Breaking Bad: If Only They Had a New York Public Library Card by Robert ArrighiSeptember 15, 2011

The season finale of AMC's Breaking Bad is soon approaching, and the problems for Walter White and company are mounting like Everest. It got me to thinking that if some of the characters on Breaking Bad had a NYPL library card, some of their problems could have been avoided.

If you have not yet seen Breaking Bad, I would suggest you stop reading this blog post. Like your fridge during a blackout... this will contain spoilers. You are better off reserving a copy of Breaking Bad, watching it, then reading this and nodding your head in agreement.

Walter White

How to Start a Home-Based Business 

Walter could have looked into starting a home-based business instead of cooking meth in an RV...

Meth: America's Drug Epidemic

Walter could have looked into the Meth epidemic and seen that his actions do have far reaching consequences...

Law Enforcement Responses to Mexican Drug Cartels [Electronic Resource]

Walter could have researched the Mexican Drug Cartels before he decided to increase production and needed a more substantial distributor who happened to be involved with the Mexican Drug Cartel...

Jessie Pinkman

Cool Careers Without College for People Who Love Video Games 

Jessie could have explored other opportunities that didn't require a college education...

Hank Schrader

El Sicario: The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin

To be fair, Hank had reservations about going to the El Paso/Juarez border from the start. Reading this book would have only made him more anxious. He would probably have been better off reading A Day in the Life of a Police Officer.

Walter White Jr.

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Walt, Sr. has enough reading material, so I think Walt, Jr. could benefit from reading this book.

The majority of life's problems can be solved with a library card.... and WD-40.

View all posts by Robert Arrighi

Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

Yeah, like it's really that

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 1:05pm

Yeah, like it's really that easy to just go to college or to start a new career. Those things all cost money. Often times if you want to change your life or elevate to higher standard of living it costs money. Why do you think so many people in NYC's low income communities resort to drug dealing and other criminal conduct. Because they have low paying jobs and have bills and families. Besides, you're a New Yorker weighing in on a subject that most New Yorkers know nothing about. Crystal meth is drug largely found in rural areas in the American Midwest and West Coast regions, not in New York City where heroin and cocaine rule the drug market.

Lol... Come on... isn't this

Submitted by (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 2:23pm

Lol... Come on... isn't this blog post about a TV Show?

HAHAHAHA oh you...

Submitted by LMFAO (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 2:17pm

HAHAHAHA oh you...

Gustavo Fring: "The glory of

Submitted by Steve H (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 2:39pm

Gustavo Fring: "The glory of Southern cooking : recipes for the best beer-battered fried chicken" (http://catalog.nypl.org/record=b17672915~S1) If Gus just worked on his fried chicken recipe a little more, maybe he wouldn't have to be a meth supplier.

Good one Steve O !!

Submitted by Rob (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 3:07pm

Good one Steve O !!

Awesome post. I completely

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 2:52pm

Awesome post. I completely agree - except I'd add duct tape to the list of necessities.

Gale Boetticher

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 3:50pm

'What Color Is Your Parachute?' might have given some career direction to poor Gale Boetticher. He could have been a college professor or maybe even a middle management editor at a struggling city newspaper. Oh well, perhaps in another life!

Soooooooooo true....poor Gale

Submitted by Rob (not verified) on September 15, 2011 - 4:37pm

Soooooooooo true....poor Gale

What if Jeffrey Dahmer read

Submitted by Sherri Machlin on September 16, 2011 - 3:24pm

What if Jeffrey Dahmer read "I'm OK, You're Ok"? What if Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction read "He's Just not that Into You" ? What if Ziggy read Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now"? ?

I haven't thought about Ziggy

Submitted by Rob (not verified) on September 17, 2011 - 3:43pm

I haven't thought about Ziggy since like 1987...

Awesome post, and @anonymous

Submitted by Ginja Lee (not verified) on September 17, 2011 - 6:12pm

Awesome post, and @anonymous (first poster): I think what Robert is trying to say is not so much about trying to get Jesse to go to college, but rather, trying to get him to explore options that are available to him based off of what he already has. True, lower socio-economic status does tend to be correlated with drug use/dealings, but it may not necessarily predict it. Lower SES families have a whole host of problems unrelated to finances and careers that could lead them to drug use. Skylar White: "Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Youth". you have an infant daughter that is seemingly being neglected because of your obsession with your partner's business. Without proper motherly care, consequences in the form of mal-adjustment, poor temperament and impaired social interactions will surely occur.