Zek: An American Prison Story

ZEK: An American Prison Story is riveting. It grabbed me by the heart and the throat, and I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. By the end, I felt like I had been on a massive journey, and I could never think about prison or prisoners in the same way again.I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. You see, I generally avoid novels with violence. I have to admit, I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to get through this book. Instead, I was drawn in immediately by the main character Jonny, his cell mates, and the many challenges they all faced to just get through another day in prison. I found the instances of violence depicted in the book were crucial to the story. None of it was gratuitous.I almost never write reviews for novels but I felt compelled to do so after reading ZEK. It's fiction but I am assuming it is based a lot on author Arthur Longworth's personal experience and observations in prison. In my mind, ZEK combines fiction and memoir into one very engaging and suspenseful story. Highly recommended.

This was a well written story,written by someone whose lived it and survived. The writer gives a candid look and you feel this experience as it unfolds. A story to add to your collection and a teaching tool.

I like the fact this story was told from a inmate life. It makes more sense to realize that it's hard to do time. Lots of people are not aware of what goes on in prison. This should open a person's eyes. Short but a good read.

It was a very real depiction of life in prison which was what I was looking for but too graphic on the rape scene.

The government and people the government gives power to, get away with murder.....literally! This is a true story, this really happened...so many things happen in this country that are never punished.

This is a fine, well-written story, giving a prisoner's insight from the inside of a Washington State Prison. It took a lot of courage for the author, himself a prisoner, to describe the daily happenings in a state prison. The price he paid was a return to solitary confinement for authoring this piece. Too often the public receives a sanitized view from jail and prison TV shows. The latter shows only show the "worst of the worst" because otherwise they would not be allowed to film. Zek gives us a glimpse of how dehumanizing and brutal the US prison system is. In most prisons, there is no attempt at rehabilitation. Yes, some of the worst dregs of society end up as prisoners. But it is also fair to say that some of the prison guards and staff also come from the worst dregs of society. Zek is a personal story, which gives one a sense of how prisons only purpose is complete control, both physically and mentally, with the ultimate outcome of creating a person even more likely to commit future crime and eventual return to prison.

An insightful read to the world of a prisoner. How deeply saddening it is for humans to be treated this way. I understand that some have taken lives, but where is the rehabilitation? No wonder there is a high incidence of repeat offenders.

I worked in two prisons as a teacher and a drug counselor. Arthur gave a real good inmate's view of prison life. Not only do they have to serve time, but they put up with the abusive attitudes of uneducated guards that think treating inmates like dirt is part of the punishment as well. Sad state of affairs. Great book.

Outstanding book. Thought provoking reading about a world most of us never directly encounter. A great addition to any debate about retribution vs rehabilitation. And beyond that an enthralling read.Great service from seller. Arrived very promptly.

I have read a ton of prison books over the years and this is definitely one of the better ones. The author who has been in prison for the majority of life is able to show, almost, the entire prison experience through the character one day behind the walls. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to live behind the walls then this is the book for you.

Very moving and massively indicative of the failure of the prison system and the huge sentences handed out in the states