Rating: 
Summary: Thorough, Eye-Opening, and Rare
Review: When I originally picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would this be another in a series of right- or left-wing infused prose that do very little speaking about the subject but, rather, speak more to a particular political agenda? I am pleased to report that the author did a very good job of playing the role of consumate researcher, and it shows on every page of this book, not political afficianado. From quote after quote, to Mr. Streatfeild's own "experimentation", he goes the extra step to complete this work and should be commended for it. It's always difficult to take a chance on not only reading but writing about a subject so taboo as cocaine, but the characters who provide the content for this book are well worth the read. While I feel that I came away from this book having learned a great deal, I still think the author should have touched a bit more on the involvement of the CIA and other government agencies in the cocaine trade. (Although they were mentioned in great detail regarding Iran Contra) Overall, the book read very slowly, but the end result was worth it--I'd recommend this book to people who want to learn about a topic they never thought much about, but, beware: Patience is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Thorough, Eye-Opening, and Rare
Review: When I originally picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would this be another in a series of right- or left-wing infused prose that do very little speaking about the subject but, rather, speak more to a particular political agenda? I am pleased to report that the author did a very good job of playing the role of consumate researcher, and it shows on every page of this book, not political afficianado. From quote after quote, to Mr. Streatfeild's own "experimentation", he goes the extra step to complete this work and should be commended for it. It's always difficult to take a chance on not only reading but writing about a subject so taboo as cocaine, but the characters who provide the content for this book are well worth the read. While I feel that I came away from this book having learned a great deal, I still think the author should have touched a bit more on the involvement of the CIA and other government agencies in the cocaine trade. (Although they were mentioned in great detail regarding Iran Contra) Overall, the book read very slowly, but the end result was worth it--I'd recommend this book to people who want to learn about a topic they never thought much about, but, beware: Patience is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Addictive and informative, but not without its downside
Review: You'll let it disrupt your life and eat up your free time. You won't want to give it up. You may even try to foist it upon your friends.
"Cocaine" is just that type of book.
With an eye for detail and an ear for illumating quotes, Dominic Streatfeild chronicles the rise and rise of one of the most powerful drugs known to man. In describing the early uses of the coca plant, the process by which people began refining it to produce cocaine, and its early ascension to "wonder-drug" status (thanks to enthusiastic proponents and users like Sigmund Freud), Streatfeild gets the reader hooked on entertaining stories and fascinating quotes. His early chapters leave the reader with a visceral sense of the drug's power; later, he shows how, after a period of dormancy, it re-emerged in the Seventies and Eighties, tearing through North and South America, leaving a trail of corruption and ruin behind it. The stories of Columbia's efforts to clamp down on it and George Jung's efforts to widen its distribution make for compelling reading; one hopes someone will eventually make a better movie than "Blow" to dramatize this compelling tale.
Still, some of Streatfeild's annoying habits blunt the book's power. All too often, he inserts himself into the story, showing how his research unfolded, for instance, or describing his efforts to observe a real crack house on a typical day. Occasionally, this can be amusing, like when he comes to realize that so many of the drug's early chroniclers wrote so enthusiastically and so prodigiously because they were using it. More often, though, his personal interjections feel sloppy and self-indulgent.
More annoyingly, he uses much of the latter book as a platform to talk about drug legalization, and he buys the standard legalization arguments without giving enough consideration to their potential cost. While the current "war on drugs" may be far from ideal, cocaine is not just like any other commodity, and it's far from clear that legalization will ease society's problems with it; indeed, it may well be a problem that has no solution.
Still, this is an educational and worthwhile book for those seeking to understand this powerful drug. Streatfeild has done his homework, and you'll thank him for it. And you'll never look at Freud the same way again.
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