36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From a tough and rough life, the "Dog" has refocused his life., August 9, 2007
This review is from: You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Hardcover)
You Can Run but You Can't Hide, by Duane "Dog" Chapman, is a tough book to review. This is not fine literature. It is the autobiography of a man who journeyed far afield: petty thief, felon, creep, volunteer, doper, gang banger, boxer, biker, convicted murderer, champion vacuum salesman, evangelist, loving father, loving son, abused kid, prison inmate, bounty hunter, hero, homeless man, A&E star, father, grandfather, husband, cellmate, barber, laundry worker, entrepreneur, counselor, and more.
Chapman burst on the Americana scene with his audacious capture of convicted rapist Andrew Luster in Mexico, which itself caused an international incident. He has been a big hit on A&E ever since.
In You Can Run but You Can't Hide, Chapman is blunt, blunt, blunt about his past, which is not pretty. He lived fast and furious, and one big omission in his summary of his life, and in his philosophy, is how he is making up for these past discretions. Frankly, it is a wonder that he survived to age 18. He was never a model father, and this is reflected in the behaviors of some of his children. With that said, in this book you do sense a "change in the Force" with him. It will be interesting to see whether he stays on a positive track over the next decade.
Some interesting tidbits:
- Chapman is one quarter "Indian" (his phrasing)
- He got the nickname, "Dog", from his gang, in reference to his devotion to God.
- Hawaii was a fluke, as he visited in 1991 and fell in love with the place.
I found myself, for right or for wrong, comparing him to Eddie Aikau of (deserved) "Eddie Would Go" fame. Aikau had a troubled youth, although nothing like Chapman, and his heroics only increased throughout his life until that fatal tragedy. Chapman fell deeper, and must climb higher to get out of the abyss. He has a ways to go, as his life stabilizes, but I suspect those affected by his past continue to suffer.
I find myself intrigued and engaged by the A&E show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter." I look for familiar landmarks. I watch the interactions between Dog and Beth, and Dog's children. I listen to Dog explain to captured bad guys that they can turn their life around, just like he did. "I've been there, brudda."
Chapman dropped out of school in junior high, so this clearly needed some severe editing, and that was accomplished. This book is "reality TV" in book form... now there's a concept!
At the writing of this book, the legal issues with Chapman and his sons in Mexico have not been resolved. Thanks again, Dog, for capturing Andrew Luster (who was raping women in Mexico), and for getting other bad dudes off the street. Keep your life clean, and work to deserve being a role model outside of being in show business. The show business fame is fleeting... just ask Paris Hilton!
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47 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saddle up for a wild ride with the "Dog", August 7, 2007
This review is from: You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Hardcover)
I'll admit that the only reason I bought the book was because it gave me a chance to shake hands with the "Dog" at a recent book signing at a Wal-Mart in Santa Clarita, CA. I started reading while waiting in line and right from the intro which recounted the capture of rapist Andrew Luster, I was hooked. It was like jumping in that black suburban with the "Dog" and the rest of the posse and off we went.
The adventure of the bounty hunts was great, but add the deep and moving life story of Duane Chapman and I defy anyone to stop reading until the last page...A brave story told by a very brave man...May God continue to bless Duane "DOG" Chapman
By the way..Beth was also at the book signing and I met her as well... she is GORGEOUS!!
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read, August 9, 2007
This review is from: You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Hardcover)
I got hooked on Dog: The Bounty Hunter as I was flipping thru the channels one day looking for something to watch on TV.
I received this book a few days before its release. It's an interesting and colorful look at Dog's life. It is not a book for those who are offended by cursing. The book is brutally honest. It's a book about a man who has turned his life around. Dog talks about his younger days as a bad boy, his time in prison, and as a drug user. He talks a great deal about his passions... His love for the Lord and his love for bounty hunting. The book goes into great detail about his hunt for Andrew Luster. Let's face it... Andrew Luster needed to be off the streets.
Whether you like Dog or not, please read the book. You will get to know Duane "Dog" Chapman thru this book.
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