Review of The diary of hakim jones
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- Alice Heritage
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Review of The diary of hakim jones
As the saying goes, "Into each life some rain must fall." As the eponymous hero of The Diary of Hakim Jones by Joseph Khalid Massenburg reflects, however, "... sometimes it's like my life has been a whole freakin' typhoon." (p.89)
Hakim Jones grew up in the Central Ward of Newark, New Jersey, amidst gloomy projects, drugs and crime. With no siblings to have his back, he found his father a poor role model. Yet his parents valued education, and Jones came to see how this was the key to rising above his start in life.
His career as a police officer and beyond is charted in the fictional novel The Diary of Hakim Jones. As the title suggests, this book is written in a loose diary format. Some chapters focus on phases in Jones' life, while others are more like meditations or even sermons. The style is conversational, and Jones' colourful expressions bring him to life as an endearing, forthright character.
Indeed, a primary purpose of this book is to give encouragement, especially to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some of the chapters comprise motivational essays on topics like the importance of patience. I loved this book's motivational messages, and I noted many of them for future reference. Although I'm no stranger to motivational prose, some of the ideas were new to me. For example, to illustrate the importance of hard work and persistence, Jones notes: "When you really look back at your life, if something came easy, it usually didn't work out or wasn't that good from the door." (p.135) This underlies the book's central idea that life is what you make it. Sometimes I forget motivational words as soon as I read them, but Jones' insights had a way of staying with me, perhaps because they were intertwined with his life history.
In that sense, this book's unusual dual focus was an asset. However, unfortunately, it lacked structure overall. Sometimes events were recounted out of chronological order, but this was not offset by a sufficiently robust thematic structure. Miscellaneous recollections and reflections may fit with the diary format, yet the loose structure made the book less readable and somewhat repetitive. It also needs more editing or proofreading, as I found many instances of missing words and homophone errors.
Overall, Jones' life story is captivating and his perseverance and wisdom are inspiring. However, I deducted one star from my rating because I found numerous errors and one because the lack of coherent organization decreased readability. Therefore, I rate this book three out of five stars.
I recommend this inspiring work to all fans of memoirs and motivational books. It could play a special role in encouraging those from challenging inner city backgrounds to resist destructive paths and stick to a course of self-betterment instead. Hakim Jones converted to Islam at the age of 19 and his faith is a central theme, but this book is suitable for those of all religious backgrounds or none. Some may find the way Jones talks about women offensive. Please note also that this book features strong language and scenes that are suitable for adults only.
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The diary of hakim jones
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- Alice Heritage
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I'm glad you were inspired by it.