{ "item_title" : "Lookout For Shorts", "item_author" : [" Garrett Phillips "], "item_description" : "An arrest and conviction for trafficking ecstasy can be comical. The character-strewn path of corrections that followed is entertaining and enlightening. This is the story of a book-learnin' smart-ass who endured a three-year minimum-security tour of the slammer and lived to make fun of it. And who emerged a humbled and better man. Lookout For Shorts is a departure from hardcore prison fare; it is gonzo and humorous in tone. Picture the worst cruise ship imaginable, full of guests from The Jerry Springer Show , that never reaches a port. Tales abound of inmate absurdities and administrative follies juxtaposed against the coarse subculture of lockup. Along the way, Phillips unflinchingly describes his drug-dealing days, a rehab stint, and his misspent youth. We've all heard of Orange Is the New Black , the fish-out-of-water story that provided a glimpse into a fascinating micro-society. Lookout is similar but zips several steps further into humor. The main hazard the author faced was his head exploding from being immersed in a sea of weirdos and misfits. The nuttiness nearly made him forget about the ever-present threat of losing teeth and suffering fresh scars. Culled from copious journals, most of this tale is prison-based. The story begins with the arrest of a Generation X slacker, for dealing drugs at a jam band concert. Description of an upscale rehab stint and living in an AA-based halfway house follow, then the incarceration hammer comes down. In lockup, Phillips focuses more on how the other other half lives and his light-hearted cynicism gained from living in it. If you ever wanted to be the smartest person in the room, just go to state prison for a while. You'll probably be that guy the whole time, quips the author, in Sedaris-like style. Still, he ends up deeply empathizing with his downtrodden fellow felons along the way. Phillips described his odyssey thusly: I spent most of my life lying around, killing time. This led me to the slammer, where I lied around, killing time. I ended up in prison because of a lack of dedication, patience, and my failure to postpone gratification. So after my release, I wrote a book, which requires enormous amounts of dedication, patience, and postponing gratification. It's a start ", "item_img_path" : "https://covers1.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/1/73/485/750/1734857501_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "14.99", "online_price" : "14.99", "our_price" : "14.99", "club_price" : "14.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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