Here we are with another book review.. I am seriously going to be out of books far quicker than I had expected. On a good note though I am kicking but on my goodreads.com yearly book challenge.
Now I will first say that I actually read this book years ago, and I loved it so much that I decided to keep it because I thought that I would read it again. When I was going through books at home to bring back here I didn't actually plan to bring it back until Jason said that he wanted to read it. As I was flying through books I figured why not read this one again because it was different from the kinds of books I had been reading and then I figured once Jason read it we could get rid of it!
I'm not going to lie I didn't enjoy the book this much as I remember loving it before and that's not to say that the book isn't as good as I once thought it was, its still a very captivating tale but I think it could be that I had read it before and the element of surprise and urge to continue reading to find out what happened just wasn't there. I suppose some books just aren't meant to be read more than once and for me this one falls into that category. Although that was the case I still read it again and I still think it was worth reviewing here because I would recommend this book!
So lets get into it.
Doctor Dealer: The Rise and Fall of an All-American Boy and His Multimillion-Dollar Cocaine Empire By: Mark Bowden
Lets just get it out of the way in the beginning.. dealing cocaine is illegal! But let me tell you this book will lead you to believe that Larry Lavin is a freakin' genius, and he very well could be.. illegal activity or not! He managed to run a coke dealing ring that averaged $60 million a year in income all while running under the radar and not getting caught! Sadly that made him willing to risk more and more.. which is never wise.
Larry Lavin was raised in a very modest upbringing and was a hard worker, always the first one to do chores for the neighbors and odd jobs so he had a little extra cash in his pocket. He did well in school, super smart kid and ended up graduating with a dental degree! You're probably asking yourself with so much going for him, why would he risk it all? I suppose you will have to read to find out!
Honestly the first time I read this book I absolutely could not put it down, I was so intrigued by the story and always wondering what was going to happen next. The book is extremely well written and makes you want to get inside the head of this mastermind. I feel the depiction of Larry Lavin makes you want to get to know him more, makes you think that although this guy is a common criminal you could see yourself being friends with him because hes such a nice guy.
The Good Reads Synposis reads:
Doctor Dealer is the story of Larry Lavin, a bright, charismatic young man who rose from his working-class upbringing to win a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, earn Ivy League college and dental degrees, and buy his family a house in one of Philadelphia's most exclusive suburbs. But behind the facade of his success was a dark secret -- at every step of the way he was building the foundation for a cocaine empire that would grow to generate over $60 million in annual sales. Award-winning journalist Mark Bowden tells the saga of Lavin's rise and fall with the gripping, novelistic narrative style that won him international acclaim as the author of the New York Times best-seller Black Hawk Down. "Immensely readable . . . eye-popping . . . a smoothly crafted, exciting, can't-put-it-down book." -- Louisville New Voice
Larry Lavin's life wasn't just about the drugs, he was married and had children, had a thriving dental practice.. I'm not sure anyone outside of his drug ring would have ever thought that this nice stand up guy could have been a part of something so dangerous, illegal and overall HUGE!
Like all secrets they cannot go on forever, Larry's secret life was bound to catch up with him and you wont believe what happens when it all does. Guys pick up this book and read about the Fall of the All-American boy and what his life becomes!!
I highly recommend this book, I so thoroughly enjoyed it the first time I read it and although I didn't enjoy it quite as much the second time I do believe that is because I already knew what was coming and the intrigue was gone!
If you have read this book please let me know what you thought, I am looking forward to Jason reading it and finding out what he thinks!
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