Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture

Rating:
Summary: not a book, but a "publishing event"
Review: Dyson has set a big task for this little book. He has staked out alot of ground to cover and that's where this book falls short. Maybe three of the essays are worth pursuing, in particular the piece on African American preaching and some of the personal reflections, especially the story about his brother and family, but other pieces, sound more like snipets that appeared in Vibe and seem better suited to liner notes. And please, no more OJ stuff, this man has become a cultural hang nail - enough already!

Rating:
Summary: Between God and Gangsta Rap: Too much room to cover
Review: Dyson has set a big task for this little book. He has staked out alot of ground to cover and that's where this book falls short. Maybe three of the essays are worth pursuing, in particular the piece on African American preaching and some of the personal reflections, especially the story about his brother and family, but other pieces, sound more like snipets that appeared in Vibe and seem better suited to liner notes. And please, no more OJ stuff, this man has become a cultural hang nail - enough already!

Rating:
Summary: not a book, but a "publishing event"
Review: Dyson has very little to say here, and some of what he says is almost embarrassing. The rationale for this book is not at all clear, beyond the royalties. The whole thing is very poorly edited, and Dyson's writing sputters--a brilliant one-liner followed by a pointless anecdote which the reader can see coming a mile away. This is all style and no substance, and the style is nothing to write home about, either. I get the sense that this book was the brainchild of some literary agent or publishing house--the author just doesn't have anything much to say, and doesn't say it very well. Dyson has gifts, but seems to pour them out without much care. I have read all of his books, and this is the worst one. The consistent and avoidable flaws in Dyson's work is lack of research, reliance on rhetoric, and failure to polish the writing. This one appears to have been written in the airport lounge on the way to his next speaking gig.