Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel

Author: Tom Wainwright ​​ ​
Rating: 4​ Stars
Review By: Shana

​A fascinating study of the international drug trade through the prism of economics. Wainwright does not get mired down in economic jargon or minutiae, instead opting to paint an engaging and eminently readable portrait of how the drug trade works with plenty of vignettes/case studies of various points in the supply chain.

He doesn't lose sight of how the drug trade impacts different localities, how economic pressures both drive the drug trade and drive people into association with drugs (whether growing, selling, or buying), and interweaves these ground level descriptions with broader economic principles. At every chapter he explains different aspects of the drug trade, explains how the authorities try to stymie such trade, and parses the economic pros and cons of each approach. 

​Wainwright's final chapter is a catalog of proposed strategies, all from an economic perspective, that would likely garner much better results than most of the strategies currently used to counter the drug trade. Interesting reading and very eye-opening.