The book, Gangsta in the House, is a collection of observations and conclusions made by a fifteen-year veteran police officer from Houston, Texas. The book begins with the prologue which is a graphic fictional account of a drive-by shooting and is based on a compilation of real life incidents.

This book has two themes: one; gang members are seeking firm, fair, and consistent external discipline to help them decide where social boundaries are located, and two; promises kept breed respect for the system while promises broken breed contempt.

Gangsta in the House is written with a conversational style, but does include a touch of humor. The subject is, however, very serious and relevant to today's social environment. The book should take the mystery out of the gang experience and open doors to understanding why these young people do the things they do. An explanation about how gang members perceive the world differently than "normal" people and how that different perception occurs is offered.

The reader learns about the three big lies told by all street gangs to their members and how those lies help in recruiting new members and bolstering the image of the gang. The reader discovers that most criminal street gangs fall into one of the five "families" of gangs and how to recognize these broad families. Girl gangs, the nature of the gang uniform and the purpose of graffiti is discussed in detail.

The last three chapters: Empowerment, Denial and the Cure formulate conclusions and detail specific suggestions for change in the way we deal with crime and punishment issues. The reader may be surprised by the nature and scope of these changes--particularly coming from a person of the Author's background. Gangsta in the House offers practical, common sense solutions for parents, communities, and governments that could effect gangs and crime in America and make our neighborhoods safer for us and our children.