This is a solid well written piece of investigative journalism, exploring the history and present situation and indeed future of the War on Drugs. Hari traces back the war to a zealous prohibition agent, Harry Anslinger, who carved out world policy in this fight back in 1930s America. It’s very bizarre how one man’s irrational efforts have so thoroughly shaped world policy and are indirectly responsible for the thousands of deaths that occur today in the narcotrafficking industry. The story progresses through a series of anecdotal tales where the author interviews various characters whose lives have been affected by the War on Drugs. We have Mexican hitmen, Transgender crack dealers, mothers who have lost children, plus the sad tales of addiction. The world journey that took several years for the completion of the book takes Hari on many routes, culminating in an examination of decriminalisation policies in Holland and Portugal plus also the legalisation of Marijuana in Uruguay. Whether to separate the case of marijuana from harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin? The book draws out many thought provoking and indeed revolutionary ideas and solutions and took an approach that was unbiased, informative and educated. A good book for anyone who might have an interest in exploring this dark subject.
