Roberto Saviano was born in Naples in 1979. He is the author of Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Violent International Empire of Naples’s Organized Crime System and has lived under police protection since its publication in 2006. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and the Times (London).
The Economist:
Taken as a whole, [ZeroZeroZero] is an angry rebuke to all
those—traffickers and politicians alike—who perpetuate the
violence….By reminding readers of the senseless suffering wrought
by the cocaine trade, this book makes a powerful case for a new
approach.”
Financial Times:
In articulating [his] cri de coeur, [Saviano] has developed a
literary style that switches from vivid descriptions of human
depravity to a philosophical consideration of the meaning of
violence in the modern world. Indeed, when he revisits his work on
Naples — the city where he was brought up and from which he is now
excluded — his reflections soar into the realm of the poetic. But
for me, most important of all is the hope Saviano gives to
countless victims of criminal violence by standing up to its
perpetrators, especially those from his home country.
Booklist (starred review):
“With keen observation and deep probing, Saviano is an
anthropologist and philosopher as much as a journalist. This is an
epic account of how the modern cocaine trafficking business came to
be and how widespread, how impenetrable, and how intertwined with
international commerce and politics—and our everyday lives—it
is.”
Kirkus:
“This revealing new book, with a strong focus on Mexico's cartels,
surges with fast-moving prose detailing the lives of drug lords and
pushers, the inner workings of their violent world, and how their
lucrative business (between $25 billion and $50 billion annually)
affects all our lives…. Saviano describes the complexities of money
laundering, how world banks help make it possible, and the many
ways in which drugs are smuggled: in paintings, handcrafted doors,
frozen fish, and more. Throughout, the author provides vivid
stories of the lives of well-known drug bosses and their minions.
Saviano says he can no longer look at a beach or a map without
seeing cocaine, and many will share that view after reading this
dark, relentless, hyperreal report.”
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