In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio (Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences Book 10) 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition

So I bought this book for my Anthropology 201 class with Dr. Louie (MSU, anyone?) and thought that it would be one of those books that I barely read in class and then toss away. But even after the class was over I read it over and over again and used it for research papers in other classes. Bourgois did an excellent job living amongst and observing the every-day lives of the residents in El Barrio. He used emic and etic analysis to deepen the reader's understanding of exactly what goes on, and he took it even further by applying his findings to relevant solutions (ones that would actually work) for the problems he encountered. It's a good read for academics and non-academics alike.

currently reading this novel and loving it - very moving, a difficult read (not challenging in terms of scholarly rhetoric or writing, but content). You get really invested in the characters, and Bourgois gets close and personal with these dealers and truly dissects the complexities, heart, and danger within the drug ring. I appreciate Bourgeois' awareness of his whiteness in East Harlem, and overall privilege; using this to his advantage, he comes to truly like and respect the characters in the novel. all in all an engaging, ethnographic narrative and research study with much thought and dedication put into it.

I found this book interesting. It was difficult for me to put this book down. This book touches on the struggles experienced by residents in the broken community of East Harlem. A reader can visualize what the writer is experiencing through the interviews conducted amongst the occupants in this community. I would highly recommend giving this book a read.

I read this in conjunction with "Sidewalk" by Mitch Duneier to compare and contrast works about lives of marginalized people within New York City. This book is really well done in that it gives the reader a sense of life in East Harlem in the 80s and 90s. I wish, though, that Bourgois would have gone more in depth regarding some of the policies related to the times. For example, having worked in that area, I have seen the remnants of urban planning- project buildings amass the area for blocks on end- but he doesn't really delve into how that shapes the neighborhood; he only slightly goes into this. Aside from that, it's a great read on the relationship between drug dealing, the neighborhood, and those who live there.

I first learned about Philippe Bourgois when I took an online anthropology course a year ago. The first book I purchased by Bourgois was "Righteous Dopefiend", which is a photo ethnography of the homeless population in San Francisco during the 1990's. However, "In Search of Respect" was written and published before that period. "In Search of Respect" is easier to comprehend than "Righteous Dopefiend". For anyone interested in learning about segregation and the hardships endured by Puerto Rican immigrants in New York City during the 1980's and early 1990's, this is a spectacular book that is bound to enlighten you.

Such a wonderful read. I got the book in lovely condition, and I'm so happy to own it because I loved reading it! It gives the reader a DEEP understanding of the inner workings of areas in the US commonly ignored.

I specifically look for used books with little to no highlighting or handwriting on the pages. This was described as having minimal amounts of these things, but almost every page of every chapter of this book has highlighting and handwriting on it. I was pretty annoyed by that. Otherwise, no issues.

One of the best books I have ever read! Incredibly eye opening about the cycle of poverty and how individuals stuck in the cycle often end up selling drugs to make a living to support themselves and their families. Looks at macro and micro levels of society and institutions which strongly influence these cycles.

Item received

This was purchased for a piece of Social Anthropological Research, but since then it has been read by numerous members of the family. Really interesting points of view put across with thought provoking ideas. A great piece of research and very relevant in the modern world. (I think racist political naives could learn from this research)

The packaging was so good, the book was just as if I just took of a shop shelf

amazing writing for an ethnography, I thought it was one of the best, if not THE BEST, ethnography i've read

A great book. I bought it on a recommendation in another book and I enjoyed it. The deductions made were ahead of their time. The introduction was a bit wordy though. Stick with it.