It started as a section of the best-selling book Freakonomics, but eventually sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh spun the topic off into its own title. Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets documents his time spent hanging out with a Chicago area gang as they went about their daily business of dealing crack and cracking heads. This was no undercover operation; in fact, they actually invited him into their group to see how they ran their business and to help dispel a few myths. The result is an intimate portait of life on the streets and a conflicted memoir written by someone who isn’t completely comfortable with what he has gotten himself into.

A while back we heard that Freakonomics was being turned into a movie, and now it looks like Gang Leader for a Day will follow suit. The difference is that while Freakonomics is being developed as a series of interlocking documentary segments, while this will be a dramatic fictional film. Paramount Vantage have optioned the book with Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) writing the script and Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan) tapped to direct. Brewer sounds like a great choice, and I am interested to see what he does with it. I just hope it doesn’t turn into some after school special where the sociologist teaches the gang members valuable life lessons.

Either way I definitely want to read the book after checking out Venkatesh’s series of posts on the Freakonomics blog called What Do Real Thugs Think of The Wire?.