[W3Q]≡ Libro Gratis You Can't Win Jack Black William S Burroughs 9781902593029 Books

You Can't Win Jack Black William S Burroughs 9781902593029 Books

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You Can't Win Jack Black William S Burroughs 9781902593029 Books

This is an exceptionally interesting and entertaining account of a by-gone era in America. Jack Black describes clearly what it was like to be a small-time career criminal in turn-of-the-century America, and does so in a crisp, concise writing style that moves along quickly and never gets boring or bogged down in excess. The guy could flat-out write, and I found it hard to put the book down. I was particularly fascinated with the way he and his cohorts meticulously planned their capers, the way they networked with other crooks around the country, and the "honor among thieves" which members of "The Johnsons" showed to each other. Small wonder that William Burroughs loved this book, and it isn't difficult to see the influence that it had on him when he wrote "Junky".


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You Can't Win Jack Black William S Burroughs 9781902593029 Books Reviews

How does a lad come out of a Catholic school after willingly living a virtuous life to slide into the decadence of thievery and even murder? The poignant autobiography "You Can't Win" explains how without attempting to provide you with any justification. It just is.
In the song by the Clash "The Magnificent Seven," Joe Strummer sings "Socrates and Millhouse Nixon both took the same way, through the kitchen....you can be true, you can be false, you'll be given the same reward." This existential chant is at the heart of "You Can't Win." And the book also provides the origin for the Johnson's, which show up in many of William Burroughs' books. These memorable characters had a code of ethics and honor, though we today might view such a code with suspicion. But placed in the context of the time and compared to the way the police behaved during those days before Miranda and other events that curtailed police corruption and brutality, today's reader can glean important historical information he or she might not have learned in school. History is indeed a moving tale that provides a picture painted by the teller, and students of history and humanity worth their salt are going to listen to as many tales as they can. Only then can they conclude that they may be nearer the truth than they were before. And "You Can't Win" provides a side of the truth that is well told and compelling.
A look into the hobo vagabond culture out West during the old days. Gang of thieves , drifters, addicts it's all here. Willliam Burroughs favorite book. What more do you need to know ?

Highly Recommended.
I enjoyed the honesty and candor of the author as well as his writing skill. It is definately a page turner.
As someone very familiar with the subject matter (at least from my 20th century prespective) I can say it is a pretty fair glimps into the mind of the "criminal with a consciense".
There are a lot of "pro tips" to anyone planning to commit a crime.... my advice, and the final advice of the writer, is stop before you start.
Excellent read. This is a period piece, an autobiography of Jack Black (no relation to the actor) around the turn of the century. It describes the culture of hobos, methods and problems of theft as a way of life, and generally of living in America and Canada in the times.

This was written as part of a work-release program, and is a 'cautionary tale' that contains much more detail than others. The author describes how he got into a life of crime, the methods of casing and performing the thefts, and the things that went wrong.

One thing that struck me was the change in police procedures through Mr. Black's life, and how they impacted his livelihood. Fingerprinting and other identification methods meant that later in life he was unable to serve out a term under an assumed name, which had been a primary way of continuing the life.
I have to say this book isn't what I thought it was at all. I thought it was a book about the pointlessness of life and ambition. Er, no. It's about something else entirely.

The author, Jack Black, tells about his life as a criminal and hobo. Apparently he was commissioned to do this by a sort of church group, the idea being that enough would-be criminals would read what he says about the futility of a life of crime to be dissuaded from that career. Laughably, as far as this goal goes, the book is a failure, as it manages to make the live of an itinerant thief seem romantic and exciting, despite Black's (sincere?) protests that it wasn't.

Anyhow, I was mesmerized.

Note that the BN Publishing edition blows. It's got jack-squat for extras and a lot of typographical errors. You should get this edition instead You Can't Win it has a lot more stuff, such as an afterword that helps to clarify a few matters.

There were a couple of things that did bother me about this book, though

1. Lots and lots of outdated slang and no glossary or footnotes in sight.
2. No timeline it's hard to know when we're talking about. I can see that the book was published in 1926, but how old was Black at that time? In other words, when was he born? What I'm getting at is are his tales of San Francisco about the 60s? 70s? 80s? I for one would like to have known this.
3. Characterization was not as good as everybody's saying, IMO. Sure, the Sanctimonious Kid has a great nickname, but is his character really differentiated from the other hobos to the point where he comes alive on the page? I think not.
This is an exceptionally interesting and entertaining account of a by-gone era in America. Jack Black describes clearly what it was like to be a small-time career criminal in turn-of-the-century America, and does so in a crisp, concise writing style that moves along quickly and never gets boring or bogged down in excess. The guy could flat-out write, and I found it hard to put the book down. I was particularly fascinated with the way he and his cohorts meticulously planned their capers, the way they networked with other crooks around the country, and the "honor among thieves" which members of "The Johnsons" showed to each other. Small wonder that William Burroughs loved this book, and it isn't difficult to see the influence that it had on him when he wrote "Junky".