Publisher's Synopsis
A Brief History of Cocaine is a thoroughly researched, fascinating account of the role cocaine has played in worldwide history, politics, economics, and science. Travel with bestselling author Steven B. Karch as he traces the path of cocaine from the coca cash crops of Spain to the prestigious pharmaceutical houses of Amsterdam into the banking industry of Japan. Learn about experimentation with the drug throughout the centuries, including the work of Sigmund Freud, who suggested that cocaine be used to treat morphine addiction. Discover how cocaine has been grown, refined, distributed, and abused around the world for four centuries. Finally, understand why the cocaine trade remains a thriving business despite government regulation. An essential analysis of an age-old problem, A Brief History of Cocaine places the "war on drugs" in its historical context and predicts if we are destined to lose.
