Shark, the Baker's Son : Based on a true story of a mercenary drug informant

Rating:
Summary: Still hustling?
Review: Granted, "Shark" authored this story as, perhaps, a catharsis for healing his personal demons. When every chapter ends with "so we just rolled a joint and smoked up" or "I had enough Xanax in me to just act calm", I get it already. Yet, his recovery story was so brushed over, so NOT important to him, and THAT was an opportunity to tell an amazing story.

"Thiopental Sodium'? C'mon! Even the CIA knows this doesn't "force the truth" out of anyone. Hard to imagine the Baker and a local cop getting their hands on this drug, let alone using it to get names of low-level cocaine hustlers. If Aliberti would've used this chapter, instead, to characterize the emotions of everyone involved in this life-changing moment, instead of blowing through it, THIS would have been another opportunity he could have grabbed the reader. But I guess it was more important to detail his mind-numbing trips to Florida and the boring recounts of his brushes with State Troopers. Even I know his sexual escapades were nothing more than gratuitous "lifts" from his favorite Penthouse issues.

Speaking of gratuitous, why mention neighbors, barflys, band members, classmates-even someone's parents- who had NOTHING to do with Shark's story of being a drug informant? Many times, these people served as nothing more than casual "name-drops". Confusing. Pointless. It appears there's a few personal vendettas that Aliberti still holds on to, and this may explain why these names are even mentioned.

I wonder how long it took Aliberti to draft this story; how much is from memory and how much is a frustrating black-out that he just rushed through. I wonder why he uses words like "henceforth" and "thus" to transition thoughts, and then uses "crypt" and the F bomb in others? And I wonder how a publisher can issue a book with an outlandish amount of typos. (And how any self-respecting author would allow it.)

But then I remember that Aliberti is just a 30-year old ex-addict (maybe) who skipped a lot of English classes and watched a lot of gangsta films. A boy who, admittedly, grew up in a VFW and, drank in places like The Plaza and Tugboats during the day. Probably never read more than a sports page and probably watched a lot of Scorcese films. But there is a creative element dying to come out. So, next time, will someone tell Shark to use his innumerable "connections" and hire either a Ghost Writer or an editor. So we can spend $20 reading a BOOK. Not his confused, jumbled thoughts.


Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story
Review: I thought the book was very interesting.It was very descriptive. I could actually feel what he was feeling.The places he visited made me feel as if I was there.The sex scenes were very graffic but not as much as any other romance novel.Though he is a first time author I look forward to his next book.

Rating:
Summary: Drugs kill everybody around them!
Review: I'm from Pittsburgh and grew up with Shark. But, I don't know the author. I know shark is very patriotic because he fought in a was in the year 1992. Obvioulys, he continues to fight the war on drugs. My son is badly on drugs and I gave him Shark, The baker's Son to read. After he read it, his outlook on drugs seems different. I'm not surprised that Shark worked with undercover agents. That is his nature. I recomend for every body dealing with drugs in their life, whether themselves or a family member to buy this book. It's interesting to read how Shark worked with the undercover narcotic agents. And the way he overcame his drug addiction.

Rating:
Summary: One heck of a dangerous story
Review: The story is local and being local I loved the setting. I knew everwhere he went. The author is blunt but seems pretty real. I wouldn't like to meet this Big John anywhere or even the author. Seems like writing this book was a chance. Whether he will be able to write another book is the question. All local people who liked the movie Blow should read it.

Rating:
Summary: Shark , The Baker's son
Review: This book is based on BS. This person took a low level drug story & blew it way out of proportion. He lies & deviates far from the truth. I know I was there. Many of the stories & chapters are greately exagerated if not even made up. Buying this book is contributing to wealth of a junky . Nothing more nothing less. He blames others for snitching when it was himself who did the snitching. He knocks people who tried to help him & some who have very little to do if at all with the real story . The book is true to the stereotype of a lieng junky

Rating:
Summary: Oh. He's such a goodfella.
Review: This book is full of lies and exaggerations. It is very easy to read. Won't have to look up any of the words in a dictionary. I knew Anthony growing up, and it doesn't surprise me he became a snitch. I remeber asking some of my friends hung out with him. I never understood why. This book should be taken with a few grains of salt. He makes himself out as being such a goodfella. I wasn't surprised that he betrayed, and lied about, some of the people who were his friends, especially those he played music with. I'm sure that it wasn't hard for him to stretch the truth about his experiences. I never sold drugs, and I'm not crazy about drug dealers, but I have little respect for snitches.

Rating:
Summary: Contradictory 'Anonymous'
Review: This story was well written and a very good read of a small town organized drug ring. The life of this man, Shark, is truely unbelievable and shown through this novel although the book is only based on a true story, it's seemingly true. Even though some of this story seems to be exaggerated, an exaggeration is an extension of the truth. And, anybody who was there would be offended because they know the truth. I didn't like some of the things mentioned in the book, but the story plot kept my attention until i finished it. Also, I was there.