Originally a medical miracle, cocaine is now a dangerous pariah. Drawing on exciting international perspectives,Cocaineanalyzes and rethinks the origins of the modern drug. For the first time a book brings together the world's leading writers on the history of cocaine. Themes explored include: the manufacture, sale, and control of cocaine in the United States; Amsterdam's complex cocaine culture; Japan and the Southeast Asian cocaine industry; export of cocaine prohibitions to Peru; and sex, drugs and race in London.'Cocaine' unveils new sources and covert social, cultural and political transformations that reveal cocaine's hidden history. Contributors: Luis Astorga, H. Richard Friman, Paul Gootenberg, Steven B. Karch, Marek Kohn, Marcel de Kort, Ethan Nadelmann, Mary Roldán, and Joseph F. Spillane.