“In this personal account that reads like a novel,
 Allen describes the exhilaration of his youthful rule-breaking behavior
as well as the crushing reality that followed.”
– William Stephens, Ph.D.

Bill Allen earned wisdom the hardest way imaginable, by breaking many of the cardinal rules of civil society.  His reporting is honest and sometimes staggering.  The writing is cinematographically frank.  It could not be more visual.  What will happen when the robberies mount up, the trail of broken promises and lost jobs overtakes a kid who just wants to have fun?  His life story makes for compelling reading. Having spent more than half of his lifetime in prison for a string of drugstore holdups, Bill Allen has had time to consider the decisions of his early life.  In these pages, he tells of the highs of his young adult rampage and reports the dull drudgery his early excesses earned him.  Now a free man, Allen often speaks to young people, offering the benefit of his experience.

— David G. Scott, CFA, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, 13th Judicial District, Arkansas

— Richard, Recovery Counselor, Illinois

— David Norwood, Sheriff, Ouachita County, Arkansas