How The Drug War Ruins American Lives

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How the Drug War Ruins American Lives

Author : Arthur Benavie
Publisher : Praeger
ISBN 13 : 1440850119
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis How the Drug War Ruins American Lives by : Arthur Benavie

Download or read book How the Drug War Ruins American Lives written by Arthur Benavie and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2016-03-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals the disturbing truth about how the escalation of the War on Drugs over the past 30 years has eroded the human and property rights of Americans—while doing little to stop drug trafficking or use. Unique in its perspective, this eye-opening book looks at the drug war as a rights issue and concludes that Americans' civil liberties are clearly being violated. The volume proceeds from two premises: that over the past 30 years, America's War on Drugs has done more harm than good; and that if the United States is going to reform the criminal justice system, the public must understand that this "war" is empowered by the profits it provides to law enforcement and other groups. A central factor causing the upsurge in the drug war, the author explains, is the fact that laws were passed in the 1980s that allowed law enforcement to profit from seizing property based on scanty evidence and without criminal charges. His meticulous research has revealed that this "policing for profit" is responsible for a variety of assaults on civil liberties, including mass incarceration, SWAT teams, and random drug sweeps. A second factor that infects every aspect of the War on Drugs is racism—the widespread stereotyping of drug traffickers as African Americans and Latinos. These issues and more are explored in this book that lays bare what the media largely ignores.

How the Drug War Ruins American Lives

Author : Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 211 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis How the Drug War Ruins American Lives by : Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus

Download or read book How the Drug War Ruins American Lives written by Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-03-21 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals the disturbing truth about how the escalation of the War on Drugs over the past 30 years has eroded the human and property rights of Americans—while doing little to stop drug trafficking or use. Unique in its perspective, this eye-opening book looks at the drug war as a rights issue and concludes that Americans' civil liberties are clearly being violated. The volume proceeds from two premises: that over the past 30 years, America's War on Drugs has done more harm than good; and that if the United States is going to reform the criminal justice system, the public must understand that this "war" is empowered by the profits it provides to law enforcement and other groups. A central factor causing the upsurge in the drug war, the author explains, is the fact that laws were passed in the 1980s that allowed law enforcement to profit from seizing property based on scanty evidence and without criminal charges. His meticulous research has revealed that this "policing for profit" is responsible for a variety of assaults on civil liberties, including mass incarceration, SWAT teams, and random drug sweeps. A second factor that infects every aspect of the War on Drugs is racism—the widespread stereotyping of drug traffickers as African Americans and Latinos. These issues and more are explored in this book that lays bare what the media largely ignores.

How the Drug War Ruins American Lives

Author : Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1440850127
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis How the Drug War Ruins American Lives by : Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus

Download or read book How the Drug War Ruins American Lives written by Arthur Benavie Professor Emeritus and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-03-21 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals the disturbing truth about how the escalation of the War on Drugs over the past 30 years has eroded the human and property rights of Americans—while doing little to stop drug trafficking or use. Unique in its perspective, this eye-opening book looks at the drug war as a rights issue and concludes that Americans' civil liberties are clearly being violated. The volume proceeds from two premises: that over the past 30 years, America's War on Drugs has done more harm than good; and that if the United States is going to reform the criminal justice system, the public must understand that this "war" is empowered by the profits it provides to law enforcement and other groups. A central factor causing the upsurge in the drug war, the author explains, is the fact that laws were passed in the 1980s that allowed law enforcement to profit from seizing property based on scanty evidence and without criminal charges. His meticulous research has revealed that this "policing for profit" is responsible for a variety of assaults on civil liberties, including mass incarceration, SWAT teams, and random drug sweeps. A second factor that infects every aspect of the War on Drugs is racism—the widespread stereotyping of drug traffickers as African Americans and Latinos. These issues and more are explored in this book that lays bare what the media largely ignores.

Bad Trip

Author : Joel Miller
Publisher : HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1418508551
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (185 download)

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Book Synopsis Bad Trip by : Joel Miller

Download or read book Bad Trip written by Joel Miller and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2012-12-03 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “well-researched, bitingly written account” of the massive failure of the war on drugs (Publishers Weekly). The war against drugs was supposed to make America better, right? It failed. Not only does the drug war fail to keep Americans from using drugs, but its crackdown tactics also produce bigger problems than it promises to solve. In this fearlessly audacious book, Joel Miller shows that drug prohibition creates tremendous amounts of crime and corruption, helps finance anti-American terrorists, makes a joke out of U.S. border security, chips away at constitutional liberties, militarizes law enforcement, and jails hundreds of thousands of Americans. And for what? A bigger, more intrusive government that cares less and less about individual rights. Told in a bold, uncompromising style, Miller’s book reveals the true and terrible nature of the war on drugs and also, just as importantly, informs readers about what they can do to kick the drug-war habit. “Miller nails it,” says Larry Elder, host of ABC Radio’s nationally syndicated Larry Elder Show and bestselling author. “He powerfully and persuasively articulates the folly, the harm and the unconstitutionality of our government’s War against Drugs.” And, says Judge Andrew P. Napolitano of Fox News, “If you are interested in our freedoms or fearful of the government destroying human lives and wasting tax dollars on another American Prohibition, read this book and send a copy to every lawmaker and judge you know.” If you want to understand the drug problem in America, you first need to know how the government is making it worse. Bad Trip is the place to start.

Ending the War on Drugs

Author : Dirk Chase Eldredge
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Ending the War on Drugs by : Dirk Chase Eldredge

Download or read book Ending the War on Drugs written by Dirk Chase Eldredge and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author, a conservative Republican, examines why America is losing the war on drugs--and makes a case for controlled legalization. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

The American Middle Class [2 volumes]

Author : Robert S. Rycroft
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 738 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis The American Middle Class [2 volumes] by : Robert S. Rycroft

Download or read book The American Middle Class [2 volumes] written by Robert S. Rycroft and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2017-05-12 with total page 738 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the "American Dream"? This book's author argues that contrary to what many believe, it is not achieving the wealth necessary to enter the top one percent but rather becoming members of the great middle class by dint of hard work and self-discipline. Americans of all classes consider themselves to be "middle class." There are Americans who by any objective standard should be considered poor who would insist they are middle class, just as other Americans who should be considered wealthy also insist they are middle class. Thinking of yourself and being thought of by others as middle class is the "American Dream" for tens of millions of people. But an enduring problem of the American middle class is the worry that the "Dream" is coming apart—that forces are lurking in the shadows waiting to steal their progress and throw them back into "poverty." This thought-provoking reference explores a disparate multitude of issues associated with being middle class in America. It addresses a range of questions and subtopics, including the meaning of the term "middle class"; how middle class status is expressed by both the majority and the various minorities that make up the American mosaic; what economic pressures are bearing down on the middle class; and how economists and others attempt to make sense of the economic issues of the day. Readers will also better understand how political institutions and public policies are shaping the way the middle class views the world; how labor, housing, education, and crime-related issues have influenced the development and growth of the middle class; the norms of the middle class versus those of other classes in society; and the role of culture and media in shaping how members of the middle class view themselves—and how they are viewed by others. This two-volume set provides a comprehensive look at the American middle class that supports student research in economics, social studies, cultural studies, and political history. The content supports teachers in their development of lesson plans and assignments that directly align with the Common Core State Standards and the recommendations of the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS) with respect to all ten NCSS themes.

Substance Abuse

Author : David E. Newton
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (161 download)

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Book Synopsis Substance Abuse by : David E. Newton

Download or read book Substance Abuse written by David E. Newton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2017-04-24 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This go-to resource on substance abuse supplies the broad background knowledge and historical information needed to understand this important sociological issue and provides readers with a range of additional sources for continuing their study of the topic. From the pharmaceuticals advertised on television for various specific medical conditions; to alcohol, which is consumed regularly as a societal norm; to illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine; to marijuana, which is becoming legal in an increasing number of U.S. states, drugs are all around us and are ingrained in our culture. The difficult reality is that any drug is a substance that can be abused. Substance Abuse: A Reference Handbook provides a detailed discussion of the history of substance abuse, covers the classification of drugs, explains how drugs work in the body, includes a general survey of both legal and illegal drugs, and describes the methods of substance abuse prevention and treatment. Readers receive a comprehensive introduction to the broad topic of substance abuse and a variety of additional resources with which to conduct extensive research. In addition to describing the nature of licit and illicit drugs, the beneficial and harmful effects drugs can have on the human body, and factors that may lead to abuse and/or substance abuse, this book covers subtopics such as drug testing in a variety of settings including the workplace and sports, drug control mechanisms, and the debates relating to the legalization of drugs such as medical and recreational marijuana. The book also offers primary source resources that enable readers to directly examine the text of documents, such as significant laws and court cases dealing with aspects of substance abuse, alcohol prohibition amendments, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, a series of memoranda from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the prosecution of marijuana cases, and state doctor shopping laws.

The National Debt and Our Grandchildren: Should We Worry?

Author : Arthur Benavie
Publisher : Austin Macauley Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1685622925
Total Pages : 131 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis The National Debt and Our Grandchildren: Should We Worry? by : Arthur Benavie

Download or read book The National Debt and Our Grandchildren: Should We Worry? written by Arthur Benavie and published by Austin Macauley Publishers. This book was released on 2023-10-13 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout our history Americans have embraced the myth that our national debt is immoral and destructive. This deeply rooted belief goes back to our Founding Fathers: Jefferson excoriated debt as “the greatest of dangers to be feared.” Andrew Jackson demonized debt as “a national curse.” Current political leaders continue to endorse this negative view of our national debt. Obama said that incurring debt was “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic.” John McCain condemned it as “generational theft.” In this book, the prize-winning economics professor Arthur Benavie, demonstrates in clear and non-technical language that belief in this myth has repeatedly blocked our federal government from creating jobs and investing in our children’s future. Benavie describes the many occasions, including from the administrations of FDR to Obama, where our leaders were faced with severe political retribution at the mere suggestion that their policies would increase the national debt. Belief in this myth presents a continuing danger to the wellbeing of our children and grandchildren. Benavie examines several ways to disempower it.

Rethinking Punishment in the Era of Mass Incarceration

Author : Chris W. Surprenant
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1351692410
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Punishment in the Era of Mass Incarceration by : Chris W. Surprenant

Download or read book Rethinking Punishment in the Era of Mass Incarceration written by Chris W. Surprenant and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-07-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgement -- Introduction: Why Do We Punish? -- 1 The Problem of Punishment -- 2 Unconscionable Punishment -- 3 The Coproduction of Justice -- 4 The Certainty of Punishment and the Proportionality of Incarceration -- 5 Imprisonment and the Right to Freedom of Movement -- 6 Are There Expressive Constraints on Incarceration? -- 7 Punishment, Restitution, and Incarceration -- 8 Communicative Theories of Punishment and the Impact of Apology -- 9 A Reparative Approach to Parole-Release Decisions -- 10 Restorative Justice in High Schools: A Roadmap to Transforming Prisons -- 11 Reforming Youth Incarceration in the United States -- 12 Policing for "Profit": The Political Economy of Private Prisons and Asset Forfeiture -- 13 Why Paternalists and Social Welfarists Should Oppose Criminal Drug Laws -- 14 The Need for Prosecutorial Guidelines -- 15 Prison Tunnel Vision -- 16 Exile as an Alternative to Incarceration -- 17 Corporal Punishment as an Alternative to Incarceration -- 18 The Potentials and Limitations of De-Incarceration -- List of Contributors -- Index

Every 25 Seconds

Author : Tess Borden
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781623134105
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (341 download)

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Book Synopsis Every 25 Seconds by : Tess Borden

Download or read book Every 25 Seconds written by Tess Borden and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The report, "Every 25 Seconds: The Human Toll of Criminalizing Drug Use in the United States," finds that enforcement of drug possession laws causes extensive and unjustifiable harm to individuals and communities across the country. The long-term consequences can separate families; exclude people from job opportunities, welfare assistance, public housing, and voting; and expose them to discrimination and stigma for a lifetime. While more people are arrested for simple drug possession in the US than for any other crime, mainstream discussions of criminal justice reform rarely question whether drug use should be criminalized at all"--Publisher's description.

The War on Drugs

Author : Paula Mallea
Publisher : Dundurn.com
ISBN 13 : 1459722906
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (597 download)

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Book Synopsis The War on Drugs by : Paula Mallea

Download or read book The War on Drugs written by Paula Mallea and published by Dundurn.com. This book was released on 2014-06-28 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the spectacular failure of the war on drugs to weaken drug cartels and the illegal drug supply, as well as the modern history of drug use and abuse, the pharmacology of illegal drugs, and the economy of the illegal drug trade.

Narco Estado

Author : Howard Campbell
Publisher : Lannoo Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9789401404075
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (4 download)

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Book Synopsis Narco Estado by : Howard Campbell

Download or read book Narco Estado written by Howard Campbell and published by Lannoo Publishers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teun Voeten was originally born in the Netherlands. After a year as an exchange student in New Jersey, he travelled for a while all over Europe. Later, he studied at the School of Visual Arts, New York. Over the years to follow, Voeten covered the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Haiti and Rwanda for Dutch, Belgian, German and American publications. Voeten soon developed a taste for the so called 'forgotten wars' and went out to document the ongoing crises in Colombia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Sierra Leone. More recently, he focused his camera on the Gaza strip, the DR Congo and North Korea (design and architecture) as well as Chad (Darfur crisis), Iran, China (pollution) and more recently, in 2012, the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya. Voeten has been published in Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, NY Times Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Newsweek, Time, Granta, Village Voice, Frankfurter Allgemeine, among others. His photos are used worldwide by relief organisations such as the International Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, UNHCR, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. AUTHOR: Howard Campbell is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. He is the co-editor of the University of Texas Press Inter-America Series. Previously he published Drug War Zone: Frontline Dispatches from the Streets of El Paso and Juárez, University of Texas Press. Javier Valdez Cadenas is a Mexican reporter and author who received several international awards for his writing on drug trafficking and organised crime in the Mexican drug war. In 2003, he and other reporters from the daily newspaper Noroeste founded Ríodoce, a weekly dedicated to crime and corruption in Sinaloa, considered one of Mexico's most violent states. He is also the author of several books on drug trafficking, including Miss Narco, which chronicles the lives of the girlfriends and wives of drug lords. In 2011, Valdez Cardenas was awarded the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists, "an annual recognition of courageous journalism". In his acceptance speech, he called the violence of Mexican drug trafficking "a tragedy that should shame us", blaming the citizenry of Mexico for giving the drug war its deaths. SELLING POINTS: *Intriguing photo book on drug violence in Mexico *War photographer Teun Voeten investigates the dark side of the Mexican society: murder, violence, criminality and mafia practices *Over the past 5 years, over 50,000 people have been killed in the Mexican drugs war. With over 3100 casualties each year, Ciudad Juarez is the most violent city in the world *Poignant, distressing, harsh images in a colourful, southern setting ILLUSTRATIONS: 120 colour

Ending the War on Drugs

Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 0753552035
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (535 download)

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Book Synopsis Ending the War on Drugs by :

Download or read book Ending the War on Drugs written by and published by Random House. This book was released on 2016-03-24 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the last 50 years, drug prohibition laws have put the market for illegal drugs into the hands of organised criminals. Now, it’s time to take control. Ending the failed war on drugs will reduce drug-related violence, tackle organised crime, end the needless criminalisation of millions, and will halt the drain on government funds and resources. In this book, global opinion-leaders on the frontline of the drug debate describe their experiences and perspectives on what needs to be done. Highlighting the pitfalls behind drug policy to-date and bringing to light new policies and approaches, which make a clear case for galvanizing governments to end the war on drugs – once and for all.

The Shape of the Ruins

Author : Juan Gabriel Vasquez
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0735211167
Total Pages : 528 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis The Shape of the Ruins by : Juan Gabriel Vasquez

Download or read book The Shape of the Ruins written by Juan Gabriel Vasquez and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-09-25 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE A sweeping tale of conspiracy theories, assassinations, and twisted obsessions -- the much anticipated masterpiece from Juan Gabriel Vásquez. The Shape of the Ruins is a masterly story of conspiracy, political obsession, and literary investigation. When a man is arrested at a museum for attempting to steal the bullet-ridden suit of a murdered Colombian politician, few notice. But soon this thwarted theft takes on greater meaning as it becomes a thread in a widening web of popular fixations with conspiracy theories, assassinations, and historical secrets; and it haunts those who feel that only they know the real truth behind these killings. This novel explores the darkest moments of a country's past and brings to life the ways in which past violence shapes our present lives. A compulsive read, beautiful and profound, eerily relevant to our times and deeply personal, The Shape of the Ruins is a tour-de-force story by a master at uncovering the incisive wounds of our memories.

The Great American Crime Decline

Author : Franklin E. Zimring
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199702535
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis The Great American Crime Decline by : Franklin E. Zimring

Download or read book The Great American Crime Decline written by Franklin E. Zimring and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-11-05 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many theories--from the routine to the bizarre--have been offered up to explain the crime decline of the 1990s. Was it record levels of imprisonment? An abatement of the crack cocaine epidemic? More police using better tactics? Or even the effects of legalized abortion? And what can we expect from crime rates in the future? Franklin E. Zimring here takes on the experts, and counters with the first in-depth portrait of the decline and its true significance. The major lesson from the 1990s is that relatively superficial changes in the character of urban life can be associated with up to 75% drops in the crime rate. Crime can drop even if there is no major change in the population, the economy or the schools. Offering the most reliable data available, Zimring documents the decline as the longest and largest since World War II. It ranges across both violent and non-violent offenses, all regions, and every demographic. All Americans, whether they live in cities or suburbs, whether rich or poor, are safer today. Casting a critical and unerring eye on current explanations, this book demonstrates that both long-standing theories of crime prevention and recently generated theories fall far short of explaining the 1990s drop. A careful study of Canadian crime trends reveals that imprisonment and economic factors may not have played the role in the U.S. crime drop that many have suggested. There was no magic bullet but instead a combination of factors working in concert rather than a single cause that produced the decline. Further--and happily for future progress, it is clear that declines in the crime rate do not require fundamental social or structural changes. Smaller shifts in policy can make large differences. The significant reductions in crime rates, especially in New York, where crime dropped twice the national average, suggests that there is room for other cities to repeat this astounding success. In this definitive look at the great American crime decline, Franklin E. Zimring finds no pat answers but evidence that even lower crime rates might be in store.

Mexico’s Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence

Author : June S. Beittel
Publisher : DIANE Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1437980872
Total Pages : 30 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (379 download)

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Book Synopsis Mexico’s Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence by : June S. Beittel

Download or read book Mexico’s Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence written by June S. Beittel and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Report which provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico, identifies the major drug trafficking organizations, and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia.

The Sound of Things Falling

Author : Juan Gabriel Vasquez
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101605383
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sound of Things Falling by : Juan Gabriel Vasquez

Download or read book The Sound of Things Falling written by Juan Gabriel Vasquez and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * National Bestseller and winner of the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award * Hailed by Edmund White as "a brilliant new novel" on the cover of the New York Times Book Review * Lauded by Jonathan Franzen, E. L. Doctorow and many others From a global literary star comes a prize-winning tour de force – an intimate portrayal of the drug wars in Colombia. Juan Gabriel Vásquez has been hailed not only as one of South America’s greatest literary stars, but also as one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation. In this gorgeously wrought, award-winning novel, Vásquez confronts the history of his home country, Colombia. In the city of Bogotá, Antonio Yammara reads an article about a hippo that had escaped from a derelict zoo once owned by legendary Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. The article transports Antonio back to when the war between Escobar’s Medellín cartel and government forces played out violently in Colombia’s streets and in the skies above. Back then, Antonio witnessed a friend’s murder, an event that haunts him still. As he investigates, he discovers the many ways in which his own life and his friend’s family have been shaped by his country’s recent violent past. His journey leads him all the way back to the 1960s and a world on the brink of change: a time before narco-trafficking trapped a whole generation in a living nightmare. Vásquez is “one of the most original new voices of Latin American literature,” according to Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, and The Sound of Things Falling is his most personal, most contemporary novel to date, a masterpiece that takes his writing—and will take his literary star—even higher.