Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market

Rating:
Summary: Not What the Book Sleeve Says it is
Review: This book does not live up to the standard Schlosser set in Fast Food Nation, which I read last year. Made up of three essays, one on Marijuana one on illegal immigrant labor, and one on the porn industry. The premise of the book is that Schlosser will describe the underground economy of which these three topics play a major role. But the essays actually tell nothing about economics and right away get into political topics on which Schlosser is not at all shy in stating is own preference. In each topic, Schlosser actually uses one or two case studies, but the overall point of these case studies is not at all clear.

By far, the most interesting topic is the porn industry, if only because this topic is just not covered much. Rather than an economic study, it should be relabeled a history of the porn industry. Even here, though, the material is not really a complete history, but rather a couple cases that Schlosser has followed up on, and the central topic is the government's war against porn producers. Schlosser's own reading is also uninspiring, but I think that is really just a result of material that is neither academically rigorous nor exciting or relevant as investigative reporting (which is what Schlosser is really aiming at).

Rating:
Summary: Reefer Madness
Review: This book went to a new level of muckraking. Not only was it just as powerful as Fast Food Nation but it hit right at home. I believe more people can connect with Reefer madness from all ranges of age. I felt that as a teenager this book was more interesting on a personal level. How does this guy do it?

Rating:
Summary: wow!!
Review: very intresting topics sex to drugs that Eric Schlosser goes into...amazing and i definatly recommend this read.