Marano (Rutgers) uses a phenomenological approach to examine 25 incarcerated young African American men and their motivations and reasoning to explain their attachment to procuring and using guns. Through this methodology, she skillfully examines the social and psychological reasons guns are highly valued. In part, the young men perceive gun ownership as offsetting the felt shame of being poor, the gnawing discomfort of being young and economically dependent on their poverty-stricken mothers, and the continuous felt belief that guns are necessary, tangible instruments for undoing and ending their poverty. Overall, Marano's findings point to the men's steadfast beliefs that guns provide money, excitement, protection, respect, and power. Though the author's thesis may initially appear simple, her results unmask the deeper meanings of how and why guns are perceived as attractive rewards for counterbalancing real and imagined inadequacies. The six well-written chapters detail how guns construct meaning and masculinity, create pathways for producing and consuming violence, and are perceived as a panacea for solving life's hardships and inadequacies. An important read for scholars as well as practitioners interested in juvenile delinquency and crime. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. --Peter J. Venturelli, Valparaiso University