Doing Time on the Outside: Incarceration and Family Life in Urban America

Book Description

"Stigma, shame and hardship---this is the lot shared by families whose young men have been swept into prison. Braman reveals the devastating toll mass incarceration takes on the parents, partners, and children left behind."
-Katherine S. Newman

"Doing Time on the Outside brings to life in a compelling way the human drama, and tragedy, of our incarceration policies. Donald Braman documents the profound economic and social consequences of the American policy of massive imprisonment of young African American males. He shows us the link between the broad-scale policy changes of recent decades and the isolation and stigma that these bring to family members who have a loved one in prison. If we want to understand fully the impact of current criminal justice policies, this book should be required reading."
-Mark Mauer, Assistant Director, The Sentencing Project

"Through compelling stories and thoughtful analysis, this book describes how our nation's punishment policies have caused incalculable damage to the fabric of family and community life. Anyone concerned about the future of urban America should read this book."
-Jeremy Travis, The Urban Institute

In the tradition of Elijah Anderson's Code of the Street and Katherine Newman's No Shame in My Game, this startling new ethnography by Donald Braman uncovers the other side of the incarceration saga: the little-told story of the effects of imprisonment on the prisoners' families.

Since 1970 the incarceration rate in the United States has more than tripled, and in many cities-urban centers such as Washington, D.C.-it has increased over five-fold. Today, one out of every ten adult black men in the District is in prison and three out of every four can expect to spend some time behind bars. But the numbers don't reveal what it's like for the children, wives, and parents of prisoners, or the subtle and not-so-subtle effects mass incarceration is having on life in the inner city.

Author Donald Braman shows that those doing time on the inside are having a ripple effect on the outside-reaching deep into the family and community life of urban America. Braman gives us the personal stories of what happens to the families and communities that prisoners are taken from and return to. Carefully documenting the effects of incarceration on the material and emotional lives of families, this groundbreaking ethnography reveals how criminal justice policies are furthering rather than abating the problem of social disorder. Braman also delivers a number of genuinely new arguments.

Among these is the compelling assertion that incarceration is holding offenders unaccountable to victims, communities, and families. The author gives the first detailed account of incarceration's corrosive effect on social capital in the inner city and describes in poignant detail how the stigma of prison pits family and community members against one another. Drawing on a series of powerful family portraits supported by extensive empirical data, Braman shines a light on the darker side of a system that is failing the very families and communities it seeks to protect.

Customer Reviews:

powerful book.......2004-08-08

It is great to read a book that gives a view into such a marginalized population. The insight Braman brings through his presentation of these real people with complex problems is very powerful.

Amazing stories, great analysis.......2004-08-07

I'd read Braman's other work in books edited by Marc Mauer and Jeremy Travis. This is much more in depth, but presents the same basic arguments. Instead of the tired poltical arguments about the criminal justice system, it tells the stories of actual families. The stories are moving and the families are presented "warts and all." The arguement of the book is that, by undermining family formation and community cohesion, mass imprisonment is actually exacerbating social disorder.

The criminals here are real criminals, not liberal fairy tale versions: They kill people, sell drugs, and steal things. They then get sent to prison while their families and communities pick up the tab.

What makes this book stand out from the crowd of other books on the criminal justice system are the stories of the criminal offenders and their families. What you come to realize is that the criminals are getting off lightly while their families - especially their kids - struggle to survive. It doesn't tie the stories up in a pretty bow. Instead it shows how hard it is to hold criminal offenders accountable.

Restoring the Village, Values, and Commitment: Solutions for the Black Family

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What are our values?

Restoring the Village, Values, and Commitment: Solutions for the Black Family
Jawanza Kunjufu
Manufacturer: African American Images
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

ASIN: 0913543470

Book Description

Addresses the four stages of a relationship; why African-American females lead the world in teen pregnancy; and why more fathers do not remain in the home with their children.

Customer Reviews:

What are our values?.......2005-01-09

In reading this book, you understand what the values of African-Amrericans are. Also, you get a better idea as to how we can restore ourselves as a people. The only way that this is possible is through the use of villages values which are discussed in this book. I recommend anyone this book who likes African-American literature with some truth to it.

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long lasting pleasure grows from the reading of this book.

Leaving Pipe Shop
Deborah Mcdowell
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Amazon.com

Americans coming of age in the 1960s faced a society in flux: attitudes about sex, race, and politics were radically changing; revolution was in the air and the nation seemed fractured, unable to find a common cause to unite its fragmented people. Author Deborah E. McDowell grew up near Birmingham, Alabama, the crucible of the civil rights movement, and the remarkable Leaving Pipe Shop is a memoir of those years. What distinguishes Pipe Shop from similar books is McDowell's emphasis on the everyday lives of ordinary people inhabiting that time and place. Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, and George Wallace make only cameo appearances in this account; the main players on McDowell's stage are the members of her family, her church, and her neighborhood.

"Pipe Shop" refers to the black working-class neighborhood in Bessemer (just outside of Birmingham) where Deborah McDowell grew up. Her book begins with her return to Pipe Shop to investigate her father's death, part of the class-action lawsuit filed by victims of asbestos poisoning against the steel mill where he once worked. McDowell's trip home elicits plenty of memories--how her neighbors reacted to bus boycotts and boycotts of white-owned businesses, going to hear Martin Luther King speak, and the murder of her own activist pastor. Leaving Pipe Shop is an evocative portrait of one African American community's struggle to cope with the changes that swept through a nation.

Book Description

In the illuminating language of memory, Deborah McDowell tells the story of her family, living a segregated life in Bessemer, Alabama, where her father worked at U.S. Foundry and Pipe, nicknamed Pipe Shop. Through the intimate details of their daily lives, she shows us how civil rights affected a working-class town, among three generations of women and men. McDowell movingly uncovers a world rarely portrayed, where she was raised to love the sounds and meanings of words and to value a place and culture that has passed.

Customer Reviews:

long lasting pleasure grows from the reading of this book........1997-05-04

McDowell has written a talking book. The dialog brings the people to life and gave this reader the feeling of accompanying the author on visits to her community. Matriarchial society, authoritarian upbringing of children, love and caring, laughter and sadness as well as the events of the 50's and 60's are memorably brought into focus. I urge you not to ignore this little-known gem of a book

Friendship, Cliques, and Gangs: Young Black Men Coming of Age in Urban America

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Friendship, Cliques, and Gangs: Young Black Men Coming of Age in Urban America
Greg Dimitriadis
Manufacturer: Teachers College Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0807743852

African-American Family Life: Its Structural and Ecological Aspects (New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development)

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African-American Family Life: Its Structural and Ecological Aspects (New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development)

Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Alley Life in Washington: Family, Community, Religion, and Folklife in the City, 1850-1970 (Blacks in the New World)

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Alley Life in Washington: Family, Community, Religion, and Folklife in the City, 1850-1970 (Blacks in the New World)
James Borchert
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0252006895

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Family Life and Morality
William Gibson
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Family Life in Black America

Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0803952910

Book Description

Over the past 20 years, African American families have undergone tremendous changes, both demographically and socially. During this time, most of the studies of black families have focused on problems, such as out-of-wedlock births, single-parent families, and childhood poverty. While an accurate appreciation of the challenges confronting black families is important and needed, a "problem focus" tends to offer a narrow, negative view and restricts the consideration of other important issues affecting families. Family Life in Black America moves away from this deficit perspective and the result is enlightening both in its comprehensive reach and systematic scholarship. Readers of this volume will be pleased with the wide range of issues dealt with in this volume, including maturation, mate selection, sexuality, procreation, infancy, adulthood, adolescence, gender issues, young adulthood, cohabitation, parenting, grandparenting, and aging. Each article is firmly grounded in empirical data, based on, but not limited to, the National Survey of Black Americans (NSBA). A fresh aspect of this book is the amount of diversity it reveals withing African American families and the forces that shape, limit, and enhance them. Both uplifting and informative, Family Life in Black America is truly unique in its field and will be used by professionals and students in ethnic studies, family studies, social work, psychology, research methods, and gerontology.

Heritage and Hope: The Legacy and Future of the Black Family in America

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Heritage and Hope: The Legacy and Future of the Black Family in America
Howard Jones , Wanda Jones , Dave Jackson , and Neta Jackson
Manufacturer: Victor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Jacob Ladder

Jacob Ladder
Gerald Hausman
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0613582292

Book Description

Growing up in a small Jamaican town where his father works the docks and his mother does laundry, "Tall T" both fears and loves his father, Brother John, who leaves his six children in dire poverty by losing his wages each week to bone dice and rum. As if that were not bad enough, Brother John is bewitched by the obeah woman next door and leaves his family for her. Forced to leave school because he has no uniform, Tall T starts reading, guided by the local librarian, but he still feels helpless until he proves to himself that he is a man by climbing a 60-foot cliff called the Jacob Ladder.

Customer Reviews:

Jacob Ladder.......2007-06-13

The Jacob Ladder is a very good book; the book has feelings, with some happiness to it. This book is very amazing because it would amaze any body that reads the book. You could feel what's going on and what's going to happen in the book.

This book is about a kid name Jacob, he feels scared some of the times, he doesn't know why, but he does what he is suppose to do for himself. Jacob has very strong feelings for himself and for others too. He has a religious where he goes and sings and play instruments, he likes music and a very good boy. Jacob is scared to break the holy - spirit because he doesn't know what's going to happen to him.

One favorite part about The Jacob Ladder, is when Jacob goes up a rock mountain and almost falls down to the ground. But he didn't give up for himself because he knew someone was going to come. Then his friend came to help him up, that was real friendship, because they were best friends they had to help each other.

The Jacob Ladder, is a really good book because it's really about his religious, he cares about himself and family. Jacob is a good boy and likes helping people, he likes hearing music and playing instruments and he works very hard to get what he wants.

I liked this book because I liked the way they made Jacob to be very strong and very thoughtful of what he was doing. I wouldn't change much but it would be better if they would add a little of more adventure. The people that would want to read this book would be the people that would be that don't have strong feelings or any other kind of people.

Customer Reviews:

The Lowdown on Getting Women into the Wild Blue Yonder.......2003-05-09

(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes")This thoroughly researched, extremely detailed, and meticulously documented history of the WASPs is well organized, vividly written, and highly opinionated: The author, a former WASP, is lavish in her praise of WASP founder Jacqueline Cochran and scathing in her condemnation of Jackie's adversaries--and there were many. Jackie was an uppity woman who didn't flinch at stepping on toes to get the best for her woman pilots, and back in the `40s such unladylike behavior didn't sit well with the establishment. Granger chronicles Cochran's tireless efforts to get the WASP program up and running, along with a blow-by-blow account of her battles with the Army Air Force brass over everything from where to locate training facilities to how often her pilots were to be subjected to medical examinations to the appointment of her office staff. No doubt about it, this woman was a fighter! In my opinion, these guys couldn't recognize talent when they saw it-they should have turned Jackie on the Germans. She would have whupped the Wehrmacht, hanged all the Nazi war criminals, and gotten every American boy back home by Christmas of '44. ...

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Absolutely Fabulous, Funny, and Terrifying

Great read!

A must have for any American!

One Small Critique

When Clinton Lied, Nobody Died

The Bush - Haters Handbook: A Guide to the Most Appalling Presidency of the Past 100 Years
Jack Huberman
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
21st Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Bushit!: An A-Z Guide to the Bush Attack on Truth, Justice, Equality, and the American Way

Fraud: The Strategy Behind the Bush Lies and Why the Media Didn't Tell You

The I Hate Republicans Reader: Why the GOP is Totally Wrong About Everything

Cruel and Unusual: Bush/Cheney's New World Order

The I Hate Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity. . . Reader: The Hideous Truth About America's Ugliest Conservatives

ASIN: 1560255692

Book Description

The Bush-Haters Handbook is a godsend to those looking for a concise, mordantly entertaining overview of the Bush record from a liberal perspective, or those who want to arm themselves with talking points, facts, and figures for debates with conservatives, and at those seeking the perfect holiday gift book for that certain, special Bush-hater in their lives—or for a Bush-lover they hope to rescue from the outer darkness. Summarizing, detailing, and bewailing all of the more important Bush administration outrages, and some of the more trivial ones, this book is the brainchild of Jack Huberman, a former Canadian who took up U.S. citizenship just so he could vote against Dubya in 2000. Topics range from abortion, AIDS, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and Ashcroft, to women and workplace safety. Other major topics include budget and taxes, civil liberties, death penalty, defense spending, education, environment, gun control, health care, homeland security, Iraq, judicial nominations, “nucular” weapons, patients’ rights, privacy, public land, September 11 and the war on terror, and social security. In between are a variety of smaller topics, such as Bush’s language abilities (featuring a selection of priceless Bushisms). The pages are also enlivened by sidebars, “boxed” lists, and political cartoons.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Fabulous, Funny, and Terrifying.......2007-03-09

I had a whole plethora of emotions when I read this book. I laughed hysterically when I realized how stupid our President really is, I was astounded by the investigative journalism and the their findings, all of which should never happen in the office of the President of the United States. The reporting on the war and the real reasons we went there are sadly shocking. Everyday, you read about the deaths of the young men and women from 18 to 24, just babies really. None of them have been alive long enough to learn how beautiful life can really be, and it is just heartbreaking. Jack Huberman has done a fantastic job of documenting the lies and scare tactics used by this administration to terrify the population, and the member's of Congress into voting for Bush's blank check into Iraq. The author needs to update the book since it was originally published in 2003. The book would double or triple in size by the time the author starts digging into all the alleged crimes committed by Paul Bremer in Iraq, the illegal contracts with American companies that should have gone to the Iraqi's, and the missing billions in cash. What would they find if they really looked at what that arrogant, ignorant liar, our Commander in Chief (the decider), has done to this country. Why for example, do we have over 100,000 American businessman and workers who are earning billions, when 75% of Iraqi men can't find a job to feed their families? Our country is going broke, we have become a severly fractured society and we no longer have any "good standing" left anywhere in the world. "The Decider" has destroyed our great nation and his foolish decisions are directly responsible for the thousands of dead troops and another 30,000 severly disabled men and women. It is almost too much to believe the true axis of evil, (Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld), could do so much damage to such a proud nation, in such a short period of time. Our ecomomy is in ruins, and they have stripped our Armed Services down to its bare bones. They have cut the funding on every program they possibly could, including VA hospital benefits to pay for this fiasco. It will take generations for this country to recover. George Bush will walk into retirement admiring himself for this hideous mess, and he will dump it on the next President to clean up. It took "The Decider" less than six years to turn the United States into a gigantic bull's eye. Terror is already walking on our soil, just patiently waiting.

Great read!.......2006-11-27

I found this to be a great book full of facts and statistics necessary to back up the feelings that anyone who picks this up to read must already have.

I especially enjoyed the history of the administration officials that was offered and the specific information on the Iraq "situation."

A quick read, which had me both shocked and in awe at some points. :)

A must have for any American!.......2006-11-04

I can't get over how great this book is! It is well organized (all social/political issues are in alphabetical order). It covers all aspects of the presidents mistakes from the environment, appointment of jugdes, the war on terror, etc. Its presented in a concise manner so that its interesting but still information packed. This book is a must have for anyone who disagrees with Bush or anyone who is blind enough to think he is a good president.

One Small Critique.......2006-05-13

I enjoyed the book very much, but there was one thing he said that I disagree with, and was totally unnecessary and perhaps a little damaging to his case, and that was his comment that we really should have 100% inheritance tax, with the argument that people who inherit have already been given the best educational and other opportunities, etc.. The irony I found in that statement was that when my parents died and I inherited probably more than some I grew up with did, part of the reason for this was that we scrimped and saved and had to do without some of the things the neighbors kids got, because my parents lived through the depression and never got it out of their skin. I earned my inheritance in part by doing without things to allow my parents to be able to save and invest for the future, a future that unforunately for them was cut shorter than it was planned to be by a tragic accident. Okay, there were plenty who had it worse than us, whose parents didn't earn enough to save even if they had wanted to, but even if I can't convince the author that I deserved to not have my whole inheritance taken away from me, there was a missed opportunity here.

I am precisely the sort of person Bush was probably trying to pretend his relief in inheritance was supposed to help, protecting the honest middle class family that wants to pass on their hard earned savings to their children..we all know the line. But in actuallity long before Bush the law already provided quite adequately for people like me. Even back in 1994 when I inherited, the first $600,000 of an estate was tax exempt at least when passed on to the children, and I suspect that has gone up in adjustment for inflation. Now there's a funny quirk in the inheritance law that allowed us twice the exclusion in effect, because my parents died in a car accident at the same time, which allowed them each to pass on $600,000 untaxed. If they had not died at the same time we would have had to pay some inheritance tax, but even with only the first $600,000 untaxed it would not have been oppressive. With the already in existence back in 1994 $600,000 exclusion a family with 2 children could pass on $300,000 to each without anyone needing to pay inheritance tax at all. In our case there were 3 of us, so only our first $200,000 would have been untaxed if one or our parents had died before the other, still not exactly hardship, though.

In other words, the point about inheritance tax relief being tax relief for the rich could have been made much better without clouding things by making it seem like an argument about whether inheritance should exist at all. By saying that kind of thing he is unnecessarily playing right into the hands of Bush supporters that will be all too eager to say, that he (and by association all Bushhaters) wants to steal the family home away from the children before they have even had the chance to properly grieve.

When Clinton Lied, Nobody Died.......2006-04-25

For the reviewer below mine who has begged for a review of the book and not how much they hate Bush, I will attempt to grant his wish.

This book is somewhat strident in its tone, which, considering the title, is understandable. It does provide a ton of facts for those who may feel verbally combative with the neighborhood neocon. It is a compilation of Bush's lies, deals, swindles, contradictions, etc. It is broken down into topics such as economy, veterans, etc.

What is important about these facts is that a lot of people are not familiar with them, and the people who like the president don't want to become familiar with them. Keep in mind, this book was written before the start of his second term, and his popularity has dropped to the freezing mark as of this writing i.e. 32%--not degrees.

I believe this book had one bit of conjecture I didn't like, and that was the uncomfirmable assertion that he impregnated a woman who later had an abortion with the help of one of Bush's friends. (Rove, perhaps?) Supposedly, this woman is now married, and not talking or admitting, therefore it should not have been mentioned.

The facts of the book are otherwise unassailable especially for a president who implied that he would do almost anything for our soldiers and veterans, and then didn't. In fact, the book brings out all the things that Bush did to hurt our veterans by closing VA hospitals, freezing pay hikes, balking at raising the death benefit for GI insurance, trying to cut combat pay, and housing allowance pay, to name a few.

Anyone who looks at Bush's business dealings, the way he attacked McCain during the 2000 primary in Carolina, could easily see what kind of man this country would be getting. They wouldn't have had to buy this book to find out that he was a divider, a nation-builder, a man without principle or integrity, nor one who could take responsibility for anything.

If you want to catalogue this man's impeachable offenses, this book is a good start. Beware. It is a little like the writing of Michael Savage. It will anger liberal and neocon alike. That's the drawback to a fine litany of mistakes and character flaws.

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The Bush Hater's Handbook
Jack Huberman
Manufacturer: Granta Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Zany, Amusing, Entertaining Muses on Unix OS
Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before Things Get Worse
A hilarious indictment of the geek's sacred cow
Funny Fiction
Entertaining and often even true -- now free!

The UNIX Hater's Handbook
Simson L. Garfinkel
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc (Computers)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1568842031

Book Description

In the tradition of 12-step programs that help people overcome their addictions by sharing stories, The UNIX-Haters Handbook is the self-help guide for people affected by the world's most esoteric and most widely used operating system.

Turn here for answers to all-important questions, such as...

Why does the online documentation lie to us? Why does the operating system overwrite valuable files with garbage? Why does the user's guide bear no relationship to reality? Why do the commands have cryptic names that have no bearing on their function? What is a grep? What is vi? Do troffs live under bridges, or are they inverted trons? WHERE ARE THEY SENDING ALL THE UPPERCASE LETTERS?

Customer Reviews:

Zany, Amusing, Entertaining Muses on Unix OS.......2005-11-18

I had to the chance to check this zany collection of "hatred" when I was down at Texas State University in San Marcos last semester. I think it's excellent (and funny)! I believe the people who are going to get the most from this book are the ones who come into the text with an "open mind," meaning that they are probably Unix (or Linux) users already and if they aren't, don't let the 'tone' of this book drive you away from Unix.

Unix = POWER. If you'd rather let the computer/OS "do everything for you" (which in some cases, in doesn't do well or doesn't do at all), Unix is not for you. However, if you like to have power over the functionality of your computer, like knowing more than the average person, or the like, Unix is definitely for you. In fact, Unix allows you to do A LOT more than you could EVER do in a "proprietary black box".

I like this book because, from a centristic viewpoint (and taking it with a grain of salt), it shows you possible design flaws that you can overcome in your own programming endeavors -- it is in this manner that I think the book succeeds. Don't get it twisted: I have a Windows box and a Unix one at home, and the Unix box is my workhorse. I agree with one of the earlier reviewers of this book in which he (David Kelly, Amazon Reviewer) stated:

"I challenge any of you out there who dislike Unix to take one of my classes. Your Unixphobic attitudes can be overcome with the proper education...It's [also] interesting to note that Unix is stronger than ever while you can't find this book anymore [it being out of print]."

'Nuff said. Otherwise, an entertaining read.

Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before Things Get Worse.......2005-10-17

If you can find a copy of this book, grab it and hold on to it, for it's a true UNIX classic. Don't miss the Forward by Donald Norman, Apple Computer, and the Anti-Forward by Dennis Ritchie of AT&T Bell Labs.

The preface starts off by stating, "Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before Things Get Worse." As you read on, you'll quickly see their point... as you laugh between the paragraphs.

Then there's this choice tidbit: "Modern UNIX is a catastrophe. It's the 'Un-Operating System': unreliable, unintuitive, unforgiving, unhelpful, and underpowered. Little is more frustrating than trying to force UNIX to do something useful and nontrivial. Modern UNIX impedes progress in computer science, wastes billions of dollars, and destroys the common sense of many who seriously use it. An exaggeration? You won't think so after reading this book."

This is truly a humorous look at the dark side of UNIX, written by highly knowledgeable UNIX insiders. Some of the chapter subtitles include: "Power Tools for Power Fools," and for the C++ chapter, "The COBOL of the 90s."

This book explains that there are several myths about UNIX, one being that UNIX is well-documented. Another is that UNIX is documented.

The authors are well-respected experts in their field - just check on the links and see all they have written. They have a marvelous tongue-in-cheek way of explaining the various foibles they have encountered along the way in dealing with UNIX. There are numerous funny accounts from other users fed up with UNIX as well.

Please keep in mind that this was published in 1994, so some of the information may seem a bit outdated to UNIX newbies. And the Anti-Microsoft-at-Any-Price Linux zealots will possibly hate this book, feeling that it's heretical propaganda. Sometimes they just need to learn to lighten up - this book was written to be funny, in a dark humor fashion that only a true geek could appreciate.

If it wasn't made to be humorous, then why would the authors glue a real barf bag inside the cover?

You might be lucky and find a copy online here or in a second-hand bookstore, but they are rare to end up on anyone's shelf for long. If you do find one, grab it and enjoy it. I'm on my second copy - the first was "borrowed" by a UNIX zealot who "forgot" to return it. And no, you can't have mine - it's not for sale.

You have to love UNIX and all it's idiosyncrasies to really appreciate this book. Here's real proof that computer geeks have a real sense of humor, far more than might be expected.

This reviewer cannot help but close with the following quotation, which is not in the book:

"Many say that DOS is the dark side [from Star Wars], but actually
UNIX is more like the dark side: It's less likely to find the one way
to destroy your incredibly powerful machine, and more likely to
make upper management choke."
~ Lore Sjöberg, noted Internet humorist

A hilarious indictment of the geek's sacred cow.......2005-10-11

Unix, and to some extent, its offspring Linux have always been something I've hated, and it was very refreshing to come across a book that summed up all my frustrations perfectly. In the Unix Haters Handbook, Daniel Weise and Simson Garfinkel take aim at your average geek's most sacred cows, from Unix to Usenet to the C programming language, and the result is nothing short of hilarious.

The first portion of the book is dedicated to exposing the basic flaws of the Unix operating system, decrying the "Worse is Better" philosophy that it is built on. The crude, antidiluvian console interface, the utter lack of documentation, the hopeless X-Windowing system, nothing is spared from the book's wrath. The latter is devoted to exploring the flawed peripherals of Unix, from sendmail, to the troublesome system administration and file systems. Lastly, the C programming language is also thoroughly lambasted, undoubtedly earning the ire of geeks everywhere.

The authors present their frustrations in a humorous and tongue-in-cheek manner, sprinkling anecdotes from other users fed up with Unix as well. But at it's core is a strong refutation of the claim that Unix and Linux are the embodiment of perfection. No doubt Linux Zealots will hate this book, but I found it to be a highly enjoyable read. The only flaw is that, being published in 1994, the material is quite out of date in sections are no longer applicable to modern technology. In spite of this, I highly recommend The Unix Hater's Handbook to anyone wishing to hear a different viewpoint besides the Linux propaganda spewed forth from the maws of geekdom.

Funny Fiction.......2005-07-07

This book was entertaining in that it highlighted antiquated design flaws of the different flavors of UNIX operating systems in a humorous way. I'm sure anyone who has used UNIX can sympathize with some of the rants presented. However, they are rants. Most of the issues they presented I have dealt with personally, and can say I've dealt with much worse with other OS's. Also, the specific issues they present encompass a wide variety of OS's from many vendors and of course their will be many problems with multiple vendors distributions. Plus, there were many issues brought up by individuals who enjoy LISP machines. Could it be that computer scientists don't like change?

UNIX is not for the faint of heart. If you want an easy (dumb) to use OS then go the ways of a windows OS, but beware if something goes wrong you are at MS's mercy to release a patch and be ready to shell out a lot of money for the privilege of their OS. If you need (or like) maximum flexibility, full responsibility, an endless education in computational sciences, and can type well use UNIX. Yes, UNIX takes more time and study, but my opinion is that you get what you put in to it, and if you can't stand the heat..............

Entertaining and often even true -- now free!.......2004-01-26

This is a breezy book poking fun at the foibles of Unix. As a sarcastic screed, it is not at all balanced or fair or reasonable, or even necessarily historically accurate. But it is valuable.

(...)It is valuable because in many ways it is a catalog of design errors that you can make when putting together a system -- any system. Designers of new systems should be able to learn from it.

It is valuable because it shows you how over time design decisions and compromises that seemed reasonable can come to seem ridiculous.

It is valuable because it really does show you that "Worse is Better". That is, Unix really did survive, and all the 'better' systems like Multics and Tenex failed (and of course they weren't necessarily better across the board). There is a lesson here for engineers who don't understand that making the 'best' product by some narrow technical definition does NOT guarantee market success.

It is valuable because it documents some of the *alternatives* to doing things the Unix way. Not enough to substitute for studying Multics and whatever, but valuable nonetheless.

It is valuable because many of the analyses of Unix apply to other systems, certainly including MS-DOS and Windows. Yes, Windows does some things better, and some things worse. But you're smart; you can figure out how to transpose the analysis.

Finally, it is valuable because it punctures the pretensions of those who hold up Unix (and Linux) as images of perfection.

Book Description

The GOP-Hater’s Handbook is a godsend to those looking for a concise, scary and darkly entertaining overview of the Grand Old Party record from a liberal perspective; or those who want to arm themselves with talking points, facts, and figures for debates with conservatives; and for those seeking the perfect holiday gift book for that certain, special GOP-hater in their lives, or for a Republican they hope to rescue from the outer darkness.

Summarizing, detailing, and bewailing all of the more important Republican outrages, and some of the more trivial ones, The GOP-Hater’s Handbook is the brainchild of Jack Huberman, author of the bestselling The Bush-Hater’s Handbook, a former Canadian who took up U.S. citizenship just so he could vote against Dubya in 2000.

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