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narodnokolo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
ifoundtheme's review
4.0
“Hell Is a Very Small Place” is a collection of essays about solitary confinement, primarily written by prisoners... Read More
radianest's review
5.0
This collection of horrific stories from men and women alike who have been kept in solitary confinement will open your eyes to this unseen injustice in the United States today. But these stories don't just make you cringe and possibly cry, they show you there is still a way to make a change, and that there are people inside the system fighting to make a difference. This book humanizes those that have been deemed less than by the courts and by society at large. It may also make you question your own ideas of punishment and wonder, does anyone really deserve this?
dannafs's review against another edition
4.0
“There are better ways to manage a prison than crushing inmates, treating them worse than animals, and driving them insane and then releasing them back into society.”
“More difficult to calculate are the human costs not only to those who suffer in solitary, but to the rest of us in free society. ‘What does it mean,’ Lisa Guenther asks in this volume, ‘to share the world with millions of people in cages?’ How does it affect our humanity to dehumanize others to such an extent that we allow them to live in conditions unfit for any animal—and do so in the name of our own safety and well-being?”
“More difficult to calculate are the human costs not only to those who suffer in solitary, but to the rest of us in free society. ‘What does it mean,’ Lisa Guenther asks in this volume, ‘to share the world with millions of people in cages?’ How does it affect our humanity to dehumanize others to such an extent that we allow them to live in conditions unfit for any animal—and do so in the name of our own safety and well-being?”
erinkelly's review against another edition
4.0
A well rounded and very informative book. The information in the last chapters provided so much context on the issues, what's been done, what he challenges are, and where we can and should go from here -- and the first 3/4 give personal accounts that make it real. The combination is very powerful and while I have to admit I skimmed some of the final chapters due to information overload I feel like I have a new appreciation of the issues and learned more than I expected. I'm so interested to discuss at book club and read more about the topic- it goes without saying our prison system is in need of some major reform. Great read for anyone interested in learning more about this topic
matttrevithick's review against another edition
5.0
An important book on an under researched yet widespread phenomena. Mix of essays from people who've spent years or decades in solitary, ending with testimonials from experts and lawyers on what could be done to reduce the prevalence of solitary confinement in the American system.
strickvl's review against another edition
5.0
Devastating. This book collects together testimony from current and former detainees being held under conditions of solitary confinement. Part of this book's function is informative on a factual level, and other parts lay open the imaginative space. It boggles the mind. Essential reading.
thomassmith's review against another edition
5.0
Perhaps the most radical accomplishment of this collection of essays is that it seeks to humanize those we have deemed inhuman. I hesitate to write much about this book because my words should not get in the way of the words of those who've not only gone through this hell, but chose to write about it. All I can add is that I believe it is the civic duty of every American to read this book.