Fist Stick Knife Gun- Geoffrey Canada

[Rebekah Rudometkin]

‘Fist Stick Knife Gun.’ - Book Review
- Geoffrey Canada


Fist Stick Knife Gun written by Geoffrey Canada, talks about a child’s experience of growing up while being caught up in the violence of today’s atmosphere. Canada really explains in his book about the major cross fires of weapons, gang fights, and the abuse that his kid goes through.

A lot of the violence was increase or created by the media and movies. This is what really promotes the violence to these kids.
Canada also goes on explaining that some kinds, then those that have no reason to be a target to these violent acts are placed in situations like these.

Fist Stick Knife Gun, really emphasizes a life a child who experienced the present reality’s of gang violence in the life and area that he lives in.

[Shawn Molden]

First Stick Knife Gun, a telling of Geoffrey Canada's personal history of exposure and experience with violence, is a very in-depth exploration of where violent behavior comes from and how the cycle can be broken. Growing up in one of the most dangerous and violent parts of the Bronx in New York, Canada's intimate experience with violence gives him a unique perspective that we, as readers, can learn a great deal from. Exposure to violence in the media and all around him in his neighborhood taught him that violence is not an inherent trait but it is instead taught and learned. He uses his experience to provide a series of recommendations for reducing and hopefully someday eliminating violence.


Question for Discussion (though not necessarily original because we discussed this in our Beyond War Class, it still proved very effective for engaging with the text):

1) What is your own personal code of conduct, and where did these codes come from? Is your home code of conduct different from your social code of conduct? In what ways have your personal codes of conduct changed as you've gotten older/experienced more of life?