3 out of 4 stars
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Not Black and White: From the Very Windy City to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by G.A. Beller is a political thriller about the powerful, corrupt men pulling the strings behind Illinois politicians. In particular, an African-American lawyer’s rise up the political ladder is woven throughout the story. Sound like anyone you know? The book is categorized as fiction, although the line between fact and fiction is straddled, to say the least.
Widespread corruption, backroom deals, and savvy political maneuvering are common at the local and state levels in Chicago, Illinois. It’s all about the pay to play philosophy in politics and business, who you know, and who owes you a favor. Much of the story is told in memoir style from the first-person perspective of Mars Gregory, a lawyer turned businessman. Through his powerful business partner Sam Alsheriti, Mars meets Malik Alawi, a young African-American, Ivy League-educated lawyer. Malik is politically savvy and already laying the groundwork to achieve his aspirations of political office at the national level. Insiders know the path to success runs through Sam, who is a political kingmaker.
I enjoyed this well-written book. I was easily able to see the big picture of what’s happening behind the scenes in the massive Illinois political machine. The intricate web of deals is realistically described and I found myself fascinated and disgusted at the same time.
Readers familiar with Illinois politics will likely figure out some of the real-life individuals who inspired the characters. For example, I recognized former Governor Blagojevich and former Senate candidate Jack Ryan in their fictional counterparts. Technically, this book is a work of fiction, but, given the obvious similarities to President Obama’s rise to the Oval Office, it really makes you think about the powerful forces behind real-life candidates seeking office. I found it hard to connect with Malik’s character, but this may be because the central focus is on the powerful people behind him and other politicians.
Mars is an effective narrator, particularly in the sections about his business partner Sam. Still, it took me a while to get into the story. Most of the characters are introduced with long backstories. A vivid picture is drawn of who’s who and their motivations. This also creates a cluttered plot that is slow paced. Some scenes drag on too long with an excess of description, such as the preparations for the dinner with the South Loop project’s investors. The individual sections about various operatives and politicians are absorbing. However, characters are often introduced and then disappear for long stretches. There is just too much going on at different levels and it’s difficult to keep track of which favors and corrupt practices connect to which characters.
The story reminded me of the book Primary Colors, which is a thinly veiled account of former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. The main difference is that Primary Colors focused on the campaign, whereas this book is more of a saga about the long-running, widespread corruption in Chicago and Illinois politics. As such, there are many subplots and a long span of events.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Despite the aforementioned issues, I enjoyed the story as an amazing, dizzying ride. Fans of political and corporate thrillers will find much to like here.
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Not Black And White
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