Running the Books

I felt like he could have used an editor to trim down some parts, or better explain their relevancy to the story as a whole. That said, I enjoyed reading about his time in the prison, the people he met, and the things he took away from his interactions with inmates and his job. He had some interesting insights into prison culture.

Steinberg did not really know what he wanted to do with his life. Almost on the spur of the moment, he applied for the job of prison librarian. He was not a librarian by profession and he knew nothing about prisons either. It turned out to be a job he loved and hated. And it was a job that provided lots of terribly interesting anecdotes that make up the core of this book.




The first chapter was brilliant. The second chapter was strong. But by chapter three, things began to slip. In the end I have to say that this is yet another book that needed an editor.

Well, I thought this would be better. The author lost major points by 1) calling Cleveland a ‘wasteland,' and 2) referring to a library science degree with what could be contempt, but is probably just ignorance. An English major does not a Librarian make.

Even though I disliked the author's premise and assumptions (and at times tone), I did really like the characters in the book and how he describes their effect on him. The shining moment was the realization that he (and many others) had been glamorizing the pimp/ho dynamic when in reality it is an ugly, ugly thing.