Rating: 
Summary: Reprehensible
Review: As a lifelong resident of Southwest Michigan, St. Joseph, to be precise, I found this to be a very disturbing portrait drawn of our twin cities by an individual with no clue. The only tie he has to our community is that the sister of his sister-in-law, was with one of the main individuals in this book on the night of this unspeakable tragedy. He fails to mention his relationship to this key player at any point in this book. Yes, there is bigotry in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. But in no way is this book representative of our daily existence. There are questionable areas in St. Joseph, as there are in most cities. I found it odd that Mr. Kotlowitz did not mention having met with anyone from the our Historical Society to obtain unbiased information on the historical prejudices that he says exist in our small towns. I find it unfortunate and am saddened to think that an outsider, who is unfamiliar with the people of our twin cities, will read this book and be left with the most unbelievable impression of two cities, who, so closely situated to one another, can not or will not tolerate the crossing of the river from one town to the next without fear of being harmed.
Rating: 
Summary: It Will Make You Think!
Review: As a resident of Benton Harbor, I read with great interest Alex Kotlowitz's "The Other Side of the River". As a white person who spent my entire childhood in Stevensville (the community directly adjacent to St. Joseph), was educated there, was insulated there, and who was influenced by the subtle but constant undercurrent of racism there... only to find myself moving to the "other side" of the river for the last 16 years, I can tell you that Alex Kotlowitz absolutely captured the state of race relations in and around the "Twin Cities"... and probably most of the country. The author does not climb up on a soapbox, agenda in hand, and tell the reader what they should think. Instead, he lets the facts speak for themselves. The result that this book has caused many in the white St. Joseph community to go howling in protest, railing against this "unfair" portrayal, only goes to show that bare facts apparently don't leave much cover for those who would like to hide their fear, loathing, and head-in-the-sand refusal to believe there's a problem, behind a pretty tourist brochure facade. Painfully even-handed, the book does not exactly paint a pretty picture of either the white OR the black communities involved. Rather, it offers a map of several incidents and betrayals that have led these two towns to such a sorry state. That there can be no real conclusion to this book leaves the reader to think about their own prejudices and assumptions. It also leads you to wonder if there can ever be a conclusion to the race problems in our country as a whole... which is perhaps at least a first step to getting there -- just THINKING about it at all! I do wish Alex Kotlowitz would return to the area and look into the community of Fairplain - the only truly integrated area between the two towns. How does this community survive? Because it is made up of working people, all of the same basic socio-economic make-up? Because the people have adopted a "live & let live" attitude? Or because they know the problems of either side of the river, and have tried to make a place where they may not live like kings, but at least they're allowed to live with some dignity. Do read "The Other Side of the River". It will make you think!
Rating:
Summary: Can't put it down
Review: Chicago writer Alex Kotlowitz, known for his study of public housing families in There Are No Children Here, is drawn to the twin cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. One town is predominantly white, the other predominantly black. He interviews seemingly everybody in Southwest Michigan about the circumstances of the death of a black teenager. He appears more investigator than reporter but expertly fleshes out many colorful characters as he tells how this death, which otherwise would not have made news outside the area, helped polarize the community. During the days I read this book, all I could think about was getting back to it.
Rating:
Summary: Can't put it down
Review: Chicago writer Alex Kotlowitz, known for his study of public housing families in There Are No Children Here, is drawn to the twin cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. One town is predominantly white, the other predominantly black. He interviews seemingly everybody in Southwest Michigan about the circumstances of the death of a black teenager. He appears more investigator than reporter but expertly fleshes out many colorful characters as he tells how this death, which otherwise would not have made news outside the area, helped polarize the community. During the days I read this book, all I could think about was getting back to it.
Rating: 
Summary: A true depiction of racial tension in an American microcosm
Review: I am a white resident of St. Joseph, Michigan. . .a transplant, not a native. We moved here in June 1991, just as the Eric McGinnis story hit the headlines. I was outraged by what I read in the papers about it then and the rumors I heard around "White St. Joe," not because I believed he had been lynched, but because the bigotry and misunderstanding on both sides of the river were so apparent. And now comes this book by a distinguished author. . .let me tell you, St. Joseph residents on the whole were not happy about what he wrote. However, it is accurate from what I have read, heard, and know, with only a couple of insignificant errors which don't affect the story. I'm glad I finally read Kotlowitz's book, because it caused quite a stir around here and has really made the townsfolk reevalute racial relations, in spite of their bellyaching. And I believe it should be mandatory reading for every resident in both of these monotone hamlets. I can never cross the river again without thinking of Eric, imagining him struggling against the currents, and thinking of the symbolism of that image.
Rating:
Summary: Great book. Opened my eyes
Review: I grew up in Benton Harbor Mich. I lived in Benton Manor on the same block as Eric and Ruth Mcginnis as A child. I left Benton Harbor with my parents when I was thirteen because they did not want me to attend Benton Harbor High School. The Author explains in his book the exact conditions that exist in Benton Harbor, but I had no Idea of the Level of Racism that existed on the other side of the Bridge. Reading the story to me, became personal because he was speaking of my hometown. When I began reading the book I got upset because I thought that the author was making the economic situation in Benton Harbor seem worse than it actually was. But after speaking to my father I realized that this pitiful place being described was my hometown. The book opened my eyes to many problems in the Twin Cities that I did not know existed.
Rating: 
Summary: Disjointed
Review: I had a hard time following the author's direction. He seemed to skip around a lot and never followed one course for very long. The ending I found really annoying when he started to devote tiny chapters to alternate theories and introduced new people. I think I was hoping more for some type of insight into the race relations between the 2 towns...I was short-changed in that aspect.
The reviews of people from St. Joe I find interesting. Mainly because they say the book is inaccurately negative and they don't see that type of discrimination and hostility. I think that if you stepped back into time about 150 years you'd hear the same thing from slave owners. How, it "just isn't that bad". One of the things I did find most surprising was these attitudes of racism happened in the '90s and are probably still happening. It read more like something out of the '60s. How distressing!
It's a story that needs to be told but I didn't like the manner in which it was done. Easy to read, though, and worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read this book!
Review: I had to read "The Other Side of the River" for a class in school called Conversations on Race. In this class we discuss different parts of racial barriers and disscuss how we can make a difference in errasing racial stereotypes. This book, about a death that seperated two towns even more than they already are, reveals many of these racial stereotypes. I think that Alex Kotlowitz did a really great job in presenting both sides to this story. It is hard to write a non-bias story when you have your own views on the situation. I really hope that those who read this book became aware that racial prejudisim is still present in our country. I hope that those who read this book will encourage their friends and loved ones to read it as well so that the eyes of America may be opened everywhere!
Rating:
Summary: Well written and compelling
Review: I had to read this book and honestly was not too excited about it but after beginning I could not put it down. I was also fortunate enough to hear the author speak about how he became interested in the story. I would recomend this to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Informative. Author understands people.
Review: I read this book because I lived in Michigan 25 years and never knew about the friction between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. I found the facts about Benton Harbor's police cars being repoed and how the repair of colapsed main street was handled to say alot about the living conditions in Benton Harbor. It is shocking how the fathers of a city can really mess things up. As far as the death investigation, this is a throughly researched book and by the end you understand why the case has not been solved. The author has a way with describing the embarrassing characteristics of people. The investigation was doomed the moment the body was found. Did anyone else notice that the body was hosed down before the police even arrived. Alot of people are clearly stupid in this country and this book does a great job at shedding light on how their actions can effect an entire community.
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