Review of The Rise Of A Street General, An Autobiography

[Michael Jerry_]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Rise Of A Street General, An Autobiography" by Michael Turtoe Stewart.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Rise Of A Street General, An Autobiography is an insightful book by Michael Turtoe Stewart. Michael is a proud black man who was born to black parents in the United States of America. He is 58 years old and was introduced to the world of gangs at the tender age of 13. Michael is an influential member of his gang, with several years of experience in his gang-banging career.

In this book, Michael shares his story and some of the adventures he experienced from the beginning of his gang-banging career in the Avalon Garden housing projects to his eventual arrest. After Michael was sent to prison, things changed as he met other crips and made new friends. The author was exposed to the racial and civil injustice that prevailed over prisoners. Michael was still involved with his gang members but soon began to search for something more than a reputation as a gang member. He began to write because he wanted a part of him to be remembered even when he’s left this world to be with his ancestors.

I enjoyed learning about Michael’s origin, how he became an influential member of his gang, how the gang thinks, and even how they function. I also admired the bond and love that the author had for his family and members of his gang. He always had their backs and was always ready to put his life on the line to make sure that they were safe. The author also had a profound love for his race, and I respect him for that. He is very proud of his identity and was never afraid to tell people that he is Turtoe from Avalon. While I don’t recommend anyone to join any gang, I believe that the author's heart was in the right place.

The author also talked about the racial tension in prison and the unlawful way the prison cops and administration treated the inmates by depriving them of their civil rights. While this book was enlightening, I was able to spot a lot of errors, and it significantly affected my reading experience. It also became difficult to keep up with all the gangs and their numerous activities. There always seemed to be a war between gangs or gang members trying to hurt one another, and it was a bit overwhelming for me.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn’t give it a full rating because the lack of proper editing was frustrating. Furthermore, I also felt that the book wasn’t concise and could have been shorter and easier to read. I recommend this book for adults over the age of 18 who might be interested in understanding the way gangs function and how members think. Parents might also want to keep this book out of reach of teenagers because it has some graphic scenes, profanities, some sexual content, and these might affect their views on society or women.

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The Rise Of A Street General, An Autobiography
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[Kaleab Wondu]

Knowing how gangs think, seems interesting. I think this is an educational book. Great review.