Do or Die - by Leon Bing (Paperback)

About the Book

Fiercely compelling and widely acclaimed, Do or Die is the first inside account of street gangs and their brutal world. Journalist Leon Bing, who gained ther four years, lets the gang members discuss for themselves their lives, loves, and battles.

Book Synopsis

"The most vivid and insightful investigation any reporter has made into gang life. This is the human face behind the tragic headlines, a sad, honestly reported story of kids at war with themselves".-- "Playboy" "Shocking". "--San Francisco Chronicle"

"Poignant". "--New York Times"

"Fascinating and frightening". "--Los Angeles Times"

"Ambitious and provocative". "--Chicago Tribune"

"The testimonies Bing elicits are always fascinating [as she] lets gang members speak for themselves and at length, weaving together their stories with scene-setting narrative that reveals her deep caring for these violent youths". "--Houston Chronicle"

From the Back Cover

Do or Die is the first insider account of teenage gangs--the lives, loves, and battles of children who kill--from the only journalist ever allowed inside this closed and dangerous world.

This is no West Side Story. Welcome to a world where teenagers wear colostomy bags and have scrapbooks filled with funeral invitations; where a young man, after being shot in the chest, drives himself to the hospital; where another youngster, caught in crossfire, uses his girlfriend as a human shield; where teenage gangsters are kidnapped, tortured, and held for six-figure ransoms; where kids hum the latest movie's theme music while killing people. It's a world of clickheads, sherms, bangers, ballers, and mummyheads; a world where the strongest feelings of family come from other gang members; a world where the most potent feelings of self-worth come from murder.

Review Quotes

"Poignant." - New York Times
"Fascinating and frightening." - Los Angeles Times
"Ambitious and provocative." - Chicago Tribune
"The testimonies Bing elicits are always fascinating as she lets gang members speak for themselves and at length, weaving together their stories with scene-setting narrative that reveals her deep caring for these violent youths." - Houston Chronicle
"A powerful portrait of life on the streets." - Vogue
"Bing is a reporter of remarkable vividness and subtlety ... passionately objective . . . a remarkable, compellingly readable piece of reporting." - Entertainment Weekly
"Shocking." - San Francisco Chronicle
"The most vivid and insightful investigation any reporter has made into gang life. This is the human face behind the tragic headlines, a sad, honestly reported story of kids at war with themselves." - Digby Diehl, Playboy