SOCIAL SCIENCES

ZeroZeroZero

Penguin Pr. Jul. 2015. 416p. tr. from Italian by Virginia Jewiss. index. ISBN 9781594205507. $29.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101614839. CRIME
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Journalist Saviano (Gomorrah) offers a wide-ranging and chilling account of how cocaine dominates world markets. He covers everything from the beginning of the drug's takeover in the jungles of Colombia, the shift to Mexico as the center of the cocaine business, the infiltration into Europe through Italy, the world of the Soviet Mafiaja, the African connections, and the United States's and Europe's insatiable appetite for the stimulant. Saviano also writes about specific narco-trafficers, gang members, and leaders; law enforcement; trials; and the journalists who try to make a difference by shedding light on the industry. He occasionally interjects himself into the book, revealing his own ordeal of living under police protection since the 2006 publication of Gomorrah, his book on the world of the Camorra. At times it seems Saviano has become addicted to the global story of cocaine.
VERDICT This overview of the cocaine industry will be important for legal and criminal collections. The combination of writing styles—worldview and personal experiences—might not appeal to some, however.
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