Out of the Madness

the long version

In a nation torn by a seemingly unbridgeable racial divide, there have been few written accounts from those caught in the abyss. Out of the Madness is such an account. It is the unforgettable true story of Jerrold Ladd's journey from the housing projects of west Dallas to a life of hope. It is an authentic and seminal autobiography for anyone who wants to know what is wrong - and what is right - with America today. Out of the Madness is a moving narration of life inside the isolated wastelands of America's ghettos. Jerrold Ladd tells the story of his growing up in the projects: the games he and his friends played among the abandoned apartments and drug dealers; the acts of kindness they found amid the acts of violence; the extended but broken family; the church; the constant, debilitating pains of hunger and of shame that made going to an integrated school virtually impossible for Jerrold - despite the fact that his counselors and teachers recognized that the unkempt and dirty child was also a talented and gifted student.