Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time.
Review: The book has like 30 chapters whcih might make you think there is a lot of material. Not so. Many "Chapters" are 1 or less pages long. The whole book is basically anecdotal tales of Pistone's time in the Mafia. While it may be correct, it's very superficial. One or two stories per topic. The last reveiwer was right. Lot's of profanity. It's almost as if he's trying to talk to people who are thinking of joining the Mafia just to let them know how it is. Not a lot of big words if you get my idea. Also, for a < 200 page book, there is a lot of repetition. Each chapter could exist on it's own, so you end up reading about Joe/Donnie's sit-down more than once. If you have seen any mob movies and the Sopranos, you know everything this books tells you. Even worse, is that he mentions Godfather and Goodfellows several times and mentions the Sopranos only once. Not that I really care, just that it's current and obvious that he is just cashing in on Soprano's current popularity.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun, Informative Grammatical Abortion
Review: There's really nothing to the book at all (I read it in two hours). Poor english, repetition of the same story multiple times, and no real flow to it at all.
However, if you're curious about mafia life, this is the book to let you know what is, and what isn't real. Pistone dispels several myths and ads a reasonable amount of relatively unknown info as well. Subject matter is fascinating, but he could have used a co author.
Rating: 
Summary: Experience + Insight
Review: This book is a concise and easy read that pulls you in with its brutally honest look at this fascinating sect of society. The audio CD, which contains a real FBI surveillance tape of Lefty Rugerro discussing murder and other business, is fascinating and chilling. I'd say that alone is worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Brasco does it again
Review: This book was an excellent read. Told in Joe Pistone's authentic voice, it provides an alternative viewpoint to Hollywood's glamorized version of the mafia-a viewpoint that we don't see often enough. I particularly enjoyed the format. The book is interspersed with some shorter chapters and some longer ones, each consisting of anecdotes that teach lessons about the wiseguy's lifestyle. So whether you've got an hour to sit down and read it, or whether you've only got 10 minutes here and there, you can pick up The Way of the Wiseguy at any point and be entertained and enlightened. Informative, funny, and poignant all at once, Pistone brought me closer to being inside the mafia than I'll ever be. And convinced me that I don't ever want to get any closer.
Rating:
Summary: Great book and CD package
Review: This is an interesting complement to Joe Pistone's original book "Donnie Brasco." In this book he explains the ways mob guys approach life, using stories and adding his own insights, and breaks it down into themed chapters. But like another reviewer noted, a few of the chapters are too short. And while some of the details are shocking and disgusting, Pistone's delivery of the material is always entertaining and sometimes even very funny. There's also much insight here from Pistone that wasn't in Donnie Brasco. Also, the CD that comes with this book blew me away. I read Donnie Brasco and saw the movie, but to hear the real Lefty Ruggero talking on surveillance tape for 45 minutes about murder and other mob business was downright chilling. Much more so than any TV show or movie because it's REAL.
Rating: 
Summary: Lotsa Paper
Review: Very disappointing. Other reviewers are correct. "Don't waste your time", "Superficial" and "repetitious" are correct. I've been aware of most of the material contained in this book since I was 16 years old, growing up in North Jersey! Nothing new here. This publisher should be ashamed. Many blank pages, pages containing nothing but the chapter title. Extremely short chapters, some less than one page. BOO!
Rating:
Summary: Lotsa Paper
Review: Very disappointing. Other reviewers are correct. "Don't waste your time", "Superficial" and "repetitious" are correct. I've been aware of most of the material contained in this book since I was 16 years old, growing up in North Jersey! Nothing new here. This publisher should be ashamed. Many blank pages, pages containing nothing but the chapter title. Extremely short chapters, some less than one page. BOO!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Story Telling
Review: Way of the Wiseguy provides an "if these walls could talk" perspective that is unique and fascinating. Most books I've read by someone from the inside tend to gloss over the gory details of events. Pistone tells it like it is. While some of the stories he tells are quite humorous, suddenly there is that element of "wow, this was real." The CD just brings it all together. You hear the voice of Lefty talking about "official business" and its very chilling and exciting at the same time. I must admit that i am glad there was a transcript of the CD in the back of the book because sometimes Lefty mumbles a bit.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun & Informative Fast Read
Review: While Pistone uses poor english --- 6th grade level lower class english, he writes what I find to be a riveting account of life in La Costra Nostra. I must confess that, while I'm a stickler for good english, I found Pistone's poor english and the way he wrote rather fascinating. It sounded real and honest. I like that. He came across as a good writer and a likeable observer. These are all issues and things that most people wonder about mobsters and Pistone answers them clearly, succinctly and well. This is a good book for people interested in American History, Mafia history, the mob in general and sociology, among other things. One can't help but see a bit of oneself in mobsters. After all, we all have a dark side even if we never show it or dare to think about it. A warning to parents, this book uses what some might consider very bad language although among business people, politicians, mobsters and just about every living human being, it's quite common. But if you are sensitive, don't buy it. If you want a really great read and don't mind poor english and bad language, do buy it. (...)
Rating:
Summary: A Fun & Informative Fast Read
Review: While Pistone uses poor english --- 6th grade level lower class english, he writes what I find to be a riveting account of life in La Costra Nostra. These are all issues and things that most people wonder about mobsters and Pistone answers them clearly, succinctly and well. This is a good book for people interested in American History, Mafia history, the mob in general and sociology, among other things. One can't help but see a bit of oneself in mobsters. After all, we all have a dark side even if we never show it or dare to think about it. A warning to parents, this book uses what some might consider very bad language although among business people, politicians, mobsters and just about every living human being, it's quite common. But if you are sensitive, don't buy it. If you want a really great read and don't mind poor english and bad language, do buy it. It's totally different than any other book about La Costra (...)
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