A candid interview with the show’s co-creator David Simon reveals that one of the intentions of the series is to expose gross failures of public institutions, including criminal justice, education, labor, the news media, and city government. Even if readers haven’t seen the series, the book’s detailed summaries of scenes and characters brings them up to speed and engages them in both the story and the issues. With a firm grasp on the hard truths of real-world problems, Tapping into 'The Wire' helps undo misconceptions and encourage a dialogue of understanding.
-- John A. Rich, author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black MenPeter L. Beilenson, M.D., M.P.H., is Howard County, Maryland's, health officer. From 1992 to 2005 he served as Baltimore’s health commissioner. Patrick A. McGuire is a journalist with more than twenty years of experience, fourteen of which were at the Baltimore Sun.