Cigarettes

the long version

"Cigarettes are the most conspicuous consumer product on the planet and arguably the biggest business success of the twentieth century. Here in one accessible book is the seed-to-smoke story of this $350 billion industry." "With a eye for both the revealing anecdote and the larger story, Wall Street Journal reporter Tara Parker-Pope presents the clearest picture yet of this most fascinating and controversial product. She shows how tobacco leaves are picked, processed, and packaged; describes the surprising origins of some of the biggest brands; explains why tobacco is the Holy Grail of cash crops; examines Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, and other Big Tobacco companies in detail; reveals the vital roles the federal government, the military, and the entertainment industry have played in cigarettes' success; and puts the ongoing arguments over cigarettes and public health in historic context."--BOOK JACKET.