Super Short Summary

Gang Leader for a Day is Sudhir Venkatesh’s account of his six years researching Chicago’s housing projects as a Sociology graduate student. He befriends J.T., a leader of the Black Kings gang, gaining access to the Robert Taylor Homes, where he explores urban poverty, gang operations, the underground economy, and complex community dynamics, transforming from a naïve student into a knowledgeable academic. The book includes depictions of violence and criminal activity.