Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence

by Geoffrey Canada

Book Overview

A candid and riveting memoir from the founder of Harlem Children's Zone, taking readers through his Canada in which violence stalked every street corner.

Long before the avalanche of praise for his work--from Oprah Winfrey, from President Bill Clinton, from President Barack Obama--long before he became known for his talk show appearances, Members Project spots, and documentaries like Waiting for "Superman", Geoffrey Canada...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080704461X
• ISBN13: 9780807044612
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

anti-Second Amendment venom

TALE OF A BOOK - "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun" - by Geoffrey Canada the comments said that this book went to the deep cultural reasons of USA violence and not just whined but last chapter offered working answers. great, I buy. arrives today. even before first page (in preface) guilts "too many guns". no mention to fists, stick, knifes, or "illegal" qualifier. fast forward to chapter 23, where last of five answers is "Reduce and Regulate the Possession of Handguns": second paragraph, "I believe all handgun sales should be banned in this country." great. to me that don't drink it is fabulous to read that answer to drive-under-influence deaths is car prohibition. to me that don't rape it is fabulous to read that answer to rapes is castration of all men. I assume that women would be amused to read that answer to all murderers, rapers, pedophiles, idiots, and antigun liberticides is to erase their common factor, ie, that all are born out of women. I will not read the middle pages between preface and last "answer". I thought about presenting it to somebody, or as English practice book, or put it into the carry-away-free bin of public library. but this book is venom. will go into the paper shredder ten seconds after I hit this Enter key. [it went] hace a nice day.

Mandatory Reading for a Better Society

This is hands down one of the best books I have read. Not only does Geoffrey Canada explain in gritty detail the inner workings of ghetto society, he also lists solid well-thought solutions, which would enable inner city youth and residents to rise above poverty and despair. We, the people, have turned a cheek for much too long. Something really can be done. This book should be required reading for high school and college-level coursework.

A must read if you live anywhere

I read fist stick knife gun in one day. Not because it was short, not because it has easy to read font, but because it was one of the most important books I had ever read. Like the author, my roots were in the poor central city. Unlike the author, the central city I grew up in was Milwaukee, Wisconsin, not New York City. Besides being female, I come from a white, two-parent family, so my perspective of the inner city is very different then the author Geoffrey Canada. As I read about his neighborhood I recognized elements similar to my own from childhood, and yet his story was unlike any other I had ever read. "fist stick knife gun" is not just one mans youth, but is a history of what made the ghettos and why they still exist. As Canada gives us his account of growing up, he also tells us what laws were put in place, and what was changing in both New York and the nation that were catalysts of the current inner city scenario. This includes the infiltration of crack and the concurrent development of gangs. In the last quarter of the book, Canada tells us his ideas of what could be done to end violence in the inner city. Whether or not these are effective plans, they at least give us options and the beginning of a dialogue, which is not the result of most books. I recommend this book to everyone, because lawmakers and voters alike need to understand what the problem of violence is and why it exists, and this book gives an effective and readable look.

Vivid.

Mr.Canada grew up in the 60's in the Bronx. In this book he talks about what it was like to live there. He talks about having to prove yourself or face the prospect of getting your ... kicked in the future. You get a VIVID description of what he was up against as a young person. I mean, I grew up a long way away in a much less dangerous place, and I knew exactly what he was getting at. That's a testament to his writing, and the universality of the subject. Mr. Canada recalls one episode where he is walking a few blocks out of his neighborhood, and you get a detailed view of how dangerous this was. Just walking down the street! All I can say against the book is that I would have liked even more of the authors autobiography. Later on in the book, he gets more polemical about what can be done. I agree with what he says, but as far as literary quality goes, that stuff isn't really in the same league as the earlier part of the book. Also, let me say, the author has an excellent, direct writing style, which makes what he has to say that much more powerful.

A must read for everyone concerned with children

I grew up on the southside of Chicago. While reading this book I could relate to every experience that Mr. Canada relates. The book is easy to read. I think he identifies the problems well. Everyone who cares about children should read this book and help our children.

HEART WRENCHING TRUTH ABOUT URBAN LIFE

This is a must read for all who work with children of the inner cities. It should be compulsory for martial artists desiring a road map for teaching conflict resolution to young adults and children. I have never before read a depiction that was so lucid about my growing up in NY City. Cananda describes the tight rope that is walked for us who grow up on or around the mean streets and end up in ivy league schools and corporate environments that leave us still disengaged, alienated and disenfranchised. To be healed we must become healers. Cananda outlines the why and how to make a difference. We need now to heed the call. There are solutions......