The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade
Author: Benjamin T. Smith
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 562
Release: 2021-08-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 1324006560

A myth-busting, 100-year history of the Mexican drug trade that reveals how an industry founded by farmers and village healers became dominated by cartels and kingpins. The Mexican drug trade has inspired prejudiced narratives of a war between north and south, white and brown; between noble cops and vicious kingpins, corrupt politicians and powerful cartels. In this first comprehensive history of the trade, historian Benjamin T. Smith tells the real story of how and why this one-peaceful industry turned violent. He uncovers its origins and explains how this illicit business essentially built modern Mexico, affecting everything from agriculture to medicine to economics—and the country’s all-important relationship with the United States. Drawing on unprecedented archival research; leaked DEA, Mexican law enforcement, and cartel documents; and dozens of harrowing interviews, Smith tells a thrilling story brimming with vivid characters—from Ignacia “La Nacha” Jasso, “queen pin” of Ciudad Juárez, to Dr. Leopoldo Salazar Viniegra, the crusading physician who argued that marijuana was harmless and tried to decriminalize morphine, to Harry Anslinger, the Machiavellian founder of the American Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who drummed up racist drug panics to increase his budget. Smith also profiles everyday agricultural workers, whose stories reveal both the economic benefits and the human cost of the trade. The Dope contains many surprising conclusions about drug use and the failure of drug enforcement, all backed by new research and data. Smith explains the complicated dynamics that drive the current drug war violence, probes the U.S.-backed policies that have inflamed the carnage, and explores corruption on both sides of the border. A dark morality tale about the American hunger for intoxication and the necessities of human survival, The Dope is essential for understanding the violence in the drug war and how decades-old myths shape Mexico in the American imagination today.

A Zebra Named Zion

A Zebra Named Zion
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher:
Total Pages: 31
Release: 2020-05-16
Genre:
ISBN:

This is a simple story designed to provoke discussion about mental health in primary school aged children. There was a common consensus for a long time that children could not become depressed, that they were somehow immune to this condition. We now know that this is false, children experience pain and sadness the same as everyone else. This books is about embracing sadness as part of the journey. Join Zion for the adventure!

Darling Energy

Darling Energy
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-02-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9781651453230

17-year-old Dylan Geringer isn't a superhero, but there's still hope for her anagram-inspired alter ego, DARLING ENERGY. When the all-call system at Dylan's high school sends out a series of mysterious, automated phone messages in the middle of the night, Dylan and her partner-in-crime, Steven, won't rest until they find out who's sending them and why they've prompted the town to gather at Valley Forge Park on the Ides of March. Within days of the first message, Dylan and Steven's investigation yields bigger and more private mysteries among the lives of their classmates and especially about their favorite English teacher, Mr. Drake. The fact that March 15th is both Dylan's birthday and the ten-year anniversary of the death of Mr. Drake's son, Benjamin, complicates the countdown. Dylan will need to summon all of her Darling Energy powers to wrangle the town together and keep it from falling apart, and she'll need Steven's help to save Mr. Drake from the gathering crowd of marching bands, barbershop quartets, and robed cultists.

The Death Principle

The Death Principle
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2011-03
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1617396273

Are you afraid of death? Is this fear causing you to miss out on experiencing life to its fullest? Every living being has an unbreakable appointment with death, but that does not mean we need to be afraid of it. Dr. Ben Smith-counselor and minister for over thirty years-argues that life lived in terms of death is more dynamic, more motivated, more deliberate, and more inspiring! In The Death Principle, readers will explore many themes of death such as grief, comfort, heaven, hell, epitaphs, serious last words, and even a few graveside chuckles. This is the perfect book for personal reading, small group studies, or as a gift for grieving friends. Don't be afraid of dying! Be encouraged and awed by the promise of eternity with our heavenly God as you investigate The Death Principle.

Bear Moves

Bear Moves
Author: Ben Bailey Smith
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2021-07-06
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1536220744

In a high-energy sequel to I Am Bear, the dance-loving star rolls out a variety of dance moves and inspires kids to try some of their own. Get up, get down, hit the ground . . . Bear’s in a dancing mood, and his friend Bunny is happy to help out with the boom box. With moves like Furry Breaking, Running Bear (you run but don’t go anywhere), and the classic back spin, who could blame observers who might want to bust a move of their own? Actor/rapper Ben Bailey Smith (aka Doc Brown) and artist Sav Akyuz team up again for a lively two-step with the multitalented Bear.

Doggerland

Doggerland
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2020-04
Genre: Dogger Bank
ISBN: 9780008313401

'The Road meets Waiting for Godot: powerful, unforgettable, unique' Melissa Harrison, author of At Hawthorn Time. Doggerland is a superbly gripping debut novel about loneliness and hope, nature and survival - set on an off-shore windfarm in the not-so-distant future.

Ben Smith

Ben Smith
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher:
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2021-02-04
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9781838273323

The most comprehensive guide to intermittent fasting you'll find, all in under 150 pages, for real results. Have you ever suffered from ill-health, low energy, or brain fog? Do you struggle to lose weight and keep it off, without damaging your metabolism? Are you tired of carefully controlling your portions at meals? Four years ago, I would have answered yes to all three, and if you're anything like me, then the contents of this book may be the solution. After three years of personal experience with intermittent fasting, needless to say, it changed my life. The Fasted Lifestyle has been carefully developed and written over the course of two years. Why? I was determined to explore every avenue that intermittent fasting had to offer so that the book contained first-hand information. Not only have I explored all corners of the research, but I've applied this knowledge myself, trailing, testing, and experimenting, so you don't have to. I can also say with confidence that the content of this book is a completely trusted source of information, and the 44 cited scientific journals and books support this. So, what can you expect to find inside the book? - Exactly what intermittent fasting is, how and why it works, and what the benefits are: Making the process clear and simple, for the needs of any reader, whilst covering the necessary depth to thoroughly understand its interworking's. - A deep dive into: Why muscle is preserved, how energy levels and cognition (brainpower!) are improved, practices for a healthy gut, an effective weight loss strategy that maintains your metabolism, and much, much more. - How to practice fasting in a modern world that doesn't cater to abstaining from food: This is what makes this book different. An up-to-date approach is taken to fully address the challenges of the modern world and its wonderfully diverse food culture! A full spectrum of possibilities is presented, so I guarantee there will be a protocol for you. - How to tailor your training whilst intermittent fasting, meeting specific goals, advanced techniques, and common concerns: I have leaned upon my health, training, and fasting experience to provide tailored information so you can design your own "Fasted Lifestyle" that lines up with your goals and needs - leaving you with the results you're looking for. - Carefully selected recipes that facilitate your goals: From high energy and sharp cognition, all the way to gut health and weight loss, with options for every eating choice - whether you're vegan or eat meat, high carb or low carb, losing or gaining weight... Wait a minute! It doesn't stop there... I can proudly say that this book is about so much more than intermittent fasting. It's about developing YOUR optimal healthy lifestyle, whether you decide to practice intermittent fasting or not, to achieve genuine and sustainable results. So... who am I and why can you trust me? About the Author Ben Smith is an ex-international athlete with an Internationally Accredited Diploma in Nutrition, also studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester. Ben has fought off a host of serious illnesses, developing and naturally overcoming IBS, and is passionate to use this adversity to spread knowledge so others may avoid it. He has a rapidly growing social media following where he posts daily content pertaining to health and optimal living. Ben's philosophy is rooted in balance, believing severe sacrifices are never necessary - nor sustainable - in pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

Journeyman

Journeyman
Author: Ben Smith
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2015-04-28
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1849549265

BEN SMITH: PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER. Recognise the name? Of course you don't. That's because most of Smith's years in the game were spent outside the vaunted, big-money environs of the Premier League - and this sporting memoir is all the more entertaining as a result. 1995: an adolescent Ben arrives at the training ground of one of England's biggest clubs to begin his journey and realise his dream of playing top-flight professional football. Aged just sixteen, he shares pre-season sessions at Arsenal with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright. Surely this is the start of a stellar career? Instead, the next seventeen years saw the bright young star descend the ranks from Highbury to obscurity. With seasons playing for the likes of Reading, Yeovil, Southend, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Weymouth - and a career including three promotions, one relegation and some very memorable FA Cup games - Ben's story is one of a quintessential journeyman footballer. Candidly describing the negotiations, insecurities, injuries, relocations, personal implications and wet Saturday afternoons playing in front of 500 people, Journeyman offers a unique insight into the unvarnished life of a lower-league player - so far removed from the stories of pampered Premiership stars - as well as documenting the many teammates, opponents, managers and coaches who left an indelible mark on Ben's eclectic career. Refreshingly unsentimental and often hilarious, Smith's story is essential reading for all true fans of the not-always-so-beautiful game.

Beginning JSON

Beginning JSON
Author: BEN SMITH
Publisher: Apress
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2015-02-27
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1484202023

Beginning JSON is the definitive guide to JSON - JavaScript Object Notation - today’s standard in data formatting for the web. The book starts with the basics, and walks you through all aspects of using the JSON format. Beginning JSON covers all areas of JSON from the basics of data formats to creating your own server to store and retrieve persistent data. Beginning JSON provides you with the skill set required for reading and writing properly validated JSON data. The first two brief chapters of the book contain the foundations of JavaScript as it relates to JSON, and provide the necessary understandings for later chapters. Chapters 3 through 12 reveal what data is, how to convert that data into a transmittable/storable format, how to use AJAX to send and receive JSON, and, lastly, how to reassemble that data back into a proper JavaScript object to be used by your program. The final chapters put everything you learned into practice.

Rethinking the Resource Curse

Rethinking the Resource Curse
Author: Benjamin Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2021-04-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1108788033

This Element documents the diversity and dissensus of scholarship on the political resource curse, diagnoses its sources, and directs scholarly attention towards what the authors believe will be more fruitful avenues of future research. In the scholarship to date, there is substantial regional heterogeneity and substantial evidence denying the existence of a political resource curse. This dissensus is located in theory, measure, and research design, especially regarding measurement error and endogenous selection. The work then turns to strategies for reconnecting research on resource politics to the broader literature on democratic development. Finally, the results of the authors' own research is presented, showing that a set of historically contingent events in the Middle East and North Africa are at the root of what has been mistaken for a global political resource curse.