Mike Rose

Mike Rose is the author of the book. His parents were Italian immigrants who settled in Altoona, Pennsylvania. When he was a boy his family moved to Los Angeles and lived in a house located one and one half miles northwest of Watts. The family was very poor with the father working as a tailor and the mother working as a waitress. He describes the house they lived in and the people of the neighborhood. Rose also describes what his life was like. There weren't many kids his age in the neighborhood, so he spent most of his time with adults. The result is a lot of anger and frustration and the dream of a better life. A Christmas gift of a chemistry set got him interested in science and he read the science books at the St. Regina's library. In high school he developed an interest...