Plus: The Little Wetback & Secrets Of Palos Hills
1. Gangstanomics.
“Former OG Harold ‘Noonie G’ Ward is set to release his second book with a foreword written by 50 Cent and an afterward by Diddy,” HipHopWired reports.
“With Gangstanomics, Ward wants to educate his readers on how politicians, the corporate world and street world work hand in hand. Ward explores the parallels between the street world and the corporate world and explains how the two segments of society cannot exist without the other.”
True enough. But here’s the payoff:
“Ward is running for office as the Representative of the 29th District of the Illinois State House, as well as Alderman of the 9th Ward.”
2. The Secrets of The Southwest Suburbs.
“While Nevien Shaabneh’s new novel may be a work of fiction, it includes depictions of bigotry familiar to her and other Muslims in the Southland and the Chicago area,” the SouthtownStar reports.
“Secrets Under the Olive Tree“is the debut novel for Shaabneh, 35, of Tinley Park, who teaches English at Stagg High School in Palos Hills.”
3. “The Littlest Wetback: From Undocumented Child To U.S. Federal Judge.”
And Metra board member.
4. Cereal Wars: 30 Years of Lobbying for the most Famous Tiger in the World.
By a native South Sider.
5. The Godfather Of Soul Was Also A Dad.
“James Brown was, of course, the Godfather of Soul and The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. But all that he worked to grab those titles over decades seemed to come crashing down through much of the ’80s and ’90s,” Bob Ruggiero writes for the Houston Press.
“That’s when he derailed into years of drug and domestic abuse, erratic behavior, weapons charges, a carousel of women, and questionable business deals. His name became more of punchline for comedians than pillar for music writers, the low point being a crazy-looking mug shot and an actual stint in a South Carolina prison (remember the ‘Free James Brown’ T-shirts?).
“But his crash and burn was no laughing matter to some members of his family, especially daughter Yamma.
“Reconciling the competing personalities of James Brown as loving and attentive father, worldwide celebrity, musical genius, abusive husband, and drug addict, all come together in Yamma’s brutally honest memoir, written with Robin Gaby Fisher, Cold Sweat: My Father James Brown and Me (Chicago Review Press, 208 pp., $24.95.).”
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Yamma Brown Interview:
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6. House Of Debt.
“Congrats (!) to House of Debt authors Atif Mian and Amir Sufi for making the shortlist for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year,” Kristi McGuire writes on the University of Chicago Press blog.
“Now in competition with five other titles from an initial offering of 300 nominations, House of Debt – and its story of the predatory lending practices behind the Great American Recession, the burden of consumer debt on fragile markets, and the need for government-bailed banks to share risk-taking rather than skirt blame – will find out its fate at the November 11th award ceremony.”
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A Talk With The Authors:
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Comments welcome.
Posted on September 30, 2014