Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

An excellent historical and sociological study that discusses the crack epidemic between the early 1980s and mid-1990s as a societal phenomenon relating to poverty, classism, racism, and popular culture, especially hip hop. Farber talks about the production, the destribution, and the effects of crack cocaine, about manhood in the age of greed and how it connects to crack capitalism, the politics and laws of drug enforcement, particularly under Reagan and Bush I, the ensuing pratice of (black) mass incarceration – and the ongoing initiatives to right the wrongs and to learn from the failed attempts to reign in drug epidemics.

Thus, the book manages to show how this illegal business is closely connected to American culture at large, and why crack capitalism is an offspring of legal turbo-capitalist structures that marginalize large groups of people – the author evokes the neo-liberal culture of greed by quoting, among others, a certain Donald Trump. I was particularly fascinated by the passages explaining how large hip hop businesses were build up from crack money – why have I never registered this particular association when Jay-Z, who came up as a crack dealer, even named his empire Rock-A-Fella? (Rock, get it?) And there are many others mentioned when it comes to the intersection of music, crime, and economics: Diddy, Biggie, Tupac, The Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop etc. pp. – all of them were closely connected to the crack game.

I saw that quite a few reviewers described this book as dry, and I strongly disagree: It’s just not exploitative, gossipy or emotionally manipulative. Rather, this is a scientific book depicting a phenomenon from different angles and supporting its theses with numerous sources. An impressive book, very illuminating.

It was the eighties and everything was about making money. Reaganomics gave the promise that everyone could be rich with some smarts and initiative. So what were poor African-Americans using as their method to achieve this American Dream? Crack.

With a 40% unemployment rate for African-American teenagers in 1984, there weren’t any other ways to get rich quick in the poor neighborhoods where most lived. There was definitely no shortage of buyers. However, once the gangs moved in and took over crack sales, the homicide rate of those same teenage boys skyrocketed. The only way to expand their market was by taking over some other gang’s territory—usually involving extensive bloodshed on both gangs’ part.

Interesting and important information about both the Crack epidemic and the cocaine one that preceded it. However, it is very “academically” presented. While that makes sense considering the publisher, just be aware that this is an incredibly well-research study and not a pop-culture type book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Cambridge University Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A interesting, yet somewhat uninspiring, book on the phenomenon of crack cocaine. Lays out the history of crack in America. Describes how crack decimated the inner-cities, and destroyed the family structures of people living there.
Where I did feel the book got interesting was in the descriptions of distribution of crack by different gangs. All the pertinent gangs are covered. The Gangster Disciples, Black P-Stone Nation/El Rukns, the Latin Kings, Bloods and Crips. Their leaders, Jeff Fort, Rick Ross, Rayful Edwards.
Having served for over 20 years as a Federal Bureau of Prisons employee, it was like a trip down memory lane for me. I witnessed the incarceration of so many young black men, sentenced to horrific terms for dealing only tiny amounts of crack. I thought then, and still do, that the mandatory sentences were a real tragedy.
The book would probably serve well as a guidebook to beginning correctional officers, law students, and college-age political science majors.

A fascinating, page turning deep dive into the world of crack cocaine. A definite addictive read (see what I did there?!).

This book was so dry. I normally devour these types of reads and to be honest, I could not even finish it. Too much information and presented in a way that basically bore me.