The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose

This is such a powerful eye opening book. I have always been passionate about prison rehabilitation. But this book has opened my eyes to so much I didn’t know . I am motivated know to make a difference in my life and my community I want to get out there and be inspiration like Chris is. This book has showed me to never give up and nothing is impossible and God is great . I see it in the stuff Chris went on to accomplish. This book is a must read

I read this for a book club, and I'm so glad I did! Chris's story paints a stark, personal picture of how institutional racism works in practice. This is one of those books I wish I could make everyone I know read.

This book is a must read for anybody who has been incarcerated or has an incarcerated loved one! Great story!

Wow! What a remarkable man! Chris Wilson talks the talk and walks the walk. I read this book in four days, and my 15-year-old son read it in two days. (I took his phone. This was a requirement to get the phone back.😉) He never complained though.Just when I thought that Michelle Obama wrote the best Memoir of the 21st Century, here comes Chris Wilson with a close second. Two antithetical stories with an awe-inspiring parallel message of hard work, dedication, discipline, and perseverance.Chris Wilson grew up surrounded by poverty, gangs, police brutality, and witnessing his mother being domestically abused. As a young teenager, he became a product of his environment on the mean streets of D.C.. He was ultimately charged as an adult as a teenager, and sentenced to life in Prison at ”Patuxent” Penitentiary. This is where his growth would begin.We often hear the saying ”whatever you choose to do in life, be the best that you can be.” Well, Chris Wilson took that message to heart and became the best prisoner that anyone could ever be. In prison, he managed to let go of the anger, took responsibility for his actions, didn't make excuses, found a mentor, created a master plan, and stuck to it. He educated himself, learned several languages, and inspired other fellow inmates to follow in his footsteps.After his release, he stuck to his masterplan and put his money where his mouth is by returning to the community that he helped to decimate. He started businesses, created jobs, continued his education and is continuously giving back to his community. This man is doing so much until I can't keep up. Is the penal system broken? Absolutely. However, this man keeps going. At one point, I just wanted to reach inside the book, give him a hug and say, ” that's enough my brother, you’ve done more than enough.” But I doubt very seriously if he’d quit.Michelle Obama and Chris Wilson are my new heroes. They both make me want to be smarter, and they make me go out into the community and do more.Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for this inspirational piece. Now I have to ask the readers, ”what’s you masterplan? What’s your End game?

Send this book 2 my ex in prison & he enjoyed it!

Speaks volumes about how prison systems everywhere have become a revolving door as inmates keep returning time and time again! Rather than just arresting someone and throwing them in a cell where they can learn how to be a better criminal. Why not while incarcerated give them the opportunity to learn and receive their GED and learn a skill they can carry with them when they get released to make better choices for themselves. If you put them in a box for 6 to 18 months then throw them back out on the street you can't expect someone to do anything different. But you teach them so they can take care of themselves then things might be different! I think the prison system is afraid to train inmates because then they might get out, get a job and not come back to jail. Then the prison system would be out of a job.This book explains this so well, even though it does get a little political but it is only briefly and then it gets back to the real reason for the book. Which is to help someone learn a skill and they will be able to make better choices when they are out on the street!

Boyfriend loved this book.

This book is exceptional! I recommend it to anyone working to reform the prison system, and really, ANYONE in general. Not only will you love and root for Chris, but you will get a deeper understanding of everything that is wrong with incarceration and the conditions that lead to incarceration. This is a must-have.

My favourite book of the year so far. So so good. A boy with so much love and promise despite his surroundings, caught in a trap that couldn't be escaped from. The power of focus and commitment and courage and vulnerability and honesty. Chris does an amazing job of getting the tone just right. This will interrupt any previous assumptions you may have made, it will educate you in the hearts of others, it will inspire you to play a bigger game, and make a difference. I just loved this book. It will be the reason many new conversations start, and so I want as many people to read it as possible. It's a big book, but a very inhalable 2 sitting read. Carve the time out and grab your tissues this weekend.

A real eye opener of a book. So pleased it was a recommendation on my Kindle and I got to read it. I often flip between books but stayed completely with this one from start to finish and right through to the acknowledgements! And then I read the stories of some of the people in the book on Google too. Unbelievable (but unfortunately true) heartbreaking, positive, redemptive... What a great and inspiring book and author. Highlights and explains issues. I think everyone should read this book!

Brought this book as a gift for my brother and he said it’s a really good book. He said the authors story was deeply moving, which adds to the inspiration of the outcome. Would recommend for other young Black boys/men.

One of the best books I've ever read. Couldn't put it down! A real eye opener.

This is a truly inspirational book that will help anyone who feels down and need a keep up.