Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

I first read about this book where most people did, referenced in Freakonomics. Freakanomics talks about a young sociologist who did extensive research in the economics of gangs, seeking to understand who makes money in a gang and how the money flows. The particular question he was asking to attract attention was, "why do so many drug dealers live with their mothers?"

So when Venkatesh' book was published I was first in line (err...on the electronic library queue) to read it.

I was a little disappointed with the theme of his book at first, because I though it would be about the results of his research. Instead it was about the methods and experiences used in his research with few conclusions. It was more of a memoir of the spending several years with this particular gang.

That said, I did learn some of the material I was interested in about day-to-day economic life in a (Chicagoan) gang. I had no idea that most of the gang violence we read about in the papers is based on turf wars over drugs. I also appreciated learning about all the different below-board businesses run by gangs and how they make money. I would have enjoyed more insights like that and fewer soliloquies about Venkatesh's moral dilemmas.