Synopses & Reviews
From a former criminal and now chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors, comes a riveting, behind-the-bars look at one of Americaand#8217;s most feared prisons: San Quentin. Reverend Earl Smith shares the most important lessons heand#8217;s learned from years of helping inmates discover Godand#8217;s plan for them.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In 1983, twenty-seven-year-old Earl Smith arrived at San Quentin just like everyone thought he would. Labeled as a gang member and criminal from a young age, Smith was expected to do some time, but after a brush with death during a botched drug deal, Smithand#8217;s soul was saved and his life path was altered forever.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; From that moment on, Smith knew God had an unusual mission for him, and he became the minister to the lost souls sitting on death row. For twenty-three years, Smith played chess with Charles Manson, negotiated truces between rival gangs, and bore witness to the final thoughts of many death row inmates. But most importantly, Smith helped the prisoners of San Quentin find redemption, hope, and to understand that it is still possible to find Godand#8217;s grace and mercy from behind bars.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Edgy, insightful, and thought provoking, andlt;Iandgt;Death Row Chaplainandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;Iandgt; andlt;/Iandgt;teaches us Godand#8217;s grace can reach anyoneand#8212;even the most desperate and lostand#8212;and that itand#8217;s never too late to turn our lives around.
Review
and#8220;A riveting, clear-eyed but supremely compassionate journey, through one of the darkest corners of the American judicial system. andlt;iandgt;Death Row Chaplainandlt;/iandgt; compels the reader to a renewed assessment and appreciation of the human potential for constructive, even inspired, change.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This book shows how one manand#8217;s life was changed not by iron bars, but by a leather book. That book allowed him to open his heart towards the love that God had for him, which changed his life, changed his household, and ultimately changed the trajectory of the future generations of his family.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Chaplain Earl Smith is a man of real integrity and unusually effective in dealing with inmates in prison. He also has enjoyed great ability in communicating as a chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors. He is highly socially mobile being able to deal with the elite athletes in the world and the most notorious criminals. There are very few ministers that have this range of communication abilities, but Earl certainly does.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Earl Smith traces his remarkable journey from a crime-filled youth, including a near-death experience at the wrong end of a gun, to his ministries to the most hardened of criminals at San Quentin. It is a tale of redemption that has lessons for us all, including the emancipating power of forgiveness over the coercive reflex of revenge.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;The stories of triumph and the stories of adversity are the stories that allow us to evolve. I hope you read this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You will be truly inspired.and#8221;
Review
"With the eloquence of a gifted sage, Earl A. Smith delivers a kind of visceral imagery that can only be acquired by firsthand knowledge of a life lived on both sides of the bars. He is uniquely qualified to bring the untold tales of faith, endurance, and perseverance from inside one of the worldand#8217;s most notorious prisons."
Review
"Smith's stories reveal the power of redemption in the lives of those whom society thinks are unsalvageable."
About the Author
Rev. Earl Smith became the youngest chaplain ever hired by the California Department of Corrections when he was asked to become the chaplain at San Quentin in 1983. In 2000, Earl was named National Correctional Chaplain of the Year. He currently serves as chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors. He has appeared on HBO, CNN, andlt;Iandgt;The 700 Clubandlt;/Iandgt;, Trinity Broadcasting and the Discovery Channel, and has been featured in andlt;Iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Timeandlt;/Iandgt;. He was born and raised in Stockton, California, where he lives today with his wife, Angel, and their children Ebony, Earl Jr., Tamara, and Franklin.Mark Schlabach is the coauthor of the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling books, andlt;iandgt;Happy, Happy, Happyandlt;/iandgt;,andlt;iandgt; Si-cology 1andlt;/iandgt;,andnbsp;andandlt;iandgt; The Duck Commanderandnbsp;Familyandlt;/iandgt;. He is one of the most respected and popular college football columnists in the country. He and his wife live in Madison, Georgia, with their three children.