I was fairly impressed by how the author explained the combination of historical, economic, and cultural conditions that can propel young kids into the gang life. I was a teenager in El Salvador during the civil war years; and I vividly remember the frustration and anger of those who spent years fighting a war only to realize that better economic and educational opportunities would never materialize. The book does not fully address the ineffectiveness of Central American government to plan for the re-integration of former combatants or even displaced citizens into a new society. Most post-war Central American governments were immediately concerned with rebuilding entire financial system, improving technical infrastructures, and competing in a new globalized world. It was not surprising that government were less concerned with the immediate needs for societal development.
You will get more out of the book if you don't expect a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic and geopolitical conditions that contributed to the proliferation of criminal gang enterprises in the US or in Latin America. However, the book does a decent job in two areas. First, it humanizes the gang problem with a number of anecdotal episodes that illustrate the sad, tragic and violent lives of gang members. Second, it reiterates the fact that the gang problem is a difficult one to resolve. That is because reforms to current immigration and political issues would be difficult to address in a political climate where there is a growing number of competing priorities. Also, the author explains that there must be true multilateral efforts among governments because this is no longer a regional but a growing global concern.
