Robert Reich: The Baby Boomers Fell Short

"Cotton Comes to Harlem" is a crime novel written by Chester Himes, published in 1965. Set in Harlem, New York City, it follows detectives Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson as they investigate a con involving stolen cotton bales disguised as a back-to-Africa movement. The novel combines elements of hard-boiled crime fiction with social commentary on race, poverty, and corruption. Himes's unique writing style and vivid portrayal of Harlem life established the novel as a significant work in African American literature. It was adapted into a successful film in 1970.

The Maltese Falcon, written by Dashiell Hammett, is a 1930 detective novel that follows the story of Sam Spade, a private detective in San Francisco. The plot begins when a mysterious woman, Miss Wonderly (later revealed as Brigid O'Shaughnessy), hires Spade and his partner Miles Archer to tail a man named Floyd Thursby. After Archer's murder, Spade becomes entangled in a web of deceit and violence involving a valuable 16th-century statuette known as the Maltese Falcon. Other key characters include Joel Cairo, an effeminate Levantine, and Casper Gutman, a fat and jovial but sinister figure, all of whom are searching for the falcon. The novel is known for its vivid characters, sustained tension, and influential style in the hard-boiled genre.