no the point was that they made around minimum wage, and lived with their mom.

the question the book asked, explictly, was then if they're making minimum wage, why not just get any old crappy job at McD's or as a janator? if you're making minimum, why not get a job where there is no risk of getting shot or sent to jail?

Did the book have no answer? Status (in drug dealers' circles, the gangster/thug is higher status than a fast food job), more independent lifestyle hours (no 9-5), and seeing a way to move up (a la become Scarface) that culture doesn't portray from a "dead end" McD's job.

that's correct. they speculated -- they're economists, not sociologists -- that it was about status, hours, lifestyle, and the get-rich hail-mary long-shot potential.

workin McDs or Kinkos is eating shit every day, wearing a uniform, etc. and is fundamentally emasculating when compared to gang culture.