I agree, I think the Salmon Loaf sounds nasty. If you ask me I think Tookie stayed calm and careful while in Prison. I think he handled hiself well because to be on death row and then live under those conditions. They didn't have o kill him, becuase he suffered enough for 25 years. I just know I could not have survived their living conditions. I highly recommend that you read this book or suggest someone to read this book. You will realize that it is a unique and wonderful book. It will let you know that there aren't any fun and games in prison, it's the real deal. Maybe you should think before you do thngs becuase no onenot even you, should end up in there.
Book Review: Review of Life in Prison
Summary: 5 Stars
You think it's hard out there. Why don't you try life... in prison? Tookie found that out the hard way. He tells about his experience in this book. When any of you readers read it, did you feel revulsion, sadness, pity, or shocked? I did. What an insight in the consequences of the wrong choice and path. To all that are at risk, read this! Be careful of what you do in life. The wrong decision can land you in Tookie's situation. Just listen to the words of Tookie. Learn about the horrors of prison from the strict rules that bind prisoners to the revolting strip search. If you decide to start living right after reading the book, you will find this helpful.
This book is a must-read. I enjoyed the book as insightful and full or meaning. Since some elements are graphic in the book, it makes me still wonder if it should be for kids but it could be okay around middle school students and up.
It still puzzles me why Tookie didn't get clemency. Schwarzenegger's decision has sent outrage everywhere especially Europe. As Volker Beck has said, "Schwarzenegger's decision is a cowardly decision." This was from an article from The Daily Reflector. But they are some that agree with Schwarzenegger. One person had left a message at the Los Angeles Times Message Board saying, "I don't understand what all the rhetoric is about... Logic does not allow for his life to be worth more than the victims of his actions. Good riddance!!!" Another was skeptical of Tookie's redemption in another Amazon Review of this book. He remarked that Tookie was a murderer who claims redemption but never admits to his crime. So what do you believe about this? Tookie was a man who did many wrong things including co-founding the malicious Crips. But he was at least repented, and was recognized for his actions for peace. RIP Tookie.
Book Review: Life in Prioson
Summary: 5 Stars
I think that life in Prison is a great book because it teaches kid how to stay off drugs gangs and prison. Tookie Williams take you through prison, and tell you how your life would be if you were in Prison. In this book Tookie tell you the truth about drugs, gangs and prison.Tookie wants young people to have what he didn't have growing up., some one to tell hum the truth about prison life, and to tell him that prison was not a good place to live. Prison is not the best place because you can't see your parents, friends, and all the things you had before prison. They tell you when to eat, shower and even when to use the bathroom.
At the beginning of the book Tookie William writes, " San Quentin is no place you'd ever want to be . It's a dangerous place,"....... "I use to hear Rocky tell us stories about how can prove is man hood in prison". Rocky was his best friends brother , who went in and out of jail.This shows that he was heading the wrong way. Tookie tell you the facts. " Rocky would pulls out a pictures from his wallet, and show us pictures of his friend posing in prison and looking happy, you don't have anything to do in prison. You have no freedom".
Tookie Williams wrote Life in Prison, he wants to reach out to kids that don't know the truth about drugs, gangs and Prison. When I was at Horace Mann Middle School, they had prisoners who came to our school and told us the truth. They got us feeling of how our lives would be if we were in prison. The same things that they told us, Tookie also wrote about in his book. Tookie also wrote to make up for all the wrongs that he created when he formed the "Crips" gang. One thing that we hate is regret. We always have regrets of something, If you don't want to spend the rest of life in prison regretting what you did, then you should read this book.