Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Look at immoral Gang Life
Review: I decided to read this book when I found out it was Banned from High Schools in Fremont, California. I assumed the ban was because of Sexual passages --- there does seem to be just enough of those to cause a High School to ban the book. With so many good books, both classic and contemporary I think it would be hard for a High School teacher to justify assigning this book to a teenager.At times the author is quite the wordsmith and paints a beautiful picture with words. It is obvious that his Latin roots help him in writing English prose. I would object to any teacher assigning this book to my children to read because the author seems to lack any morality. He dismisses his bad behavior to poverty and prejudice. There can be no justification to armed robbery, fire bombing, attempted murder, assault, sex without birth control when you cannot support the child, all of which the author claims to have done. The author begs the question, "How does poverty create immoral behavior?" I still don't think Luis Rodriguez gets it, lack of money cannot be an excuse for immoral behavior.
Rating: 
Summary: It reaches the reader
Review: Mr. Rodriquez writes an excellent book rehashing how his life was as he grew up in East L.A. back in the 60's and 70's. He lets the reader see first hand the terible cost that the gang-life extracted from the youths who participated in it. Later on, Luis "sees the light" so to speak and channels his anger from "Mi Vida Loca" into changing the wrongs in the community at that time. We reading the book, it does not seem as if it is describing events from 20, even 30 years ago, the events could be taking place today. With gang violence ever increasing and the educational system in shambles, life is once again a hardship for all us hard working Latinos and Latinas. We can all take something from this book and apply it to changing our communites for the better.
Rating:
Summary: A triumph of the human spirit.
Review: Luis Rodriguez is that rarerest of people. He combines perserverance with insight, courage and most importantly the ability to grow into a potent blend of lyricism which turns even the violence of East LA into what Andre Breton termed "convulsive beauty." Everyone changes - true growth is optional. I know this personally because I came up in East LA; I know this professionally because I work with Mr. Rodriguez. And I take exception to those - non Mexicanos and Mexicanos alike - who cannot open their minds and can only see the surface violence of "our" story. For East LA has remained hidden, swept under America's negligent rug like a dirty secret for too long. In Luis Rodriguez's "Always Running" I believe we have the best of America and of the human race, for he shines a much needed light in the darkeness. And what a writer he is, in the best tradition of Ralph Ellison, he skillfully blends lyricism with fact, poetry and harshness to create a seamless blend of moving prose. Any hack can just report facts documentary style, but it takes a true artist to turn prose into "something more," and Rodriguez has this in abundance. Like Don Piri Thomas and Malcolm X before him, Luis Rodriguez continues the brave tradition of telling it like it is from the mean streets. His is an example of transcendence to be revered and repeated over and over again for future generations. !Orale!
Rating: 
Summary: What planet are you on?
Review: As a mexican, I was offended by this book! This is trash! Is this happening in the "real world"?...Yes it is, but is this what we want to glorify to kids? I'd like to see a lot of these "angry mexican" writers drink some coffee and redirect their anger to positive images for latin youth...instead of the baggy-panted "La Raza" gang-banger types. Enough already!
Rating:
Summary: outstanding and captivating.
Review: Wow. After reading a collection of coming-of-age novels written after 1980, for a school project, my entire group agreed that this was by far the most memorable. Occasionally, the time span and characters become jumbled, but the message and story transcend these small flaws. Though it is not a difficult read, it is well-written. Rodriguez has created a horrifying primary source, with a cutting message. Always Running opened my mind and made me think, which is what good books do.
Rating: 
Summary: The vicious circle revisited
Review: This book was interesting to read. I felt I was being dragged almost unwillingly to the harder edges of our city (L.A.). It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me remember and reconsider.
I felt sad that latinos couldn't get their act together, always talking about pride but always acting against somebody instead that for themselves. The author notes this painful reality.He notes how most efforts to become somebody are destroyed by the same people that should be helping, gang members. I felt mad about some revealing behaviour of the LAPD and the white then-majority, the brutality of the police and how it affected many.
But I couldn't help despair at seeing that many blame the "toughness" of the environment for their own self-destruction. Instead of standing up to become better, most gangas are just standing up to become worse and even getting in the game with the former abusers to the point of doing a better job at destruction than they did. The author resents the brutality of the anglos but he mostly resents the unawareness of his people, the irresponsible breeding , the drugs, the false "macho" pride, the initiation rites,... It redefines the word pride, it is not narcissism or being worse than the enemy , it is stop running FROM something or others and it is to start running FOR something with others.
Rating:
Summary: Always Running
Review: Inna Sergeeva
04/08/02
Always Running
Luis Rodriguez is the author of this famous and best-selling book. It is based on his biography that took place in Watts and East Los Angeles in the 1950's to the 1990's. Watts was an old community, primarily made up of black and Mexican people. It was a ghetto where country and city mixed together. East Los Angeles was also a run down community with a high rate of crime.
Ramiro, Luis' first child, has gone off again. He reminds the author of his gang days. The author fears Ramiro will cause harm to himself if nothing is done. In the preface the author talks about his family and about his life as an early journalist. The author also says that in writing the book Ramiro will change.
Always Running is the author's autobiography about moving from Mexico to Los Angelos. His family was poor and hoped to succeed one day. He did poorly in school because he and his family did not speak English. As the author grew up he experienced prejudice because he was Mexican. At ten he and his friends created 'clicas' (gangs) which they called Thee Impersonations. Luis Rodriguez was a young East L.A. gangster that had witnessed countless shootings, beatings, arrests, murders, suicides, and senseless acts of street crime by the age of twelve. Facing many tough times in his life, Luis turned to violence and gangs to get away from his problems. He felt closer to his fellow gang members than to his own mother, father, sisters, and brother. As a child, Luis never seemed to fit in: not even at school. He came from a dysfunctional family. At thirteen the author was already into drugs and gang violence. Throughout the book Luis Rodriguez talks about friends, school, gang fights, problems at home and his love life. At fifteen he was arrested and made to work. Towards the end of the book the author meets Licha who inspired him to change. By the time he turned eighteen years old, he had seen twenty-five of his friends either killed by rival gangs, police, drugs, car accidents, or suicides He decided to leave for San Pedro but ended up living in Chicago. He discovers that he has no future living in the streets and decides to turn his life around.
To me this book is inspiring and I think that everyone especially teenagers should read this book. It is a sad and true story about a former gang member who leaves his memoir for the next generation. Reading Always Running is like being in it and will surely encourage others to turn their lives around.
This book really made me think about how much I take for granted. From reading all about Luis's problems and realizing how tough it was for him to grow up, I feel very lucky. I saw that Luis had built up his self- esteem and courage, even after experiencing life and reality the "hard way." Luis knew that by thinking positive and being strong, he could turn his life around. I know it must have been hard for him to leave his gang because it was his only known. This book does have a lot of controversial material in it. There is a lot of profanity, drugs, and violence involved throughout the entire book. This book also contains many descriptive images of sexual activity and many vivid images of gang rivalry fights (shootings, beatings, murders, and arrests). I would recommend this book to teenagers who are surrounded by gangs, those who are acquainted with youngsters that are involved in gangs. Because this book would be a perfect example for youngsters who are involved in gangs and think that is no way out. It could motivate those who try but can't break free from years of violence and desperation. After reading this book, reader will realize that anything is possible in life: even someone as violent as Luis can end up being a famous writer and help others to escape from the dark world.
Rating:
Summary: Be ready
Review: This book is very blunt, rodrigues just says things the way they happened, his sexual encounters are retold in detail, and he crimes and fights are so bloody u can just imagin whats all going on around him.
Rating:
Summary: Always Running
Review: Always Running is a wonderful book full of real life things that happen. I think that the book is a great book to read, especially for people that have struggled or are struggling with bad habits that you would like to get out of but don't know how. It could inspire you to do so.
Rating:
Summary: the exciting and troubled life
Review: I read "Always Running" which I have to say is a great book. I could relate to what he was saying, I loved that it was in English and some words in Spanish. Me being a chicana, thought that alot of what Louis J. Rodriguez said is so ture and real to a Mexican American life. Some people don't get the book but I thought it was excellent. I recommend this book because it is a true story. Which it might not sound like because of all of the rough things that happened to him in his life. So go out and get it, believe me you'll enjoy it for sure.
| 
