Makes Me Wanna Holler

Rating:
Summary: Hypocrisy is alive and well in America
Review: When Mr. McCall finished his book by saying, "It makes me wanna holler and throw up my hands", he almost described my reaction perfectly. Almost. Actually, it makes me wanna holler and throw up.

I forced myself to finish this book despite wanting to throw it aside in disgust many times. Only Mr. McCall's writing skills and my desire to "hear him out" got me to the end of his screed. Why he's garnered so many rave reviews on this site, however, is beyond me and shows what a double standard exists in this country with respect to racial attitudes (and who's allowed to hate and who isn't). I suppose it's because so many are thrilled to have a raw, honest look inside the author's head in order to see what makes a black man tick. The hatred that he spews toward all whites and this country is sickening and hypocritical, though, and will leave a bad taste in your mouth long after you put the book down. (I wonder if a book by David Duke blaming all of society's ills on the black man would be received so well. Yeah, right.)

Mr. McCall wants to be treated a certain way by whites and yet makes no attempt to hide his own loathing of people who are different than him, i.e. "crackers". By his own admission, he found that he came to like some of the folks he worked with once he got past his own prejudice. (Thanks Danny.) At the end of the day, it's really got nothing to do with skin color. If Mr. McCall ever gets a chance to travel to his "homeland", he'll discover places in Africa where slavery still exists but it's black men enslaving other black men. He can then visit Rwanda to see where genocidal acts have been committed by the Tutsis and Hutus against each other. And when he gets back to the States he is welcome to come out to my city where the Crips and the Bloods try to kill each other. Whether it's skin color, tribal affiliation, or gang membership, blind hatred always comes down to one thing - fear and loathing of differences between people.

If someone feels this book deserves a high rating because it's a pretty good read, I can't fault them too much for that. It is. But for those that hold Mr. McCall out to be some noble warrior who is doing his best to rage against the machine, give me a break. I'd have much more respect for the man if he took responsibility for his poor choices and irresponsible actions instead of blaming everything on Whitey. How sad. Perhaps in his next book he can attack the problem of men oppressing and devaluing women. He seems to have a particular expertise in that field. I wonder if that makes him want to holler too?

Rating:
Summary: McCall is a must-read author
Review: Nathan McCall should be considered a prominant black author for a few reasons. In his book Makes Me Wanna Holler, McCall demonstrates that not all black "criminals" are what they seem. You can't classify a black person as "bad" because you have to understand what they go through. McCall helps his readers to understand that the trails that a lot of blacks have to traverse deal with problems that stem from racism. At one point in the book, McCall says that White society shouldn't crush blacks with the weight of racism, then penalize them when they are unable to stand the pressure. Also, he says that whites should be the most knowledgeable about other minorities because they are the one's who are running the country. In my opinion, McCall, for the most part, has shown what it means to be a black man in America. I you want to be enlightened on certain aspects of black life, I believe that you should read this book. While your at it, you should also read Richard Wright's Black Boy.

Rating:
Summary: Nathan McCall is telling just what took place in the 70"s
Review: A lot of what Nathan McCall has written in his book, Makes Me Wanna Holler. are things that i have experience or actually seen happen. such as gangs, drug dealers, drug addicts as well as trains taking place.i thank God that i wasn't apart of it but i know someone that had a train pulled on. this book really deal with some real issues in life. i think every young afro american male should read this. maybe this will give them something to think about as they grow up.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best book I have EVER read!!!!!
Review: Having read this book at least a dozen times since its publication in 1994, I can safely say that no book has resonated more with me than this one. I had read "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" before this one, so his tale of prison transformation had already struck a chord. Even with reading Malcolm's classic, I was unprepared for how much McCall's book would suck me in to his world. You can see very clearly how choices made early in life, as well as the pressure of peers, can steer so many young people down the wrong roads. As a teacher, I see the results of these choices daily. Having read McCall's book, I hopefully have more compassion towards these young people who might be jeopardizing their future. This book should be required reading in schools, since the language and events described would make kids realize that not all books are written by stuffy, boring dead people.

Rating:
Summary: It dosen't take poverty to fall into the trap
Review: This book is an excellent view of the worst that can happen in middle class urban America. McCall came from a good home, had devoted parents, but was extremely confused. And all young black males whether from fatherless homes or not, feel this way. I do. This book inspires me not to take the same path this man did while still enjoying my youth while I have it. I know I have to focus in my books and if I do ever mess up, I know I can rebound from it.

Rating:
Summary: Nathan McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler
Review: McCall's book although unpleasant, provides a realistic depiction of the life styles of many urban African American males. McCall's book should be used as text within the African American community to begin to analzye the destructive beahviors illustrated by McCall and move toward solutions to derail the large numbers of African American males matriculating to prisons and jails. McCall book also serves as a reader that encourages younger African American males that change is a natural and that hard work is fundamental for success. The book is honest, intense and a must read!

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: This books makes you wanna holler and throw up both your hands. It is a very interesting book.

Rating:
Summary: Trying to survive....Period!!!
Review: This book is a must read, especially for African American males. I did not like the person that Mr. McCall was at one time, but I truly admire the man that he became.
Moreover, Mr. McCall give a candid view about race relations and racism. He said everthing that I ever wanted to about racism.

Thank you Mr. McCall!!!

Also recomended:
Urban Souls by Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru
Too White To Be Black And Too Black To Be White: Living With Albinism by Lee G. Edwards

Rating:
Summary: Reads like me Life!
Review: Dear Mr. McCall

I 'm just a few minutes fresh out of reading Makes Me Wanna Holler; had to write a few words. A co-worker gave the book to me. I wanted to say thanks for having the strength to write such a moving book. It seems as if it was taken from my own journal, which I've been keeping for the last twelve years. I laughed, smiled, cried as I read through the chapters. I too started out in Portsmouth, in 1956, moved to New York in the early sixties, made my Mecca to Atlanta, and went through many of the things you encountered as a black youth and adult male.... To over come the system that would hold me back (if not for inner strength and a support system) and set me up for failure from the day I was born. So I say thank you for being able, (open, raw and to the point), to put a finger on the pulse of the many issues related to the Blackman's plight, which we many times find hard to explain to others let alone ourselves. As a professional a father of three young boys and two daughters, I too understand the task that is before me to guide my children through. Truly the best reading I've read in a while, Thanks!!!

Ernest Johnson Jr. RN ([e-mail])
Durham, NC

Rating:
Summary: Message to Men Everywhere On the Hardships of Manhood
Review: I read this book when I was fifteen. This not exactly kiddie material but it's one of those books to read like the biograghy of Malcolm X (or was it autobigraphy), that's essential to read if you're a black man, or just a man in general. I don't want to limit this book to just one sect of people. This book is real, I mean REAL. When I was in college I used to hear about "trains" so much, that I thought guys were referring to a girl's name. Unfortunately trains still occur so how far has society evolved really? Women are still considered objects rather than our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, strong rolemodels and just plain people and this book is somewhat brutal in regards to women but the protagonist (the author) comes to an understanding of this and realizes how wrong it is, but he didn't write this book in order to really apologize for his past, he wants to teach others by telling readers about his mistakes. Hopefully we'll get wise from his mistakes and not have to go through some of the drama he went through. Pick this book up if you're interested in "man studies".