"In The Westside Slugger, John L. Smith has worked assiduously to chronicle the life of man whose political activism and electoral career left an indelible mark on Nevada history...Political junkies will love to learn how Neal deftly used the Mason’s Manual, the legislature parliamentary rules book, against his opponents in floor fights over progressive measures such as the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Rich in detail, The Westside Slugger also tells the larger, but rarely recounted, story of the struggle against racial discrimination in Nevada."
— James McGrath Morris, New York Times bestselling-author of Eye on the Struggle: Ethel Payne, The First Lady of the Black Press
“John L. Smith has written an amazingly comprehensive book of the complex life and times of Joe Neal dealing with matters from Mound, Louisiana, to South Africa.”
— Claytee D. White, Director, Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries, from the foreword
“Smith uses an effective mix of interviews, new reports, and contemporaneous quotes to track Neal’s political rise…. Smith’s book portrays him as a man well respected even by his opponents for his consistency and convictions. With a daughter following in his political footsteps, Joe Neal’s story isn’t yet over, and The Westside Slugger does a nice job detailing what’s happened so far."
— Foreword Reviews