Real Men Wear Beige

Real Men Wear Beige chronicles Alfredano’s experiences with being convicted of a crime and time in prison, and how these experiences deeply changed his thoughts on the U.S.’s flawed justice system. Very early on, before you find out Alfredano’s crime, he describes a terrifying fight between inmates, where the violence erupts and lashes out in moments, and the physical damage to several inmates is enough to turn his stomach and make you wonder what vile crime Alfredano has committed to end up in such a terrible place. This is part of the point Alfredano is trying to make; those on the outside typically have a nebulous idea of prison and who is sent there. As his story continues, however, he shows that there are all kinds of people in jail and prison- awful, terrible people, yes, but also some of the nicest and smartest he has met. Some people who have done terrible things and thanks to the quirks of the system somehow have lighter sentences than those who have committed relatively minor crimes.

Alfredano’s story shows that those inmates in jail or prison are often lumped together as ‘deserving of their fate’ even though, as he details, there is maddeningly unequal sentencing and treatment. His well told story offers insight on just how much the justice system is flawed.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Locked in, but not locked up.

If you could sum up Real Men Wear Beige in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, genuine, graphic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Julian was my favorite character. Although not a main character, Donato Alrfedano really captured and expressed the human element in an institutionalized environment. His character personified the adage of, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." He came off initially as a hardened individual, but upon deeper inspection was revealed as the most emotionally effected by experience of being imprisoned.

What about Donato Alfredano’s performance did you like?

His tone was easy to listen to, and was very comprehensible.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not have an extreme reaction, however, it did promote a lot of thought regarding the justice system by exposing some pitfalls in protocol.

Any additional comments?

It was a great listen, I would definitely recommend this to my peers.

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A Raw and Entertaining Story About Our CJ System

Would you listen to Real Men Wear Beige again? Why?

I would simply just to hear the author's voice and how he describes things again. It was an insightful look at the system as a whole, and while the topic isn't an easy one that you can talk about lightheartedly the author does wonders with how he adds in enlightening information while also throwing in a few jokes here and there.

What other book might you compare Real Men Wear Beige to and why?

I haven't had a whole lot of experience reading books on the criminal justice system. I remember reading Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers a few years back, but I think really the only similarity to this book would be that they included insight on the criminal justice system and how people are prosecuted. If memory serves Lockdown is about a teen, not an adult, and the tones of both books are completely different.

Which scene was your favorite?

It was moreso a part that impacted me the most and made me think more than anything. In the beginning the author offers two different stories about inmates; one who is a child molester and the other who was being prosecuting for theft. The former gets off easier than the latter, and the question posed was "Which one would you want sitting in a room with your 10-year-old daughter?" Wow, did that hit hard and make me think about how someone as sick as a child molester can just go in and out like it's nothing.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing really moved me as much as there were scenes that really made me think. It definitely changed my perception of prison, jail, and the prosecuting system.

Any additional comments?

In the introduction the author mentioned that the book could either reinforce what you’ve read about in newspapers, or that the book could shock and surprise you. The author is a great storyteller, and he doesn’t make things overly complicated. However, he doesn’t surgarcoat it either, and the way he gives you information definitely gets you thinking.

I was interested in this book because of its description of prison life that it advertises in the summary. Luckily it’s not just prison life either; Donato Alfredano spells out everything bit by bit, including details of how he ended up in prison, the booking process, and going to court. This is helpful because it gives us major details that, as said in the introduction, we would usually miss. I also took interest in this book because my mother and father have both worked in the criminal justice system, and I thought it would be interesting to get another perspective on a long and very complicated process. This book definitely gives that different perspective I was looking for; detailed and raw, it provides that insight into the process without sparing any detail, which I found fascinating. Another reason I enjoyed the attention to detail is that, as a teacher, I now have a student who is interested in going to the criminal justice field, and this gives me information to pass on to him that could be helpful to him in the future. I may pass this audiobook onto him, as I think it would be something he’d enjoy. As an added bonus to me, he’s not the biggest fan of reading, and if I can get him a hard copy it might it might be enough to interest him into sitting down and cracking open a good book.

Finally, I wanted to address the tone, as this is an audio book and tone is just as important as the words on the page. The tone of the book is professional and at the same time pretty relaxed. Alfredano explains things in a way that is easy to understand; occasionally he throws in prison jargon, but he always goes into further detail so that someone who is not familiar with prison or the criminal justice system would be able to follow along quite easily. It is evident from the beginning how the book is going to go down, as the way the author describes Zack is funny yet descriptive enough that we all know what kind of person he’s talking about. It was refreshing, and kept me listening even

If there was something I didn’t like it was how he broke it down into a math equation. Not that it was bad, and it doesn’t really affect my rating, but I’m not a fan of math, so when he started into that small tangent I groaned. Interesting, just not in a format I enjoyed. And it only lasted for a minute or so.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Eye Opening and Beautifully Read

If you could sum up Real Men Wear Beige in three words, what would they be?

Riveting, Rough, Eye-opening

What other book might you compare Real Men Wear Beige to and why?

I don't know what book I could compare it to, but it reminded me a lot of the Netflix series, "Orange is the New Black." It's a look at the prison system and criminal justice system.

What about Donato Alfredano’s performance did you like?

Alfredano does not take it easy on us. He is engaging, rough, and exciting to listen to. His story is not one for young ears and is filled with language you would probably find in a prison, but the story is just so compelling and rich from beginning to end. He is not an unbiased storyteller, it's HIS story and he wants you to experience it with him.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really loved him talking about his first 24 hours in prison, and how many times he was moved around and how he would later find his belongings scattered across various places in New York. I loved how he made a few"friends" (if I can call them that) that night who were also on their own journey through the criminal justice system. He really painted a great picture of what the cells looked and felt like, what he felt like, and how fast everything moved in the beginning. I felt bad for him, and at the same time confused as to why the system worked the way it did in his case.

Any additional comments?

The only thing I wished for was a little more backstory. Who was Alfredano beforehand? I feel like I know who he is coming out of the experience, but how does it compare to how he was before? I wish I knew if he actually felt bad for doing what he had done. I wish he could have talked more about what led him to turn himself in, and more about the misdeed itself.

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One prisoner's story

Would you listen to Real Men Wear Beige again? Why?

This is an autobiography about an experience that most of us don’t see . . . that of being behind bars in a prison. The author committed a white-collar financial crime and turns himself in. The book then, deals with his experiences behind bars. We get to know his routine, the fellow prisoners he encounters and befriends, and the criminal justice workers who treated him badly. We get a lot of detail and rough language to go along with it, so this is definitely a book for mature audiences! The most enjoyable parts are the descriptions of the actual imprisonment.

Part of the interest in the story is not just the “being in jail” part but the details of the way he feels he was mistreated that call into question a lot of what we assume about the criminal justice system. He doesn’t claim to be innocent of his crime but even though this was his first brush with being a criminal he did receive a harsh sentence, and experienced a lot of things along the way that seem very unfair.

His book takes us all the way from just before jail to his re-entry as a free person. It would be nice if there were more back story to help us get to know him a little before the crime, but that part is fairly thin. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What about Donato Alfredano’s performance did you like?

The narration does a good job of providing depth and interest. The author narrates so he’s reading his own material and adding the right vocal tones. He’s got a good, easy to listen to voice that I enjoyed.

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Unbelievable View into the Justice System

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I would highly recommend that everyone either listen to this audio book or read the book to get a glimpse into the Justice System.

Any additional comments?

You hear so much about the Justice System and how it’s unfair and biased. You hear the stories of people falsely imprisoned and those that do not get as much time as they deserve. Donato Alfredano addresses these issues and so much more in the audio book version of his book, Real Men Wear Beige.

From the start of the book, Mr. Alfredano gives a frank and honest description of his experience in the Justice System. He paints an incredibly vivid picture of what life is like from the moment his incarceration started until his eventual release years later. There were times during the narrative that I was both stunned and disgusted by the conditions in which Mr. Alfredano lived and the events he viewed before him. He told stories about how other inmates landed behind bars. The stories of people imprisoned and sentenced compared to those set free astounded me more than once. His colorful descriptions of different prison fights, people who took revenge out on other inmates because of things they had said and done, were eye-opening, to say the least. In the case of Mr. Alfredano’s own revenge on a fellow inmate, I laughed.

Throughout the entirety of the audio book, I found myself horrified, disgusted, enlightened, and even amused at some of the events that took place during Mr. Alfredano’s time in the Justice System. Mr. Alfredano showed me how, like all places in society, people earned respect, developed friendships, and depended on one another for survival. For someone new to incarceration, I was impressed with how Mr. Alfredano handled himself and interacted with his fellow detainees and inmates. After listening to the entire audio book, something I did in one day, I hoped that by sharing his experience with the world Mr. Alfredano might start a conversation that would lead to much needed changes to the Justice System.

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An impassioned expose of life behind bars

Would you consider the audio edition of Real Men Wear Beige to be better than the print version?

I don’t often review a book, but Real Men Wear Beige was such an intriguing and insightful story that I wanted to share my enthusiasm. The author has a style of writing and explaining things that kept me wanting to hear more about his “jailhouse journey through the chaotic realm of concrete and steel.” I bought a copy of the Audiobook version and I can honestly say that his passionate narration was second to none - and the excerpts from the soundtrack of Alfredano’s “songs written behind prison walls” were poignant and cool. His expose’ of the prison system was not only illuminating, it was impassioned.

Have you listened to any of Donato Alfredano’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

After reading Real Men Wear Beige, I purchased Alfredano’s first audio book, “Be Strong, Be Tough, Be Smart,” which was narrated by Roger Buehler and Natalya Bykov. Both were excellent. I strongly recommend that you listen to this audio book. For me, his first book validated what I’d already gathered from Real Men Wear Beige; that Alfredano is a considerate and compassionate individual who made a bad decision and paid dearly for it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, Real Men Wear Beige is a five star book and the Audiobook version is even better. As I mentioned, The author has a style of writing and explaining things that kept me wanting to hear more about his “jailhouse journey through the chaotic realm of concrete and steel.”

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Eye Opener!

What I liked about this book is that it is a real story of someone who had first hand experience in the prison system. The author tells his personal story and experience from the time something went wrong, his journey to turn himself in and his entire walk through in the court and prison system. Knowing what people go through in the judicial system is important. I like how everything is spelled out for you. Its a great read for someone who has been in the system or someone who want to make a difference in it. I watch a lot of stories on tv about prison and one always wonders how true these stories are. I like this story from the authors point of view. What I also like is that he was able to turn some of his experiences into songs. He is correct in saying that the entire system is corrupt.

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Fantastic story with depth

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed the fact that this story was truly a first person account.

Any additional comments?

There is much to be said about prison and those who find themselves behind those inescapable bars. Real Men Wear Beige provides a unique point of view and voice for those who are often unheard and ignored. Often these people feel abandoned because society, their friends, and even their family have turned away from them.
This phenomenal story does not give the listener the misconception that prison is cool. Instead, the listener becomes privy to information through experiences he or she could otherwise never fathom.
Through the audio, read by the author himself, the listener can pick up on the passion in his voice, but also so much more. I wanted to hear more. I couldn't stop.
I would absolutely recommend this story to anyone and everyone, with the small caveat that it isn't intended for young listeners. This book contains adult content which is not suitable for everyone.

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Great Voice about American Justice System

What a great audio book! I've already shared this book with my husband and close friends as a "must read/listen to" book! I love that the author is also the narrator of the book! The authentic feel of this book is as real as you can get and I love that! This audio book was such an eye opener for me! I had no idea what incarceration looked or felt like before this book! Alfredano did such a good job of painting a picture of what jail time really looks likes! I found myself smirking and laughing about different encounters Alfredano had while incarcerated. One story I'll never forget is with one of the inmates that Alfredano encountered about "Farmer John Cheese" or what he really meant of Parmesan Cheese. I appreciate the utter truth that is told throughout this book! It's a must read (or listen too book)!

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