Gangs

June 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-This riveting volume, which is both comprehensive and concise, explores a complex and potentially controversial issue. Swift frames the issue against the gross social inequities that create gangs and discusses the factors that contribute to their existence, such as racism, poverty, drug use and trafficking, lack of jobs, crumbling global economies, etc. His no-nonsense approach is refreshing-he does not condone the actions of gang members, but he also does not place sole blame on these youths, who often have few other directions to take in life. Despite its conveniently compact size, the book is packed with information. Text boxes, which occasionally take up a full spread, expand on related issues discussed in the chapters, such as the significance of tattoos in gang culture. The supplemental material is extensive: along with a subject index and a notes section, there is a "Gangs Timeline" that succinctly displays the history of gangs by decade and a short "Gang Vocabulary" list. Offering a broader scope and more current information than Scott Barbour's Gangs (Gale/Greenhaven, 2006), this interesting and accessible volume is an essential purchase.-Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2011
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* This title in the excellent Groundwork Guides series presents a clear point of view: It is a simple formula: weapons + poverty + inequality + dashed hopes = street gang violence. Yet there is nothing formulaic about this slender, eloquent volume. With well-documented references, a sharp wit, and a passionate commitment, journalist Swift roots his arguments in particular examples drawn from both history and contemporary times and around the globe, from Chicagos inner city to the squatter camps outside post-apartheid Johannesburg to the slums of Moscow. Much of what he says is sure to spark controversy, especially the call for the decriminalization of drugs. But he makes no excuses for youth violence, and he insists that gangs must be held accountable, even as he blames wide-ranging causes, including the anti-gun-control lobby, the drug trade, police corruption, unemployment, poverty, discrimination, and more. At the core is Swifts assertion that the societies with intractable gang problems are the most unequal in the world, but he also cites solutions that are working. Free from sociological jargon, this will grab teens, and adults, too, with its compelling arguments about why kids join gangs and what happens when greed, poverty, and injustice intersect.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)