Honor Few, Fear None: The Life and Times of a Mongol (Hardcover)

by Ruben Cavazos (Author)
Key Phrases: stolen motorcycles, biker clubs, gladiator school, Ruben Cavazos, Hells Angels, Red Dog (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School—Cavazos had a rough start and continues to live a life with rough edges. Raised by a single father in East L.A., he was welcomed into the Avenues, a prominent gang, before he even knew the difference between a criminal life and a straight one. "Doc" had few chances to escape the violence around him. After obtaining a license to work as a radiologist and an eye-opening turn in county jail, he left gang life and entered the world of motorcycle clubs. At first glance, readers find the two worlds not dissimilar, and cops would certainly agree, but Cavazos has worked for more than a decade to transform his motorcycle club, the Mongols, and cleanse it of drugs, stealing, and roughing up women. He wants to ride with a group, not a gang, and from this book readers learn of the roadblocks he has had to face in order to turn the Mongols into a respected club. Those looking for "lemonade out of lemons" tales of gang survival and redemption should turn to Luis Rodriguez's Always Running (S & S, 1994). Including a smattering of black-and-white photos, Honor Few, Fear None could easily grab the attention of reluctant male readers and fill the need for gritty urban stories. Since Cavazos uses simple phrasing and tells a gripping story, his book would work well for hi/lo reading. Because of its clear structure and order, teachers could use it as a tool for helping students construct their own biographies.—Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA
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From Booklist
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061137898
• ISBN-13: 978-0061137891
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,363 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Real Truth, September 1, 2008

By	Old School 1%er (So Cal) - See all my reviews

Honor Few, Fear None is neither well written nor interesting. It really isn't comparable to William Queen's Book, Under and Alone, which was better written, even if you don't appreciate ATF infiltrating a motorcycle club.

This book should be an embarrassment to the Mongols MC and any other 1% club. It may cater to those who don't know anything about motorcycle clubs, but for those who do, it is one man's self-serving example of his ego and does not come close to the truth. For example, most people in Doc's position would not put down other brothers in the club just to build their own ego. No 1% club would allow another member to speak poorly of its own members.

Doc's version of the events at Laughlin gloss over the fact that he fled and left brothers on the floor of the casino to die after doing nothing to avoid the conflict that was building. The extensive sections about everything he stole as a kid are another example of his distorted sense of bravado. Then, he talks about doing "hard time" at Wayside, a Los Angeles County jail, for inmates sentenced to short term, local sentences.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Doc to write another book about the inner workings of the Mongols MC since he is now out of the club with the dishonor that he deserves.

Save your money and don't bother with this book.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not so fast......., July 26, 2008

By	Oakland Born (West Coast) - See all my reviews

While it's true that the Mongols are growing quickly, they've also lost a number of old time members who have quit in disgust or been shouldered out under duress due to this guy's new leadership. Anyone who brings in street gangs off the avenues of L.A. (la Eme) in order to rapidly boost membership and in a number of cases- waived the "must have motorcycle to be a biker" rule ain't gonna tell the truth in any book.He has his own agenda and one not in keeping with what the Mongols have been.Save your money.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I find it hard to feel sympathy for this guy., June 29, 2008

By	B. Wolinsky "Ben's Reviews" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Cavazos is angry because the ATF raided his home and took his guns, bikes, and money. Angry is what he should be, because the guns, bikes, and money belonged to him, therefore they're important to him. You might say they're not important, but all property is important to the people that own it.

This is why I don't feel any sympathy for him.

Did he feel the same way about the people he stole from? When he stole cars, did he think about the people who owned them? When he stole clothes, did he think about the store owner that lost money (or the sales clerk who may have gotten her pay docked)? When the ATF raided his home, made a mess, and took his property, did he think of the people he shot for "disrespecting" him? I don't think so!

I read the first 80 pages, then decided not to by the book. I rarely believe stories by people like these; they write self-serving arrogance just to stoke their own egos. I'm glad Cavazos had a well-paid career as an x-ray specialist, but he put his son in danger through his own ignorance. He claims the Mongols aren't bad people, but lets face it, a sizeable number of their members commit violent crimes that effect non-members. The ATF raids on his house were really his own fault. He who lies with dogs wakes up with fleas.