Provides an in-depth, insider's look at the life of inner-city black America by delving into the codes that exist among peers and the overwhelming control the code has had continuously on the community throughout recent times. As sociologist Elijah Anderson shows in the detailed and devastating Code of the Street , the senseless crime in the inner city represents a complex, though ultimately self-defeating, set of social mores. These mores, called "codes," stress a hyperinflated sense of manhood through verbal boasts, drug selling, sexual prowess, and--ultimately--violence and death. "At the heart of the code is the issue of respect," Anderson writes, "loosely defined as being treated 'right' or being granted one's 'props' (or proper due) or the deference one deserves." Anderson reveals a world where unemployment is rampant, teenage pregnancy is common, and social and educational achievement is viewed as "acting white." Although Anderson states that racism is a major factor for this condition, he notes that this type of behavior is further exacerbated by modern economic and political forces, and that it has existed as far back as ancient Rome. As an African American himself, Anderson moves through the middle- and lower-class Philadelphia neighborhoods with ease, interviewing a variety of subjects, all of whom deal daily with consequences of urban decay--from the high-achieving young woman who had to reject her poorer relatives to better herself, to the former delinquent who tries to go straight after returning from prison. For Anderson, these are the true heroes of Code of the Street : people who overcome the temptations of the streets to help create a better space for the next generation. --Eugene Holley Jr. "Code of the Street" is a brilliant and provocative exploration of the personal and community consequences of poverty and the racial divide in the United States. Anderson brings to life what is only hinted in the statistics of poverty and race. -- James F. Short, Professor of Sociology, Washington State University, and Former President, American Society of Criminology ...one of our best urban ethnographers.... Anderson is excellent in explaining how the criminal element, though a numerical minority, comes to dominate public space. -- The New York Times Book Review , Bob Blauner Elijah Anderson is such a keen observer and patient listener. Those qualities are in full bloom in "Code of the Street." With Anderson as our guide, we're introduced to young inner-city men and women who face sometimes overwhelming forces. In a series of eloquent and moving stories, they tell us of their alienation and of the choices they've made. "Code of the Street" is a strikingly powerful work that rings with urgency. -- Alex Kotlowitz, author of "There Are No Children Here" In a deeply disturbing but vitally important and enlightening book, Elijah Anderson portrays the casualties of a failed economic, educational, social, and judicial system in which children "just grow up" rather than being raised by caring families and communities. Code of the Street tells us a great deal about how much we must do to create an America where every child has a chance to grow up, and about how far we are from even that seemingly simple, achievable goal. -- Marian Wright Edelman, President, The Children's Defense Fund With compassion, insight and wisdom, Elijah Anderson has peered deeply into the soul of the modern American ghetto. The result is a book that is both important and compelling. For anyone interested in understanding what has gone wrong in America's inner cities, 'Code of the Street' is essential reading. -- Ellis Cose, author of "Color-Blind" and "The Rage of a Privileged Class"