Some may be familiar with the racist exploits of Sheriff Joe Arpaio who was elected as sheriff of Maricopa County， AZ for over a period of two decades。 Arpaio’s infamous tent cities， housing undocumented migrants in desert heat and issued pink boxer shorts as additional humiliation， were only a couple of his abusive practices。 “Driving While Brown” is a beautifully written and compelling narrative that meticulously chronicles Arpaio’s career， with keen-eyed details and intimately sourced materia Some may be familiar with the racist exploits of Sheriff Joe Arpaio who was elected as sheriff of Maricopa County， AZ for over a period of two decades。 Arpaio’s infamous tent cities， housing undocumented migrants in desert heat and issued pink boxer shorts as additional humiliation， were only a couple of his abusive practices。 “Driving While Brown” is a beautifully written and compelling narrative that meticulously chronicles Arpaio’s career， with keen-eyed details and intimately sourced material from Arpaio and his colleagues， shining a light on his exploits and putting his behavior in the context of a state and country that routinely discriminates against people of color。 The authors， Terry Sterling Greene and Jude Joffe-Block， are veteran journalists who have a remarkable ability to have their subjects reveal themselves with surprising honesty and clarity。 Their keen eye for small details and highly visual descriptions capture and hold your attention to thisreal life story， chapter after chapter。 In addition to revealing the thoughts and actions of Arpaio， Greene and Joffe-Bloch describe the growth and development of the Latino resistance to Arizona’s harsh laws and Maricopa County’s mistreatment of legal citizens。 We are introduced to a cast of Latino elders and youth， who devote their lives， sometimes at great cost， to bringing Arpaio to justice and to effectively changing the course of politics in the state。 We experience the burdens and painful consequences endured by these advocates， feeling the ups and downs of their fight for recognition of basic civil rights of Latinos。 The book begins with Arpaio considering the possibility of receiving a pardon from his “hero，” President Donald Trump。 Indeed， it is Trump’s first presidential pardon which assured Sheriff Arpaio would not go to prison for his conviction of criminal contempt for disobeying a federal Judge’s order to cease arresting Latino’s for simply the color of their skin – and then turning those individuals who were undocumented over to ICE for deportation。 The narrative then takes us back to earlier history and traces the growth of anti-immigrant sentiments and legislation that encouraged the sheriff to continue his abusive tactics。While the book is a harsh indictment of the past， it offers hope with the emergence and growth of many aligned organizations， founded by Latinos and broadly supported， working to change minds， laws， and elected officials in Arizona。 The recent election of President Biden and Senator Mark Kelly are testaments to the hard work and effectiveness of these groups and give rise to a sense that， mercifully， we are at turning point toward better days ahead。 Driving While Brown is a “must read” for anyone interested in contemporary Arizona history and popular resistance。 It reads like the script of a docu-drama and is hard to put down， even though we know what the results of the 2020 election and ultimate end of the book will be。 。。。more