Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating insight into the old, old school
Review: I curiously browsed this page a few months ago wondering what this book was all about and who Iceberg Slim really was. Then a friend mentioned he had the book and offered it to me to borrow. When I picked it up I couldn't put it down.Iceberg Slim's description of the gritty street life pre- and post-World War II brought me to an almost unimaginable world. A world that's a far cry from the MTV-style, pseudo-pimp posturing portrayed in today's mainstream media. It was a world of hard drugs and hard living where Darwin's survival of the fittest (and baddest) reigned. Slim tells it like it is; there's absolutely no political correctness. Then again, his environment was not one which could support any false pretenses like suburban PC life does these days. Some may say, 'but isn't he promoting this type of behavior?' Quite on the contrary: it's every man for himself in Slim's world; he has his highs and lows, both literally and figuratively. The mere fact that he survived to tell the tale, (unlike many others in "the game" who went early to their graves), and went from abusing and exploiting women to wedded life and fatherhood is testament enough to NOT follow his lead. Those who aspire to be where he is now know that the road he chose is not one dotted with success stories: the fleeting glamour and glory of the pimp lifestyle leads not to greater things, but often to nothing. Slim, although an exception, makes this abundantly clear without stooping to the level of an apologist.
Rating: 
Summary: FROM A Pimp's Mouth.....
Review: Robert Beck aka Iceberg Slim is still a popular name. Immortilized in current rap songs and popular clothing, the hip hop nation is clueless to where this name "Iceberg" originated. Robert Beck was the prototype midwestern "super pimp" in the 40's and 50's who's gorilla tatics along with no nonsense pimping is legendary. His uncanny ability to transform his true life experience into a well balanced memoir is worthy of five stars. His storytelling is well detailed and we grow to know and understand the main character. Maybe not understand, but given a better idea of what occurs in the life of a pimp. Who, by the way is mostly portrayed as a despicable, vicous character. Pimp shows the underside of the pimp and depicts a confused individual who is usually suffering from huge internal demons. In this soulful bio Ice bares his naked soul and gives us a joyful "birds eye view".
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Description Of Prostitution
Review: In "PIMP: The Story of My Life", Robert Beck (street-named Iceberg Slim) describes a Midwestern pimp's life during the 1940's and 1950's. "PIMP..." includes excellent dialogue combined with a vivid description of prostitution. Mr. Beck outlines the methods pimps use to control the whores in their "families": drugs; and promises of physical protection, bail money, and comfortable retirement. Mr. Beck describes another way pimps control whores: physical and mental abuse. The author repeatedly describes kickings and beatings. Mr. Beck describes one method of driving worn-out whores from the family: on pp. 158-159 he describes a pimp stressing and drugging a whore into a nervous breakdown. Mr. Beck writes that a pimp's life is not without difficulties. A pimp must maintain a glamorous and strong image while dealing with unmotivated whores, competing pimps, thieves, and both corrupt and honest police officers. A pimp also must deal with jail and aging. Mr. Beck shows simultaneously the affluence, the harshness, and the brutality of prostitution.
Rating:
Summary: Great, excellant story...
Review: Worth it for the slang and stories alone. A little hard to follow, but that was the nature of this guys life. A real good read.
Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: Since I have read this book I have tried, in vain, to find another book to match it's emotional depth (yes, it's there under the surface-if you look for it), intelligence (irrelivent of your own opinions),street smartness and theory's about the game (pimping)which I'm a part of, dark humor, unparalleled talent for creating atmosphere. Look in it for what you want. Like any work of art, the book may be translated and percived in many ways by the reader. It provides food for thought. The book delivers on so many levels that only someone square &with an oversion to graphic language describing the cold realities of someone's life would dislike it. Lastly, although it is intended to create the aura of fascinating reality,ledgendary persona and i do not take from the obvious authenticity of the knowledge used to write the book, it is fictional. Anyone wishing to discuss the subj/author feel free to mail me.
Rating: 
Summary: It was ok
Review: You people speak of this book as if it were Faulkner or Joyce or someone like that. It was ok, not great. Plus, if anyone looked in the front of the book they would have noticed that there is a little blurb near the copyright page that says "This novel is a work of fiction..."
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Summary: This book tries to discourage pimping, not encourage it
Review: Reading some of the other reviews, you would think that this book is some sort of pimping manual. While Slim does go into the specifics of how he was pimping, this is done to show what distasteful work it was and why he left that life. That being said, this is one of the best books I have ever read. It is fast paced and the way Iceberg writes, you almost feel as if you are there, with him on the corner, in the bar. I finished this in 2 days, and I'm a pretty slow reader, so that should tell you something.
Rating:
Summary: Pimp Provides Valuable Advice
Review: Pimp, a non-fiction novel written by Robert Beck, recounts thetrials and tribulations of Iceberg Slim: a pimp whose ideologies andsocial strategies give insight into the often misunderstood relationships between black and white and male and female. Pimp's best feature is how Beck ingeniously interlocks social commentary into vivid storytelling. The main character, Iceberg Slim, is unapologetic when he recounts his brutality towards women and his rampant drug use. Beck's gritty portrayal of both evokes admiration and disgust of Iceberg's ability to retain and recruit prostitutes. The adventures of Iceberg Slim provides thought provoking theories about the psyche of women; do they really like to be treated like trash? He certainly thinks so, and makes a convincing arguement to back his thesis. There are some sentences in this book that makes the reader want to say aloud; THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, WHY DIDN'T I THiNK OF THAT. By the end of the book readers respect and admire Iceberg Slim for not only how he built his pimp empire, but also how his views on relationships and race relations propelled him into his position of power. END
Rating:
Summary: A Gritty Masterpiece
Review: Make sure you're sitting in a comfortable chair when you pick up this book, because chances are you will not be able to put it down. Absolutely one of the most fascinating books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A vivid cautionary tale
Review: If Mark Twain were a Black street pimp, he would have been Iceberg Slim. Pimp is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. Slim effectively uses his eye for detail and dry humor to bring the hard streets of the Chicago's South Side to life. The characters are well constructed, and the author's protrayal of himself is colorful and honest. Slim does not look for the reader to forgive him for his actions, nor does he try to justify his past deeds with rationalizing rhetoric. Instead, he just tells it like it was, using street slang that can be hard to follow at times, documenting his rise and fall, and how the latter brought him around to "square" life. This book is a true masterpiece of American literature.
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