In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio by Philippe Bourgois is a well-written ethnographic research book that was intended to get an in-depth look at the life of a micro-company in the East Harlem neighborhood that deals in the sale of crack. The author raised a variety of issues such as racism, addiction, poverty, class stratification, and drug addiction. Most importantly, the author discovered the various reasons that contributed to the dramatic turn in the character's life, most of which are involved in the illegal sale of crack cocaine on the streets. In this book, the author argued that the actions of the characters in his book did not entirely contribute to their illegal acts, but rather to their environment. As such, Bourgois showed the surprising social, economic, and cultural difficulties that led to the characters' involvement in the crack trade. This review, therefore, will discuss the major themes addressed by the author and delve into how he visualized the living conditions in East Harlem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Social marginalization was a key aspect brought forward by Bourgois. Social and economic negativity towards Puerto Rican immigrants was a key factor in turning East Harlem residents into the majority of drug dealers. Bourgois had the commonly demonized image of drug dealers, but was soon shocked to realize that an inverse perspective of these people is true. The author quickly realizes that for most of the drug dealers in upper Manhattan, it wasn't really their natural conditions that forced them to become the illegal dealers they became. The meeting with one of the drug dealers soon proves his statement, in which the drug dealer, the author, sees a potential businessman if nature allowed him. Additionally, the author explores the themes of economic restrictions, racism, the characters' Latino culture, injustices and prejudices inflicted by the police on the characters' groups, and social challenges. Taking a look at the characters' relationships, the book provides an explanation of the main factors that led to the massive drug dealing in East Harlem. Bourgois's personal encounters with Primo, a character he had come to respect, confirm that his book was based primarily on facts about drug dealers in East Harlem. By looking at the main characters in the book, we evaluate the effects of these factors and determine the authenticity of the author's argument. Among the main characters are Primo (the arcade manager), Cesar (a friend and employee of Primo), Ray (Primo's boss), and Candy (a young woman who falls in love with Primo). Basically, most of these characters belong to the lower social strata and are mostly involved in illegal trade. The efforts of Primo and others to exit the illegal trade are futile, as the working conditions do not favor them. Often these characters are challenged by racism and poor working conditions in legal jobs. At one time Primo is looking for a legal and standard job, but the pay is too low to keep him compared to selling crack. In most cases, Primo ends up quitting his job or getting fired. Bourgois argues that “…it's not about crack or drugs per se. Substance abuse in urban centers is simply a symptom – and a vivid symbol – of deeper dynamics of social marginalization and alienation…”. Bourgois, through In Search of.