hi, it is an interesting book you will like it regards GANG LEADER FOR A DAY This is a book written by Sudhir Venkatesh (SV), an American citizen born to Indian parents who migrated to USA. SV is presently a famous teacher in USA on Sociology. Gang Leader for a Day(GLFA) is the book born of his experience during his student days. As a bright student of University of Chicago during the 90’s, he had to complete his dissertation for his doctorate on poverty in USA. To accomplish this he moves in the Chicago’s poorest black neighbourhood with a questionnaire with multiple choice answers. The first of the list is “ How do you feel about being black and poor?" The choice answers are 1.Very Bad 2. Bad 3. Neither bad nor good 4.Somewhat good and 5. Very good. He, however, straight away runs into a crack selling gang. They suspect him to be either a police or a rival gang’s informer and hold him as a hostage. Still one of the gang members is willing to answer his first question with an answer not listed in the choice. He adds “**** you” and ticks that as the appropriate answer. Subsequently, SV meets the leader of the gang, J.T and spends his time under his wings for more than a decade. This stay helps SV to understand how the gang works and how it benefits the people involved in the crack trade. His analysis proves that this organization has several hierarchies as in any lawful enterprise and the boss has no less a stress than any corporate head. When SV makes light of the responsibilities and function of J.T, SV would be made the gang leader for a day. This makes him realize that though the other side of the hedge is green, it comes with a huge water bill.
In this book he shares all his experience in the ghetto. Excerpts of this book is used another famous book “Freakonomics” by Stven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Any one who is interested in looking at sociology and economics in a practical manner than in a text book presentation would enjoy both the books
