Necessary disclaimer: I have absolutely no first-hand experience in crime. Excluding, that is, my solitary attempt at stealing a fork from a restaurant. Things were going well until I surreptitiously slipped the fork into my front jeans pocket and then sat down...but that's a different story. All of what follows is an innocent man's take on what he perceives is the murky world of crime, based purely on the written word.
Ever hear the phrase "Crime doesn't pay"? Well, it does, apparently, and it does so well that it's serious business. Heck, I think it could fall right into mainstream commerce, except for the fact that you're doing something that's banned by the law. But its more than just commerce...it’s a lifestyle. It's deeply entrenched in your thoughts, your beliefs, your entire value system. And yes, criminals do have a value system...and a complex one at that.
Both these aspects - the commerce and the lifestyle - are highlighted individually by two brilliant books...'Freakonomics' by Steven D. Levitt and the lesser-known 'One day as a gang leader' by Sudhir Venkatesh. Both books are based on the same set of events...doctorate student of sociology Sudhir Venkatesh's journey into the world of African-American street gangs involved in the crack-cocaine drug trade.
Freakonomics was, to me, like a breath of fresh air. It dispelled all stereotypes, all preconceived notions about how things work. In its own way, it was as freaky as a Ripley's show, in that it made me sit up, eyes popping and go 'Wow!' And of all the outrageous conclusions that Levitt makes, the one that struck me the most was in his chapter "Why do drug dealers stay with their moms". His premise, to put it in a nutshell, is that a drug-dealing gang's economics are really no different from that of McDonald's.
In his crisp, informative yet entertaining style, Levitt tells you the story of Sudhir Venkatesh, a student of the University of Chicago, who walks into a Housing Project (read African-American slum) and confronts members of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation with a multiple-choice questionnaire, the first question of which reads “How does it feel to be black and poor?” However, he emerges unscathed from this rather dubious start, and goes on to practically live with the gang for the next decade, in the process gaining a wealth of information about the gang operations and slum lifestyle in general.
While Levitt does weave an interesting tale, he focuses mainly on the economics. He prepares ‘revenue statements’ of a gang boss, which has interesting entries like 'Mercenary fighters’ and ‘Extortion fees’, and ends in a statement ‘Net profit accruing to leader’, a figure which is just under the rest of the gang’s earnings combined. He goes on from there to compare the corporate pyramid of the gang to that of McDonalds, weighs the dangers of being a street-level drug-dealer against some of the most dangerous legitimate jobs in the US, and compares the benefits and disincentives policy of the gang with that of any corporate. The end point he makes is this; a drug-dealing gang, illegal activities, lifestyle, dangers and all, is a commercial enterprise. And like any other successful enterprise, it is bound by the laws of economics. While the method of operations may differ markedly, the policies and principles are the same as that of any other profit-making company in the world.
One thing that was plain from the book, though, was that Levitt viewed this whole episode as an outsider. A highly intelligent, shrewd outsider for sure, but nevertheless he was an outsider. His examination of the gang and of black culture was clinical…observing journal entries, noting facts and drawing conclusions from those facts. Not so with Sudhir Venkatesh. He gives himself up wholeheartedly to the Housing Project, its inhabitants, the gang members and their lifestyle. He ends up becoming a close friend and a confidante of the gang leader, and is not only a first-hand witness, but also a (not always unwilling) part of their daily activities. No surprise then, that his own book ‘One day as a gang leader’ is entirely different from Freakonomics.
Aside from the fact that the book follows the kind of thinking required for Sudhir’s field of specialization (sociology), it is different in that Sudhir does not always aim to draw conclusions. His book reads like an interesting journal, where he states his day-to-day observations as he sees them and leaves the interpretation up to the reader. Several of the conclusions he does draw are also quite open to debate.
Sudhir strikes me as a person, who while being highly intelligent and fearless in his own way, also has a charming (and maybe disarming) naivete about him, and this is probably what gains him the trust of the gang members and the housing project inhabitants. He weaves an intricate, complex tale about life in the housing projects, the trials and tribulations of the unemployed homeless poor, the pathos of drug-addicts, the inability of the government to make a difference to their lives, and the political role played by the gang and community leaders.
One of the things you notice rather quickly is that financials aside, a black drug-dealing street gang is as far removed from McDonald’s as possible. It has a distinct culture all its own, and is a permanent (if parasitic) fixture of life in black neighborhoods. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that it was involved in the drug trade, the relationship could even be called symbiotic. In a place where there’s no police, no law and order and governance, the gang becomes a government of sorts, regulating life in the projects, providing shelter to the homeless (for a fee, obviously), settling disputes and even getting involved in community projects.
The community – that’s another thing that strikes you – it’s practically a world in itself, as far removed from a ‘normal’ lifestyle as possible. Forget about connections with the rest of the city…the housing project on the other side of the highway is like a different world, a territory of its own. And the rules of society that have evolved in the neighborhood again make you go “Wow”. It reminds you of a jungle, where animals fear each other but still live off each other. In a strange twist, people look to the gang to maintain law and order, and the police are the enemy. A shopkeeper strikes a deal with the gang leader; he pays him ‘protection’ fees so long as he promises to make his minions shop there, and they collectively purchase items that equal the value of the fees. A police officer and a priest mediate a discussion between two opposing gangs. The topic of discussion – the price to pay for a drive-by shooting incident on the other gang’s territory, which led to a few deaths. An ‘amicable’ result is reached – the gang that did the shooting allows the other to sell drugs on its territory for a week, and both gangs agree to maintain the peace.
Sudhir, on the whole, comes across as a good, fairly impartial chronicler. He seems to be (or at least, portrays himself as) a person who’s more a part of scenery than anything else, a person with no close friends in the neighborhood, and no enemies either. He shares beers with the homeless and watches in agony as they get beaten up by the gang but eats his meals at the gang leader’s house. He listens to the stories of pimps, prostitutes and drug-addicts, and spends an equal amount of time with the building president who controls their lives. His actions might be morally debatable at times (to be fair, he spends a lot of time debating them himself) but he does give you a complete, colorful description of life in the projects.
So on the whole, while ‘One day…’ isn’t as fast a read as Freakonomics, and doesn’t have the same ‘Wow’ quotient that Freakonomics does (which, no doubt, is why it’s less popular), it really is a great book in its own right. One that takes you into places you’ve probably never been before, one that alternately tugs at your heartstrings and makes you sit up in anger…or disbelief. In fact, thinking about it now, I don’t know if there’ll ever be another piece of literature quite like this, simply because few other authors would go where Sudhir has gone.
Bottom-line, if you’re looking for a good way to spend a rainy day…pick up both books! You’ll probably find Freakonomics more interesting, but will want to keep coming back to ‘One day as a gang leader’ time and again.
Ever hear the phrase "Crime doesn't pay"? Well, it does, apparently, and it does so well that it's serious business. Heck, I think it could fall right into mainstream commerce, except for the fact that you're doing something that's banned by the law. But its more than just commerce...it’s a lifestyle. It's deeply entrenched in your thoughts, your beliefs, your entire value system. And yes, criminals do have a value system...and a complex one at that.
Both these aspects - the commerce and the lifestyle - are highlighted individually by two brilliant books...'Freakonomics' by Steven D. Levitt and the lesser-known 'One day as a gang leader' by Sudhir Venkatesh. Both books are based on the same set of events...doctorate student of sociology Sudhir Venkatesh's journey into the world of African-American street gangs involved in the crack-cocaine drug trade.
Freakonomics was, to me, like a breath of fresh air. It dispelled all stereotypes, all preconceived notions about how things work. In its own way, it was as freaky as a Ripley's show, in that it made me sit up, eyes popping and go 'Wow!' And of all the outrageous conclusions that Levitt makes, the one that struck me the most was in his chapter "Why do drug dealers stay with their moms". His premise, to put it in a nutshell, is that a drug-dealing gang's economics are really no different from that of McDonald's.
In his crisp, informative yet entertaining style, Levitt tells you the story of Sudhir Venkatesh, a student of the University of Chicago, who walks into a Housing Project (read African-American slum) and confronts members of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation with a multiple-choice questionnaire, the first question of which reads “How does it feel to be black and poor?” However, he emerges unscathed from this rather dubious start, and goes on to practically live with the gang for the next decade, in the process gaining a wealth of information about the gang operations and slum lifestyle in general.
While Levitt does weave an interesting tale, he focuses mainly on the economics. He prepares ‘revenue statements’ of a gang boss, which has interesting entries like 'Mercenary fighters’ and ‘Extortion fees’, and ends in a statement ‘Net profit accruing to leader’, a figure which is just under the rest of the gang’s earnings combined. He goes on from there to compare the corporate pyramid of the gang to that of McDonalds, weighs the dangers of being a street-level drug-dealer against some of the most dangerous legitimate jobs in the US, and compares the benefits and disincentives policy of the gang with that of any corporate. The end point he makes is this; a drug-dealing gang, illegal activities, lifestyle, dangers and all, is a commercial enterprise. And like any other successful enterprise, it is bound by the laws of economics. While the method of operations may differ markedly, the policies and principles are the same as that of any other profit-making company in the world.
One thing that was plain from the book, though, was that Levitt viewed this whole episode as an outsider. A highly intelligent, shrewd outsider for sure, but nevertheless he was an outsider. His examination of the gang and of black culture was clinical…observing journal entries, noting facts and drawing conclusions from those facts. Not so with Sudhir Venkatesh. He gives himself up wholeheartedly to the Housing Project, its inhabitants, the gang members and their lifestyle. He ends up becoming a close friend and a confidante of the gang leader, and is not only a first-hand witness, but also a (not always unwilling) part of their daily activities. No surprise then, that his own book ‘One day as a gang leader’ is entirely different from Freakonomics.
Aside from the fact that the book follows the kind of thinking required for Sudhir’s field of specialization (sociology), it is different in that Sudhir does not always aim to draw conclusions. His book reads like an interesting journal, where he states his day-to-day observations as he sees them and leaves the interpretation up to the reader. Several of the conclusions he does draw are also quite open to debate.
Sudhir strikes me as a person, who while being highly intelligent and fearless in his own way, also has a charming (and maybe disarming) naivete about him, and this is probably what gains him the trust of the gang members and the housing project inhabitants. He weaves an intricate, complex tale about life in the housing projects, the trials and tribulations of the unemployed homeless poor, the pathos of drug-addicts, the inability of the government to make a difference to their lives, and the political role played by the gang and community leaders.
One of the things you notice rather quickly is that financials aside, a black drug-dealing street gang is as far removed from McDonald’s as possible. It has a distinct culture all its own, and is a permanent (if parasitic) fixture of life in black neighborhoods. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that it was involved in the drug trade, the relationship could even be called symbiotic. In a place where there’s no police, no law and order and governance, the gang becomes a government of sorts, regulating life in the projects, providing shelter to the homeless (for a fee, obviously), settling disputes and even getting involved in community projects.
The community – that’s another thing that strikes you – it’s practically a world in itself, as far removed from a ‘normal’ lifestyle as possible. Forget about connections with the rest of the city…the housing project on the other side of the highway is like a different world, a territory of its own. And the rules of society that have evolved in the neighborhood again make you go “Wow”. It reminds you of a jungle, where animals fear each other but still live off each other. In a strange twist, people look to the gang to maintain law and order, and the police are the enemy. A shopkeeper strikes a deal with the gang leader; he pays him ‘protection’ fees so long as he promises to make his minions shop there, and they collectively purchase items that equal the value of the fees. A police officer and a priest mediate a discussion between two opposing gangs. The topic of discussion – the price to pay for a drive-by shooting incident on the other gang’s territory, which led to a few deaths. An ‘amicable’ result is reached – the gang that did the shooting allows the other to sell drugs on its territory for a week, and both gangs agree to maintain the peace.
Sudhir, on the whole, comes across as a good, fairly impartial chronicler. He seems to be (or at least, portrays himself as) a person who’s more a part of scenery than anything else, a person with no close friends in the neighborhood, and no enemies either. He shares beers with the homeless and watches in agony as they get beaten up by the gang but eats his meals at the gang leader’s house. He listens to the stories of pimps, prostitutes and drug-addicts, and spends an equal amount of time with the building president who controls their lives. His actions might be morally debatable at times (to be fair, he spends a lot of time debating them himself) but he does give you a complete, colorful description of life in the projects.
So on the whole, while ‘One day…’ isn’t as fast a read as Freakonomics, and doesn’t have the same ‘Wow’ quotient that Freakonomics does (which, no doubt, is why it’s less popular), it really is a great book in its own right. One that takes you into places you’ve probably never been before, one that alternately tugs at your heartstrings and makes you sit up in anger…or disbelief. In fact, thinking about it now, I don’t know if there’ll ever be another piece of literature quite like this, simply because few other authors would go where Sudhir has gone.
Bottom-line, if you’re looking for a good way to spend a rainy day…pick up both books! You’ll probably find Freakonomics more interesting, but will want to keep coming back to ‘One day as a gang leader’ time and again.
Comments
More comments 2 follow after i finish readin either of de 2...
That is the basic difference between the sciences and the humanities.
Have you read Taleb? There is another book by him called the 'Black Swan'.