Customer Reviews

How to Hustle and Win, Part One: A Survival Guide for the Ghetto

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, I'd like to thank my barber Keith for throwing this one my way, I was just going in for a haircut, and I think we started talking about books, and I must say, I was a skeptic at first. For one, heads is always trying to hustle somethin' in the barbershop, most of the time-from my experience at least-it aint no good. I been through too many barbers trying to run a hustle on me. I'd be the loyal customer for years, and dudes would try and rise prices outta nowhere, not be persistent with the cuts and all that nonsense, but this dude was different. How was he different? For one, he sold me this book, and he's persistent in his cuts, same price all the time.
Lol, anyways I took this book home, and thought I'd skim around and see what it was about, and I was sucked right in. I was reading "Click" a book on networking, but had to put that down for a minute, and I was just 50 pgs. shy of finishing that. The knowledge, contained in this book I'd say is equivalent to 2 years (possibly more) worth of groceries, but not for your stomach but food for the brain. Maybe that was a bad way to put it, but this book definitely will kick some knowledge your way, on just about anything, from healthy foods, to women, to the pimp game, the rap game, communicating effectively, to religion, to how the crips were formed and what their original mission was, to the black panthers, Cointelpro, the real story of slavery, the drug game...etc. I go to Cal Poly, Pomona, and recently took a course on the black diaspora and we didn't dwelve this deep into some the subjects this book goes through, which took a whole quarter and this book a few pages.
What I like about this book to is that it sometimes asks you questions and makes you read and think critically, and brings you to go out and do the knowledge yourself. I recommend this book for personal purchase as it's not one of those that you'd go to the library for read it through once and get what you want from it, 'though that's fine too, it just seems more of a personal, lifetime companion with timeless information that you may use more than once at any time in your life, it even gives you advice on what to do when the police stop you, your rights and tings of the sort.
In one sentence, it condenses a lot of those philosophical pieces of literature into one. Actually got me typing a damn review, which I've never done and may rarely do again. Make sure to pick it up

What makes Supreme Understanding qualified to write a book entitled "How to Hustle and Win"? He has robbed people, bought, sold and used drugs, been arrested and gone to jail. He's been a rapper, a spoken word artist, owned a million dollars worth of real estate by age 24. He graduated from college with honors and got his doctorate by age 26. These are just a few things that make him qualified; he knows first hand "the streets" and he only bettered himself to get away from them.

"How to Hustle and Win" touches upon everything and anything. The key to reading this book is that you can read it in any order. It has so much information, from famous people, to movies to see, to quizzes, to cleaning up dirty money, to legit hustles and hustling skills and so much more. Supreme Understanding will have you laughing at times with his bluntness and realism and on the next page will have you really thinking about things. "If you're looking for answers - to almost any question - you will find them here. The mind is the world's most powerful weapon - and this is all the ammunition you need."

In reading this book, it does seem a little intimidating with how much the author touches upon. If you just pick up the book and look at the table of contents, you will see how much information is given in this book. Just pick a spot and start reading, I guarantee you will be pulled in by the knowledge and words that come off the pages. This is a very informative read that everyone should read. You can tell that the author did his research and sharing of his personal experiences.

Reviewed by: LeonaR

I would like to thank this author for reminding me of all of the things that I had forgotten and giving me the added spark that was needed for me to reach and teach the youth! This book is for anyone young and old who has any interactions with the young. Although many may think that this book is for young males alone, I have found that there are things in this book that have no gender barriers. This book should be on every bookshelf in Urban America!!! It should be used as a learning tool in schools and it should be given as holiday gifts instead of the typical gift. This book is more valuable than any diamond, any pair of Nikes or any Game System. This is a REAL JEWEL. Youth, know that there are people who have been where you are and have Hustled to Win to get where they are now. Learn the rules to the game and never lose again.
Peace,
Devotion

This book is full of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Over 200 hundred pages but I read it in less than a month. The more you read the more you want to read more because the author is schooling you on every page. Expect to learn a lot! I have 2 copies.

This book is really geared toward young African American men. As an middle class Black educator it opened up a world that I'd long since pushed to the back burner. It does show that with perseverance and determination we can succeed.

What a read!! I bought this book off a random search for something else. I read a few excerpts and was immediately drawn in. Although this book is geared towards guys, there are sections that women could take heed to as well. My boyfriend has kidnapped my book. He didn't know it but actually had the opportunity to meet the author before knowing who he was. If you are skeptical about getting this book, GET IT!! Share it. Buy one to give as a gift for any young man, or young woman, that might not be going down a positive path. Even if they are on a positive road, get them this book. There is knowledge in here for everyone regardless of their current standing in life.

Supreme Understanding challenges conventional thoughts in part one of this two-part series, How to Hustle and Win. Via open-ended questions, quizzes, essays, and even rap lyrics, How to Hustle and Win digs into one's psyche and may reveal things one may not have know about themselves and the world. This book is not for the feint of heart. It has rugged and raw stories told from pimps, dealers moving weight, and rap icons as well as textbooks, movies, and plain old common sense. From the moment you open the guide, Understanding informs you what type of book this is and, more importantly, who it is for. Sensitive issues such as slavery, religion, cultural stigmas, and government conspiracies are dissected giving the target audience, black men, a basis for reasoning and a clever nudge toward change. The author reaches well beyond discussion. He also provides resources for the reader and encourages their use in order to successfully navigate the hood and life.

Supreme Understanding is a champion for young brothers. I especially loved section three called Check Yourself, where he discusses common illusions life hands us on platters, for example, money can buy happiness, the rap game is real, etc., shares legitimate hustles, and a host of other laws for success. He has put together something that is easy to read and can be understood by anyone looking for a message. I recommend How To Hustle and Win to all men, young and old, who wish to surpass hood life and achieve something greater. I look forward to sharing this guide with the men in my life and will definitely check out part two.

Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier
APOOO BookClub

There are several books by authors who obviously obtain a wealth of knowledge. There are even more authors who are ANGRY and can legitimize their anger through a list of valuable facts. However, there are not many who know how to DELIVER knowledge. To know AND THEN TEACH is a rare and beautiful talent. Supreme Understanding has an understanding supreme. The book is not arrogant and preachy. It holds the pain and honesty of a poem. It is raw and revealed. The reader learns from observation and the placement of the text, as opposed to, being "talked at". A truly stylized text. Brilliant. The flow and cadence is only remotely comparable to that of Haitian writer, Dany Laferriere. Laferriere mixed humorous fiction, commentary, and satire to site the very real effects of poverty on the psyches of the world's downtrodden, especially that of the black male. Supreme writes, not only to OBSERVE these effects, but to educate ones on ways to CHANGE how we ALLOW ourselves to be affected. He refreshingly instructs that one not only make a fist...but to hit somebody with it.
Aside from clinched fists: this book motivates tears, fears, pride, embarrassment, laughter, and love. It is Alive.

Thank you for creating change, brother.

Awake.

More than revolution,
Elle

i love the book, and its a must read for people trying to adapt and profit in this unsettle economy.

(Official Apex Reviews Rating: 4.5 Stars)

How To Hustle And Win is an informative, brilliantly written book for today's youth. Crafted in no-nonsense fashion, it is easy to follow and features numerous funny stories, biographies, and quizzes, all designed to aid readers in making more out of their lives. In the book, Supreme Understanding shows young readers that they should neither expect things to be handed to them nor wait for someone to save them. The most important lesson: with work and dedication to the trade of your choice, you can prosper - and do it legally.

How To Hustle And Win is a fascinating book with a plethora of information for those who may be looking for a way to move on and get over the humps of their lives. Supreme Understanding has launched a great debut in a series of self-help books with Part One, and one truly hopes that Part Two will be available soon because he surely has much more information to share with his peers, as well as the next generation.


Brooke Carleton
Apex Reviews