My Fall From Grace: City Hall to Prison Walls

by James J. Laski

Book Overview

Dead People voted. Absentee ballots changed. Petitions were round-tabled. Who was involved in the "Hired Truck" scandal? How much did Daley know? But most importantly, did someone in City Hall help... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1434362795
• ISBN13: 9781434362797
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Authorhouse
• Length: 440 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One Great Book

This was a great book he tells it like it is how corup our federal and state systems really are. Everyboby should read this book. V.M. Burnette

Behind the Machine

The chapters about Daly are worth the price of the book. Nothing goes down in Chicago without Daly knowing about it. Nothing.

My fall from Grace, Chicago Clout

I was very lucky to buy three of these books, hardbound. Mr. Laski was kind enough to sign these books and he also did a T.V. show in Chicago's CAN-TV. James is a very wonderful person and very kind. I strongly urge every student to read this book. This book shows how a little thing can blow up into a major mess. Patrick McDonough. James Laski did a show warming up to the book on google, read the book so you enjoy his video[...]

An Excellent Insider Book

Laski draws out his side of the story in this well written book (although it does contain a lot of grammatical errors). For those that aren't that knowledgeable about politics, Laski breaks it down so that anyone can understand and provides a new perspective on the path from politician to inmate. Even though he is now labeled as a criminal, I still remember the good he did for the city of Chicago, and Laski documents both the good and the bad that he has done (and there is definitely a sense of how sorry he is that he allowed himself to become corrupted but that's up to the reader to decide). He is harsh on a lot of people, but he is harsh on himself as well. Some are saying how ridiculous it is that Laski would complain about being treated horribly in prison, and while yes, prison is punishment for crimes that Laski admitted, he goes in-depth on prison life and makes taxpayers wonder where exactly all their money is going. The chapters on life in federal prison raise issues just as important, if not more important, than the chapters on Chicago politics. The various events Mr. Laski describes at FCI Morgantown raise significant questions of ethical and moral treatment of prisoners, whether correctional officers are following BOP policies, and even potential violations of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - rights that are to be retained regardless of one's criminal status. Regardless of the former city clerk's motives for writing the book, he has painted a good picture not only of his political career, but of Chicago politics in general as well as prison life. The question that lingers in many people's minds (especially Chicago citizens) is whether or not a man who took bribes can be trusted with his written word. While I personally cannot vouch that everything in there is the truth, I know that all his arguments are full of facts and logical conclusions that make you wonder. After all, this is hardly the first time anyone has ever heard of Chicago corruption on the political level or bad conditions in prison. Laski blames himself, but makes you wonder of other players involved in all the other scandals to fill city hall (Chicago politics is known for being rough - I would think that most politicians aren't completely innocent. It's just a matter of whether or not they get caught). A truly insider view is portrayed in this book.

A Landmark Book

My Fall from Grace: City Hall to Prison Walls is a truly landmark book. It is the first written by an "insider," former Congressional assistant, Alderman, and City Clerk James J. Laski, to expose the seamy underside of Chicago politics. It is also a gripping personal narrative of a man who, as the title suggests, suffered a tragic downfall, due to his accepting bribes in the city's infamous Hired Truck Program scandal. These actions led to Laski resigning his position (the second-highest elected office in the city, behind only the Mayor's office in power) and serving a twenty-seven-month sentence in a minimum security federal prison (and, later, in a Chicago halfway house). This half of the book is just as compelling as the "political" section: it exposes the dehumanization and deplorable nutritional and medical standards at Morgantown, WV FCI, exploding the myth that a minimum security prison is merely a "country club" for white collar criminals. In addition, the book reveals the truth about the prison's demeaning and psychologically abusive RDAP (drug and rehabilitation) program. I'm sure the Federal Bureau of Prisons will not like this book, let alone Laski's prior "bosses," Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and former Congressman William Lipinski. Be that as it may, this is a MUST for anyone interested in what REALLY goes on in "City Hall," and behind "Prison Walls."