How and why does one become a neurosurgeon? Dr. Anthony Chiurco delineates a life in medicine that moves from childhood on the rough streets of south Philadelphia to success in a career that is as stressful as it is profoundly rewarding. He discusses his early programming by the Catholic Church and the eventual dismissal of organized religion and his path to atheism. How life on Earth originated is discussed broadly as well as on the molecular level with a friendly explanation for the reader uneducated in the biological sciences. Whether discussing life in an Italian-American family, or evaluating current topics such as medical malpractice, insurance companies, or government policy, he presents his opinions candidly and without apology. His experiences and preoccupation with sailing and the sport of rowing are discussed with earned pride and affection. Both a celebration and a cautionary tale from a contemporary healer.

Matthew Countryman traces the efforts of two generations of black Philadelphians to turn the City of Brotherly Love into a place of promise and opportunity for all. He explores the origins of civil rights liberalism, the failure to deliver on the promise of racial equality and the rise of the Black Power movement.

From mayors and mummers to tap dancers and gamblers, South Philly has it all. This quintessential Philadelphia neighborhood boasts a complicated history of ethnic strife alongside community solidarity and, for good measure, some of the best bakeries in town. Among its many famous people South Philadelphia claims Marian Anderson, Frankie Avalon, Mayor Frank Rizzo, Temple Owl's coach John Chaney, Larry Fine of the Three Stooges, and "Loving" soap opera actress Lisa Peluso. For South Philadelphians, whether they stay or leave, the neighborhood is always happy to give you their opinions, and in this book they talk about their favorite subject to Murray Dubin, award winning journalist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, who also called South Philly home. Music and the arts are part of everyday life. Baritone Elliott Tessler says, "I'm not a celebrity, I'm a minor curiosity. If Pavarotti lived here, he would just be a minor curiosity, and probably because he was fat more than because he sang." Jean DiElsi remembers finding work in 1943 as a cashier at a diner that would become a South Philly landmark. "It was the only diner around and it was open 24 hours. If you went to dances, everybody would go to the Melrose Diner afterwards...No, there was no Mel or Rose. it was named after a can of tomatoes. In addition to being Philadelphia's first neighborhood, South Philly is the oldest ethnically and racially mixed big-city neighborhood in the nation. Catherine Williams remembers growing up black on Hoffman Street, "We had everything. We had the Jews, we had Italians, we had the blacks, we even had a Portuguese family. You never knew there was a color thing back then. I was the only black in my class at Southwark, but you never knew. In the third, fourth grade, some of those Italian boys was big, but you would have thought they were brothers to me." These are some of the people and the opinions that make up South Philadelphia and Murray Dubin will take you on a resident's tour of the ultimate city neighborhood. But for every interview, there's also a lot of history. And Dubin provides an historical examination that spans 300 years, from Thomas Jefferson living in South Philadelphia in 1793 to the burning of Palumbo's in 1994. Whether you're a South Philadelphian yourself, or just want to understand the South Philly phenomenon this book is a must. Author note: Murray Dubinwas born in South Philadelphia and is a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In this true story set in the 1970s, you'll look through the eyes of then 14-year-old Kevin Purcell, who's now a professional advertising writer, as he watches his perfect childhood neighborhood turn into a racial battleground, where two young kids are stabbed to death, including one of Kevin's friends. Read as the author describes what it was like as young kids, black and white, from working-class families suddenly find themselves on the front lines of racial upheaval.

Synopsis In South-Philly, 7th Street is the place most real playa's find themselves. Yea... We got money coming from any and all directions, and everybody wants some of it. But, everything that glitters isn't always gold. We got kids 11, 12 year's old shooting guns, selling crack, smoking crack, and even more unmentionables. A wrong choice can kill you or land you 30 years in jail. We got goons out there waiting for a nigga to slip. We got people like Home-Invasion-Rick waiting for you to go to work so he can break into your home. Pig looking for a new homo to lay with. Doc selling dummies to the smokers who don't know him, and Rafiq waiting on the newest trick to come around. This is all just the normal shit. It's a cold world on 7th Street. But, no matter WHAT goes down, it is the place to be. WELCOME to MY world... The world, of 7th Street... Its Bone-Crusher, bitch!

"Gravy wars ... humorously describ[es] the culinary competiveness that runs deep in the heart of South Philadelphia Italians. You'll laugh out loud as you read the truth about Italian traditions and superstitions. And you'll discover a slew of scrumptious original recipes that'll help you win your own kitchen competitions. Enjoy!"--

To me, growing up in South Philly was truly a wonderful and great experience. I really believe that you must have lived there yourself to really understand exactly what I am saying and why. You see, to me South Philly is unlike anywhere else, and I will try to make you understand why. South Philadelphia is a place of living life to the fullest and really appreciating it. There were wonderful foods, fast cars, beautiful girls, and really good deals for things that supposedly just happened to drop off the backs of trucks, love, caring for others and their situations, and much more.

The entire purpose of being a Corner Boy was rooted in the concept of the ultra-masculine male The highest honor a Corner Boy could aspire was becoming a martyr for the gang The second highest honor was to carry a wound from battle that could be observed without the removal of ones attireThe third highest honor was going to jail and doing time In my young mind, Corner Boys came to represent the highest level of manhood and the epitome of moral virtue. says the author. But what was the truth? Of Stiletto and Soul: The Memoirs of Gangster Mike The Last West Philadelphia Corner Boyis a comprehensive and smooth recollection of the authors childhood experiences, family, youthful exploits, and his life with Philadelphias legendary Corner Boys. Honest, hopeful, challenging and absolutely inspiring, this book is about a unique life spent in a tough setting. In this book, King recollects his memories and deals with the most serious realitieslife, family, relationships, and the exigent world of his youth. This memoir is inspired by several factors, all of them pertinent to todays climate where some of the experiences of the author could serve as helpmates to those who may find themselves in similar situations. Here, he shares how both positive and negative influences in his life helped him developed a social consciousness. The book also relates certain historical events and personalities and packed with personal commentaries, insights, and psychosocial outlooks that readers may find relevant and favorable.

"Doing time." For the prison writers whose work is included in this anthology, it means more than serving a sentence; it means staying alive and sane, preserving dignity, reinventing oneself, and somehow retaining one's humanity.

Novel set in the late nineteen-eighties recounting first years of airline deregulation and the effects it had on that industry and its employees. Corporate raider Carlo Clemenza is the chief villain of the piece. He uses junk bonds, uncompromising Soviet styled negotiation tactics, sham bankruptcies and ruthless abrogation of union contracts to crush competing airlines and to bring airline workers to heel. His methods earn him countless death threats. Thousands of professional pilots find themselves compelled to start their careers over or with no careers at all. One pilot decides to take direct action and makes Clemenza "The target." But his pursuit of the well protected Clemenza makes him a target in turn.