Wheeling and Dealing - 2nd Edition by Patricia a Adler (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Wheeling and Dealing is a vivid account of the world inhabited by "wholesale" illicit drug traffickers. Based on six years of participant observation, fieldwork, and extensive interviews in an elite Southern California community of dealers, the book gives a rare glimpse into the decadent yet fascinating "subculture of drug trafficking and unending partying, mixed with occasional cloak-and-dagger subterfuge."

This second edition brings the story up to date by revealing the fate of several of Adler's key informants. By tracing their lives over a fifteen-year span, Adler offers a unique longitudinal perspective on deviant careers and the reintegration of dealers into conventional society. She also analyzes the unintended consequences of the federal government's war on drugs, tying it to the increasing violence and organizational sophistication of drug traffickers and the rise of international cartels.

From the Back Cover

This book is a vivid account of the world inhabited by 'wholesale""'illicit drug traffickers. Based on six years of participant observation, fieldwork, and extensive interviews in an elite Southern California community of dealers, the book gives a rare glimpse into the decadent yet fascinating ""'subculture of drug trafficking and unending partying, mixed with occasional cloak-and-dagger subterfuge.'

Review Quotes

""A persuasive, credible, and imaginative analysis of a rather unusual and fascinating segment of social life.... The very modest tone, scope, and aim of this tightly argued ethnographic work belies its profound and penetrating analysis of the drift of American life."" -- Peter K. Manning, "Contemporary Sociology"

""A persuasive, credible, and imaginative analysis of a rather unusual and fascinating segment of social life.... The very modest tone, scope, and aim of this tightly argued ethnographic work belies its profound and penetrating analysis of the drift of American life."" -- Peter K. Manning, Contemporary Sociology

""A persuasive, credible, and imaginative analysis of a rather unusual and fascinating segment of social life.... The very modest tone, scope, and aim of this tightly argued ethnographic work belies its profound and penetrating analysis of the drift of American life."" -- Peter K. Manning, "Contemporary Sociology"

About the Author

Patricia A. Adler is assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.