Review by moomawpw -- Executive Hoodlum by John Costello
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moomawpw
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Review by moomawpw -- Executive Hoodlum by John Costello
[Following is a volunteer review of "Executive Hoodlum" by John Costello.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Let me introduce you to John Costello--highly educated, successful business executive, accomplished athlete, happily married father of two sets of twins...
Oops. Wrong guy. I'll start over.
Let me introduce you to John Costello--Chicago-born son of a con artist who even stole from family members, violence prone freelance loan shark, related by blood and association to members of the Outfit, which is what they call the mob in Chicago.
Put those two into one body and you have the author of Executive Hoodlum, which Costello wrote with the able assistance of writer/radio and TV personality Larry Elder.
Costello's father was a talented, extremely popular tenor who could usually sing his way out of trouble; but he was also, according to the author, a confidence artist who made most of his living by scamming other people, including his own family, out of their money. He could also be violent, and at one point almost beat Costello's mother, who was, ironically, a policeman's daughter, to death.
Costello's early years were spent in Chicago, surrounded by mob members and running the streets. After his parents' divorce, he lived with his mother until her death, then moved with his father and stepmother to California, where the emphasis was suddenly on school and academic achievement. That, however, was only during the school year. In the summer he was allowed to return to Chicago, where he earned his keep helping a relative do roofing, and spent his free time with his buddies, drinking, fighting and breaking the law.
Executive Hoodlum is the tale of Costello's struggle to put such contradictory ways of life into a package that would allow him to succeed in life.
Costello tells a good tale. The book is well written. The tone is conversational and relaxed, and the narrative flows well, although not along a strictly chronological path. The editing is professional. There are no typographical errors and no grammatical miscues.
One of the parts of the book that appealed to this reviewer is an epilogue where Costello fills the reader in on the ultimate fates of many of the people, mobsters and others, who appear in the book. Some land in prison, some are dead, and some have gone on to live relatively normal lives. It gives the book a satisfying sense of completion.
A small problem in the book is that the reader never really gets inside Costello. You get to know a lot about the author, but you don't really get to know him, his feelings, his dreams. That's probably not surprising, however; he grew up in an environment where it was safer to keep those things to himself. At any rate, it does not stop the book from being a fun read.
Executive Hoodlumis a book that almost anyone can enjoy, barring those readers who impose strict boundaries on the genres they allow themselves to indulge in. It is not aimed at a particular audience. It is simply a good read, and this reviewer grades it a 4 out of 4.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
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Let me introduce you to John Costello--highly educated, successful business executive, accomplished athlete, happily married father of two sets of twins...
Oops. Wrong guy. I'll start over.
Let me introduce you to John Costello--Chicago-born son of a con artist who even stole from family members, violence prone freelance loan shark, related by blood and association to members of the Outfit, which is what they call the mob in Chicago.
Put those two into one body and you have the author of Executive Hoodlum, which Costello wrote with the able assistance of writer/radio and TV personality Larry Elder.
Costello's father was a talented, extremely popular tenor who could usually sing his way out of trouble; but he was also, according to the author, a confidence artist who made most of his living by scamming other people, including his own family, out of their money. He could also be violent, and at one point almost beat Costello's mother, who was, ironically, a policeman's daughter, to death.
Costello's early years were spent in Chicago, surrounded by mob members and running the streets. After his parents' divorce, he lived with his mother until her death, then moved with his father and stepmother to California, where the emphasis was suddenly on school and academic achievement. That, however, was only during the school year. In the summer he was allowed to return to Chicago, where he earned his keep helping a relative do roofing, and spent his free time with his buddies, drinking, fighting and breaking the law.
Executive Hoodlum is the tale of Costello's struggle to put such contradictory ways of life into a package that would allow him to succeed in life.
Costello tells a good tale. The book is well written. The tone is conversational and relaxed, and the narrative flows well, although not along a strictly chronological path. The editing is professional. There are no typographical errors and no grammatical miscues.
One of the parts of the book that appealed to this reviewer is an epilogue where Costello fills the reader in on the ultimate fates of many of the people, mobsters and others, who appear in the book. Some land in prison, some are dead, and some have gone on to live relatively normal lives. It gives the book a satisfying sense of completion.
A small problem in the book is that the reader never really gets inside Costello. You get to know a lot about the author, but you don't really get to know him, his feelings, his dreams. That's probably not surprising, however; he grew up in an environment where it was safer to keep those things to himself. At any rate, it does not stop the book from being a fun read.
Executive Hoodlumis a book that almost anyone can enjoy, barring those readers who impose strict boundaries on the genres they allow themselves to indulge in. It is not aimed at a particular audience. It is simply a good read, and this reviewer grades it a 4 out of 4.
******
Executive Hoodlum
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress by Gustavo Kinrys, MD
