Tattoos on My Soul: From the Ghetto to the Top of the World [Hardcover]

Burrel Lee Wilks III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2006

Looking into the head and heart of a man who rose above a life of narcotics, violence, and fast money to become someone with his own voice and dreams, this memoir humanizes the dilemma many youngsters face today and underscores the role the streets play as both proving ground and educational institution. By the age of 9, Buddy Burrel was a millionaire with his own flourishing crime empire, having followed in the footsteps of his iron-willed, often-brutal father, a West-Side Chicago kingpin. A gang chief in the powerful Vice Lords family at the age of 11, Burrel attracted the attention of Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo, an infamous boss of the Chicago outfit, under whose tutelage he rose to become a serious player at the age of 16. Yet after realizing he had the wherewithal to lead a different life, Burrel turned from ghetto grit—his father's house, the gangs, the hard drugs, and the streets—to glitz and glamour. Immersed in a world of coast-to-coast living, golf, gambling, and entrepreneurism, populated with idiosyncratic characters and underscored by a painful emotional awakening, he eventually broke away from the dark side with his spirit, heart, and hopefulness intact.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Wilks calls himself a "master of being alive" and backs up that claim with an incredible story of his transformation from a drug dealer and hustler to a personal life coach. Wilks grew up on Chicago's West Side, where his father, a sanitation worker, sold drugs off the back of the garbage truck. At a young age, Wilks' father blew marijuana smoke in his face and set him to counting cash. By the age of 16, Wilks was living on his own and embarking on a career as a dealer, pimp, and hustler. He recalls friendships with Chicago Mob figure Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo and with pimps called Don Juan and the Godfather. Many of his compatriot young hustlers died violent deaths. Wilks combines street smarts and business savvy, making frequent references to the highly acclaimed Freakonomics (2005). Readers interested in gritty urban culture and survival stories will enjoy this story of personal transformation. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A cast of characters colorful enough to light up a Christmas tree."  —Ryan Phillippe, actor and producer

"Brash, flash, compelling reading."  —Jim Jones, CEO Diplomat Records, Executive Warner Music Group

Tattoos On My Soul proves truth can be stranger than fiction and just as fascinating."  —Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Most Improved Player 2004–2005 season

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: Burrel Streetwise (April 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976873605
• ISBN-13: 978-0976873600
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,008,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars REAL TATTOOS, November 10, 2006

By 

M. Dasilva "DaSilva" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tattoos on My Soul: From the Ghetto to the Top of the World (Hardcover)

It's raw reality, hard to swallow-but still true! He shows the glamour and the seduction of a successful gang leader, but as you keep on reading, he makes clear how shallow, empty and lifeless was his life. How easy to get in and how hard to get out! It trilled me to follow the thoughts that would lead him to get out of it all. Finally, he ends up giving it back - a confession to inspire personal growth without being a self-help book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So true and so powerful!, November 7, 2006

By 

M. Lopez (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tattoos on My Soul: From the Ghetto to the Top of the World (Hardcover)

The first thing that called my attention was the book's title. I got totally hooked on this true story of a man who survived the best and the worst - many times in the same day. Burrel's story stood up to the powerful title. His character, his persona, his friends jump out of the page from beginning to end. I was very impressed that he had courage and determination not only to get out of the thug-business, but also to tell everything to the public. It's a story of survival indeed. Told by a man who has been there, seen that, done that. And that's one of the reasons that Burrel has the authority to talk about crime, drugs and the worst of the world with clarity and knowledge to people around the world - not just ghettos.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing, page turning story., May 6, 2006

By 

Bean100 (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tattoos on My Soul: From the Ghetto to the Top of the World (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. When I picked it up I wasn't sure what to expect but it has not disappointed. It is the most amazing life story (so far) of a young boy born into a life of drug dealing, gangs and organised crime. It follows the tale of Burrel as he grows up, as he makes illegal millions only to lose it all. How on earth he lived to tell the tale is a mystery. What he has done however, is turned his experiences into positives, this is a real story of ethics and transformation. This book offers two things, a real insiders account into the gang culture and crime worlds of Chicago. It is also a great read, compelling and incredible. I couldn't put it down. If you want to deepen your understanding of gang culture this is for you but if you just want a great page-turner of a story this is it too.