Copbook: A Memoir

By Richard Greelis

Whether encouraging his cowering K-9 to reengage during a crime in progress or interviewing an unrepentant show molester, veteran cop Richard Greelis gives the reader a personal view of law... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592982824
• ISBN13: 9781592982820
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Beavers Pond Pr
• Length: 413 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

CopBook

This is a memoir written by Minnesota Police Officer, Richard Greelis, as he is facing his retirement after 25 years as a Bloomington Police Officer with an impressive resume. I read this book because I have two cousins who are decorated Police Officers in Illinois, and my son is pursuing a career in law enforcement. I have also lived and worked in Bloomington for many years. Greelis story is not about the streets of New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, but the nice, safe, suburban streets that I called home for 10 years. He tells of the "Good, Bad and the Ugly", right in our own backyard. I found Greelis to be a very good storyteller who drew me into every situation he wrote about. The incidents are not written in any particular order,timewise, which I would have preferred, but when I was finished with the book, I wanted MORE! Reading stories from a "cops" point of view was fascinating, to say the least. The life and death decisions they may need to make; how they deal with what they see and experience; the questions asked, such as Greelis' "Where is God in all of this?"; is very thought provoking. I daresay you will never look at a uniformed officer the same. On the topic of how officers deal with all that their job entails is especially important. He writes about those who "stuff" and those who don't. Perhaps,that will be the best message that the book may offer - In the end, cops would be much better off putting their experiences in writing, if only for themselves, instead of "stuffing" and suffering the long term effects that many cops do (family problems, alcohol problems, etc.). I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who has a family member or loved one in law enforcement. "Hey Richard, how about 'Cop Book II'?"

A fascinating read about real-life heroes of society

They are the protectors of society - a dull day is a good day for a cop. "Cop Book: True Stories of Life, Death, and the Cops Who Manage the Space Between" is a collection of anecdotes about author Richard Greelis' decades long career as an officer of the law. His career ranged from being on the beat to running operations for the Republican National Convention. Seeking to give the reader a glimpse into the life of a police officer, "Cop Book" is a fascinating read about real-life heroes of society.

A Gem of a Book

I was surprised by the style and elegance of writing in this book. The insights into cop life and human nature are impressive, which on occasion reminded me of the literary masters of psychological observation--Tolstoy and Hemingway. Never having had cop friends nor cop relatives, my unconscious impression of a cop's life, gathered from TV's CSI and "Die Hard"-like movies, alternated between bleak and thankless to risky and heroic. Newspaper accounts, like that of the recent dust-up between Harvard Prof. Gates and Cambridge officer Crowley, don't help paint an accurate picture of cop life either, often totally ignoring the cop's perspective in all of it and the toll it takes on a cop to be in the middle of dangerous situations day in and day out. Instead of treating cops like human beings who happen to be wearing a uniform, journalists usually treat them as unthinking instruments of systemic oppression, fixating on hot-button topics such as racism and injustice to the masses. The human element is often lost. Greelis's book rectifies this situation by bringing the human element to the fore. He gives those of us who live far away from a cop beat an up-close and personal view of the fun and foibles of a cop's existence. Like a dear friend, who happens to be a crimefighter, he takes the reader on a tour of the actions, crimes, coverups, and behaviors observable in the cop world. But he doesn't stop there, he goes further to ask, like a thinker and philosopher, "What does all this mean?" His answers to that range from the humorous to the absurd to the tragic. You can't but feel for cops after reading this book. A great achievement. A good read. Congratulations Mr. Greelis! I highly recommend this book.

The good, the bad and the ugly...this book has it all!

The good, the bad and the ugly...this book has it all. Greelis masterfully tells his story of going from a green rookie to a seasoned law enforcer. But where his true literary talent lies is how he so adeptly takes the reader into a thought provoking study of human nature. His common theme throughout is the idea that we all struggle with free will; often times one bad decision or one good one could lead us to the side wearing badges or to the other wearing cuffs. Greelis delivers enough gruesome grit for an exciting foray into a "good vs. evil" story but layers his memoir with humorous, touching commentary giving his voice a Stephen King meets Garrison Keillor feel...very unique indeed! Richard Greelis is most definitely a talented feather in Minnesota's literary cap. Sharon Nelson

Great read

Having been a cop for the last 30 years, I got a copy of this book expecting it to be like several others I have read over the years. I was dead wrong--Richard's unique writing style and the way he presents his experiences puts you riding shotgun with him. You can smell the burned flesh, picture the carnage and laugh at the screwups. If you are a cop, have been a cop or are thinking about becoming one, you gotta read this. All others--enter at your own risk.