The Candy Machine

How Cocaine Took Over The World

By: Tom Feiling

Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney

In The Candy Machine, Tom Feiling travels the trade routes from Colombia via Miami, Kingston and Tijuana to London and New York. He meets Medellín hitmen, US kingpins, Brazilian traffickers and talks to soldiers and narcotics officers who fight the gangs and cartels. He traces cocaine's progress from legal ‘pick-me-up' to luxury product to global commodity, looks at legalization programmes in countries like Switzerland, and shows how America's anti-drugs crusade is actually increasing demand. Cutting through the myths about the white market, this is the story of cocaine as it's never been told before.

©2009 Tom Feiling. (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

“A vivid, argumentative, arresting book based on extensive interviews with people involved in the cocaine routes which run from Colombia to American and British cities.” ( The Telegraph)

"I’ve read a few documentary accounts of the rise of cocaine and this might be the best of them. It’s clear sharp and solid. Very well told." ( The Evening Standard)

“It’s hard to decide if Tom Feilings future lies as a QC or the new Paul Theroux.” ( The Sunday Telegraph)

Now I want some cocaine.....

The author -clearly against the drug war -and I assume most readers like myself are against the drug war- takes it a step further and goes to great lengths to detail that Coke is not bad, rarely addictive and actually can be beneficial. While the first part of the book is informative and well researched, The last couple hours seem more like a paid advertisement for the positives of cocaine use. Through numerous examples and statistics The author summarizes how cocaine is rarely addictive and one can casually use when in need of a good time. It seems like someone is trying to justify their own cocaine use.