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High Ground #2
Drug Lord
Famed international man and #1 bestselling author Doug Casey—in collaboration with John Hunt—releases DRUG LORD, Book 2 of the High Ground Novels.
Charles Knight returns to the United States after seven years traveling the world. He embarks on two concurrent professions: one as a major investor in a small pharmaceutical company, and the other as the head of a black market drug-smuggling and -distribution operation. Charles has to sort through the legal and illegal, moral and immoral, and right and wrong as he navigates the War on Drugs and the crony pharmaceutical industry.
Meet Tristana Dubocher—CEO of Charles’s company (Visioryme Pharmaceuticals)—and her sniveling husband, Donald, an FDA minion. Meet Seth Fowler of the DEA, whose criminality is exceeded only by his quest for power. Get to know Rainbow, a teenage girl living on the street who runs drugs for the Alphabet Men. Their careers in the drug world are forever altered when they meet Charles.
Most importantly, meet Naked Emperor, a street drug that doesn’t cloud minds, but clears them. Naked Emperor prevents people from being able to lie to themselves. Anyone dependent on deception knows that this new drug will turn the world against them. Mobs of politicians, environmentalists, academics, tele-evangelists, jihadists, journalists, central bankers, Deep State actors, and crony parasites join forces to wipe Naked Emperor off the face of the planet.
They all want him dead. But Charles Knight intends to start a revolution.
481 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
28 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 17, 2022
2020-10-19 - I really loved this 2nd book in the High Ground series by Doug Casey and John Hunt.
Not sure why I waited the year or so to get to this review. Somehow I just got busy and then forgot about reviewing it, till noticing the 3rd book coming out a week or two ago.
The setting for this book is about 7 years after the first book, so the main character Charles Knight has had time to process the adventures in the first episode, mature a bit and is now ready for a new challenge in life. This new challenge, comes in the form of a new profession, that of Drug Lord,... but not the usual type.
This series of books is highly provocative right from the get-go, just considering the titles. In the first book, the term "speculator" is given a vastly more real, nuanced and positive meaning than is commonly understood. The same kind of thing is achieved in this book with the crucial exploration of:
- just what the drugs actually do,
- the motivations for certain people in government positions to outlaw certain drugs,
- the methods of their production and distribution - in contrast to other drug lords' operations
So the ethics of this particular drug lord, his organizational compatriots and enemies are key.
But also figuring out just who the bad guys actually are is a major part of the plot suspense and then of course who is going to win out and how.
As with the first book in the series, the authors have a really fun and breezy way of talking about controversial subjects and injecting great little words of wisdom about a hugely varied number of topics.
Here are a few to just give you a little feel:
"The first rule of FDA was Send It Back. It was the easiest course of action, and it also served to test the mettle and sincerity of the filers. After a few such returns, the pharma execs would get testy, but what could they do about it?"
"Washington’s Union Station into the autumn air of a city defined by lost potential...But Charles had grown up, and the city, although awesome, was no more benevolent than a mass of intestinal worms that thrived by consuming most of a body’s nutrition."
"emitted lies the way a hill of burning tires did acrid smoke."
"She said, with resignation, “They really should rename it the Federal Death Authority. I don’t doubt that they kill more people every year than the Defense Department does in a typical decade.... Charles broadened his usual smile for a flash. They were on the same wavelength. “I read that 7,800 lives have been saved by the FDA’s expanded regulatory authority that began in the 1960s. But then those very same regulations caused the early deaths of 4.5 million people, deaths that could have been prevented by drugs that the FDA only approved after years of delay. That’s 4.5 million deaths compared to 7,800 lives saved. They have about the worst safety record imaginable. The FDA should ban themselves.”
“This business ain’t clean. Blood flows in this world.” Charles knew that. “Drawing blood doesn’t bother me. Drawing first blood, unprovoked, does bother me. In my own life, I don’t initiate force or fraud against anyone. I’ve found if I live by that, and work with people who do the same, then things go well for me. If I cheat on it, things go bad. So it’s my one overarching rule.”
Some gems for our current COVID lockdown and BLM times now:
"safety allows for existence, not for life."
"Racism exists mostly as a matter of class and culture, but has its biological roots as well. Most small primitive tribes called themselves “people” in their own language, while using a different word for outsiders—a word that made outsiders seem somewhat less than human. It made sense from an evolutionary point of view. Those outside your group had to be viewed as a potential threat—intent on stealing your property, or worse. Thus humans have been genetically programmed for hundreds of thousands of years to discriminate based on superficial indicators such as skin tone. Higher cognitive functioning was usually required to overcome such biological programming. Such higher functioning could be found in individuals, but not in groups. Racism still had some survival value, but its origins lay in groupthink and collectivism."
"People who crave power over others flock to Washington."
And their ever pertinent:
“Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance."
Sooooo many more I could add.... but I won't, since if you have read this far, what's keeping you from reading the book?
Oh, book #3 is even more controversial, with a ton of great material and fast paced action, plot and all around amazing stuff. But perhaps it goes too far...? (edited this sentence after 2.5 years)
Not sure why I waited the year or so to get to this review. Somehow I just got busy and then forgot about reviewing it, till noticing the 3rd book coming out a week or two ago.
The setting for this book is about 7 years after the first book, so the main character Charles Knight has had time to process the adventures in the first episode, mature a bit and is now ready for a new challenge in life. This new challenge, comes in the form of a new profession, that of Drug Lord,... but not the usual type.
This series of books is highly provocative right from the get-go, just considering the titles. In the first book, the term "speculator" is given a vastly more real, nuanced and positive meaning than is commonly understood. The same kind of thing is achieved in this book with the crucial exploration of:
- just what the drugs actually do,
- the motivations for certain people in government positions to outlaw certain drugs,
- the methods of their production and distribution - in contrast to other drug lords' operations
So the ethics of this particular drug lord, his organizational compatriots and enemies are key.
But also figuring out just who the bad guys actually are is a major part of the plot suspense and then of course who is going to win out and how.
As with the first book in the series, the authors have a really fun and breezy way of talking about controversial subjects and injecting great little words of wisdom about a hugely varied number of topics.
Here are a few to just give you a little feel:
"The first rule of FDA was Send It Back. It was the easiest course of action, and it also served to test the mettle and sincerity of the filers. After a few such returns, the pharma execs would get testy, but what could they do about it?"
"Washington’s Union Station into the autumn air of a city defined by lost potential...But Charles had grown up, and the city, although awesome, was no more benevolent than a mass of intestinal worms that thrived by consuming most of a body’s nutrition."
"emitted lies the way a hill of burning tires did acrid smoke."
"She said, with resignation, “They really should rename it the Federal Death Authority. I don’t doubt that they kill more people every year than the Defense Department does in a typical decade.... Charles broadened his usual smile for a flash. They were on the same wavelength. “I read that 7,800 lives have been saved by the FDA’s expanded regulatory authority that began in the 1960s. But then those very same regulations caused the early deaths of 4.5 million people, deaths that could have been prevented by drugs that the FDA only approved after years of delay. That’s 4.5 million deaths compared to 7,800 lives saved. They have about the worst safety record imaginable. The FDA should ban themselves.”
“This business ain’t clean. Blood flows in this world.” Charles knew that. “Drawing blood doesn’t bother me. Drawing first blood, unprovoked, does bother me. In my own life, I don’t initiate force or fraud against anyone. I’ve found if I live by that, and work with people who do the same, then things go well for me. If I cheat on it, things go bad. So it’s my one overarching rule.”
Some gems for our current COVID lockdown and BLM times now:
"safety allows for existence, not for life."
"Racism exists mostly as a matter of class and culture, but has its biological roots as well. Most small primitive tribes called themselves “people” in their own language, while using a different word for outsiders—a word that made outsiders seem somewhat less than human. It made sense from an evolutionary point of view. Those outside your group had to be viewed as a potential threat—intent on stealing your property, or worse. Thus humans have been genetically programmed for hundreds of thousands of years to discriminate based on superficial indicators such as skin tone. Higher cognitive functioning was usually required to overcome such biological programming. Such higher functioning could be found in individuals, but not in groups. Racism still had some survival value, but its origins lay in groupthink and collectivism."
"People who crave power over others flock to Washington."
And their ever pertinent:
“Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance."
Sooooo many more I could add.... but I won't, since if you have read this far, what's keeping you from reading the book?
Oh, book #3 is even more controversial, with a ton of great material and fast paced action, plot and all around amazing stuff. But perhaps it goes too far...? (edited this sentence after 2.5 years)
October 17, 2017
Truth bombs
It's like a real life conversation with Doug Casey... entertaining and filled with unsettling truths that the powers that be hope you'll ignore.
It's like a real life conversation with Doug Casey... entertaining and filled with unsettling truths that the powers that be hope you'll ignore.
February 21, 2019
The story telling is amazing, as is the way ancap/libertarian principles are explored.
I only draw issue with the characters, as they are often flat and unfaceted. The bad guys are evil and unnattractive, and the good guy is handsome and ultimately clever. The females are also stuck in dichotomy. The sweet and virtuous, and the sexy evil slut. 🤷♀️
I only draw issue with the characters, as they are often flat and unfaceted. The bad guys are evil and unnattractive, and the good guy is handsome and ultimately clever. The females are also stuck in dichotomy. The sweet and virtuous, and the sexy evil slut. 🤷♀️
October 28, 2017
Verdig oppfølger til kontroversielle Speculator. Charles er tilbake, denne gang som utfordrer til medisinindustrien og dets iboende byråkrati.
October 30, 2025
Even better than the first. Wish that Tristana and Alpha had more development towards the end of the book. However would give it 6 stars is I could.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
A (fictitious) drug that is not harmful and addictive and let's you think clearly to the point of mental epiphany? Sign me up! Government conspiracies and the pharmaceutical industry plus a plethora of interesting characters that were all grey made me enjoy this book so much. I rooted for the (anti-)heroes as much as I hoped for the demise of the people that went against them. It was so fast-paced and interesting that I was able to finish this book one-third of the time I would usually do a regular book. There were a few noticeable plot holes but I can forgive the authors for what they did (or didn't do) because they generally met what I expected them to provide - and that is to entertain, and at some point educate me. In many instances, you'll see how much the story tries to establish how 'evil' a certain entity can be and how far they'd go to get ahead and cover their tracks. It's stories like this that makes you wonder. Can't wait for the next one!
October 29, 2018
Another great book by Casey and Hunt. Disclaimer: I'm a big fan of Casey Research and International Man writing. And this book takes the entertainment and writing value from those publications up 10 notches I ripped through this book even faster than Speculator. Casey and Hunt's expert "sprinkling" of speculation and life advice through their characters shined bright again in this book. This book not only grips and entertains, it educates "on the sly."
The writing was even tighter than Speculator. The intersections and relationships character relationships came together beautifully throughout the book.
The writing was even tighter than Speculator. The intersections and relationships character relationships came together beautifully throughout the book.
July 8, 2018
Great Series!
Hearing Mr. Casey discuss this series and how it came about on the Stansberry Investment Hour podcast was fascinating, as is each installment of his series. I can’t wait for the third in the series. Please read, learn, enjoy.
Hearing Mr. Casey discuss this series and how it came about on the Stansberry Investment Hour podcast was fascinating, as is each installment of his series. I can’t wait for the third in the series. Please read, learn, enjoy.
November 12, 2017
This book is mostly awful, incredibly hard to keep reading, and mostly completely inaccurate. In general, Doug Ca:sey and John Hunt have trouble writing characters with any depth. The strongest emotions I had were for characters like Sabina (residual hate from book 1) and Seth Fowler (who was okay with murdering children). That being said, I found the last 80 pages very entertaining and couldn't put the book down, so Drug Lord gets 2 stars instead of 1. ;)
For those of you who read the book and think it is amazing, I just want to provide you with actual real life facts (I couldn't tell if the authors were intentionally fictionalizing everything, or were actually trying to portray the real world):
- In other countries, without an FDA, where determining quality is left to pharmacists and consumers, people do die: http://www.who.int/features/2013/paki... - over 200 people in Pakistan died from taking contaminated drugs manufactured in Pakistan
- The reason we have an FDA is because in 1937 a drug manufacturer sold a drug without testing it and over 100 people died: https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo...
- Dietary supplements (not regulated by the FDA) often come into the US - and children have been injured: https://www.drugwatch.com/l-citrullin...
- Very recently, FDA sent warning letters to an Indian drug manufacturer for not conducting the analysis that Charles claims his Indian manufacturer did do http://raps.org/Regulatory-Focus/News...
- the FDA doesn't have an Office of Regulatory Enforcement - I am thinking the authors just made up FDA Offices/divisions
- I think Donald's career leap is extremely unlikely. Reviewers in CDER's Office of New Drugs would rarely leave if they are seeking career opportunities. Plus, few directors in CDER's Office of Compliance aren't lawyers. Donald would probably need a JD, not a PhD, to lead an office responsible for enforcing laws. Plus, I don't think any FDA career employee would aspire to being Commissioner since that is a political appointment.
For those of you who read the book and think it is amazing, I just want to provide you with actual real life facts (I couldn't tell if the authors were intentionally fictionalizing everything, or were actually trying to portray the real world):
- In other countries, without an FDA, where determining quality is left to pharmacists and consumers, people do die: http://www.who.int/features/2013/paki... - over 200 people in Pakistan died from taking contaminated drugs manufactured in Pakistan
- The reason we have an FDA is because in 1937 a drug manufacturer sold a drug without testing it and over 100 people died: https://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo...
- Dietary supplements (not regulated by the FDA) often come into the US - and children have been injured: https://www.drugwatch.com/l-citrullin...
- Very recently, FDA sent warning letters to an Indian drug manufacturer for not conducting the analysis that Charles claims his Indian manufacturer did do http://raps.org/Regulatory-Focus/News...
- the FDA doesn't have an Office of Regulatory Enforcement - I am thinking the authors just made up FDA Offices/divisions
- I think Donald's career leap is extremely unlikely. Reviewers in CDER's Office of New Drugs would rarely leave if they are seeking career opportunities. Plus, few directors in CDER's Office of Compliance aren't lawyers. Donald would probably need a JD, not a PhD, to lead an office responsible for enforcing laws. Plus, I don't think any FDA career employee would aspire to being Commissioner since that is a political appointment.
October 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this book. It was an ok book, but not great. Many, many books use their pages to advance a movement or political view, this book did not artfully weave it into the story. In fact I found my self doing an eyeroll at points. Although the book does take on the Goliath of government bloat that is the core issue of many of our society's ails, I could not ever fully embrace this book.
January 29, 2021
Holding out hope for moral high ground
Non stop page turning adventure frightenly “real” Can’t wait for the next adventure in Charles Knight’s quest for the true moral high ground in our corrupt world.
Non stop page turning adventure frightenly “real” Can’t wait for the next adventure in Charles Knight’s quest for the true moral high ground in our corrupt world.
May 11, 2021
The Naked Truth
This was a good story. Naked Emperor was interesting but the inner workings of the systems and the insights I gained were what I had hoped to glean and I was not disappointed.
This was a good story. Naked Emperor was interesting but the inner workings of the systems and the insights I gained were what I had hoped to glean and I was not disappointed.
June 12, 2022
Another tightly-woven story, though not as dramatic an escalation of stakes as the first book. Heavily didactic, suggesting this series may be better suited for the younger reader. Knight’s morality seems inconsistent when justifying identity theft through a fraudulent signature loan.
May 25, 2019
Entertaining read with great philosophical points.
February 18, 2020
Doug Casey and Charles Knight are my new adventure heros. I want some Naked Emporer!
November 12, 2020
A fun story, the second in the HG series. Sometimes stilted dialogue but always thought provoking.
November 25, 2020
A fun, thoughtful, read with clever plot twists. The writing, however, is a bit stilted. Nonetheless, bring on the next one!
January 14, 2021
Even better than Speculator
Loved it. So many good lessons and parallels. I already ordered assassin. Cant wait to see what's to become of Charles Knight and Liberty.
Loved it. So many good lessons and parallels. I already ordered assassin. Cant wait to see what's to become of Charles Knight and Liberty.
February 24, 2021
Better than Speculator IMHO.
April 4, 2021
How can ya not love Doug Casey. This guys' been around the block on more then a few occassions.
Read
April 6, 2021Love these books!!! Great stories.
August 10, 2021
Timely Cofveve
A bit of propaganda, but a lot of events that could be applied to the news and propaganda in real life.
A bit of propaganda, but a lot of events that could be applied to the news and propaganda in real life.
October 14, 2021
Definitely made me think about a lot of things. Very thought provoking.
December 5, 2021
Fascinating fiction of what happens when a person with ethics tries to side step the pharmaceutical machine. Fun story.
May 1, 2023
I started off not liking this book nearly as much as the first one in the series. But it got a lot better as it went along, and had a very satisfying ending. Definitely will continue with the series!
December 31, 2023
I enjoyed first book a little more, but it is still a good read.
April 10, 2024
Not quite as good as the first book in the series, but still a great read if you enjoyed Speculator; and/or you are a bleeding heart libertarian.
I truly hope Doug keeps writing fiction.
I truly hope Doug keeps writing fiction.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews