{"product_id":"melting-pothead-siddy-shivdasani-9789389932508","title":"Melting Pothead: Stories of an Anglo-Indian raised on Brixton's Frontline","description":"\u003cp\u003eSiddy is an Anglo-Indian raised in a white family a stone's throw from 'The Frontline' in the black capital of Europe, Brixton. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat part of south London was the Eighties battleground for two major riots, which shaped race relations in Britain for a generation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe atmosphere created by an abusive police force and an alienated, poverty-stricken population drew comparisons to occupied west Belfast. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSiddy tells tales of growing up in that tough environment, which was normality for him. He is a one-man class and race melting pot and became a serious dope smoker aged 15, hence this book's title.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe started out as a journalist in the ethnic minority media aged 22 and somehow found himself at the heart of the Murdoch Empire within five years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first half of the book provides snapshots of his life, from Brixton to Bombay to Beirut, via Armageddon, to Fortress Wapping...and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is in the context of having an undiagnosed, severe mental illness until he cracked up in 2008, leading him to violently resist arrest and be sectioned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe second half has more of Siddy's life and also expands on how he views the world through the prism of his often troubled existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut he is a keen student of English gallows humour and is capable of seeing the funny side of things even in the darkest of moments.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Siddy Shivdasani\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 9389932505\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9789389932508\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e White Falcon Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/24\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 328\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.00h x 4.37w x 0.69d","brand":"Siddy Shivdasani","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43982801436927,"sku":"9789389932508","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_69864502-e6e6-4e2c-9678-cebba8f69688.jpg?v=1683263099","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/melting-pothead-siddy-shivdasani-9789389932508","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}