I highly recommend reading "Dr Dealer" and then follow it up with "Killing Pablo." Originally written in 1987 (this edition has a 2001 epilogue), Bowden follows an unlikely cocaine dealer in Larry Lavin, a preppy dental student who loves the maverick thrill of coke dealing, yet also enjoys the high-scale suburban American lifestyle. This book emphasizes Lavin's naive rationale that while cocaine is illegal, it is a high society party drug that was accepted by a wide variety of socialites (remember when it was called the "Champagne of Drugs?"), and figured that he wasn't hurting anybody by supplying it to people who sought it out. And that seems to be the consensus of his fellow upscale dealers and clients, up until their arrests. "Who are we hurting" seems to be the dealers' key question.

Which is why "Killing Pablo" is a great companion piece to "Doctor Dealer." The story of the hunt for Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar paints a polar opposite portrayal of the cocaine trade. There are no preppy dentists, no white-collar style arrests; you see a multitude of Colombian citizens, from police to politicians to everyday folks from every walk of life, murdered by Colombian drug cartels. It is a brutal answer to the "Who are we hurting?" question, and Bowden does that very well.

Larry Lavin is a fascinating character, but not to the point that you feel sympathy for him. The more he succeeds in the illegal drug trade, the more arrogant he becomes, and the more risks he takes. On the other hand, he is not a ruthless Pablo Escobar who executes every "John Q Citizen" that he thinks might dislike him. In fact, he never kills anyone, nor even roughs anybody up. There are segments where you see some very likable and sincerely charitable sides of Larry Lavin, but they are overshadowed by the con that he truly is.

Bowden very successfully illustrates all of Lavin's fellow dealers, family and underlings, and which ones had a hand in his undoing and why. You see eccentric socialite Mark Stewart con the cons, and you will shake your head in disbelief and frustration when reading about Lavin's wife Marcia, how she stands by her man.

If it weren't for a few of the key players' fumbles, one might wonder if Larry Lavin would have eventually walked away from the cocaine trade unscathed. And while covered only minutely, you will see what role Frankie Smith played in exposing Larry Lavin and Co. to the IRS (yes, the same Frankie Smith who recorded "The Double Dutch Bus!")Mark Bowden even talks about his own personal opportunity to deal marijuana in college (which is how Larry Lavin started) and the temptation to make that quick money, but wisely deciding against it, leaving him years later to wonder if he could have stumbled into the same dangerous trap Larry Lavin thrust himself into.

This is just one of Mark Bowden's great works, and a good place to start if you want to add them to your library.


Student to Kingpin. A fascinating Tale!!   January 28, 2002
 15 out of 16 found this review helpful

This book was written in the 1980s about a college student who grows from a small-time pot peddler to a major cocaine dealer. I have one major complaint with this book. Mark Bowden writes in a very detailed style which makes the book slow to read at first. I had the same problem reading Black Hawk Down by Bowden but eventually came to realize that was one of the best stories I've ever read. This one is a very good story also and I eventually couldn't put it down as it read quickly in the last half.

Bowden does very detailed research and this book is no exception. Bowden chronicles all of the characters that help Larry in building his empire. And, more importantly, he tries very hard to get inside Larry's mind to show what made him tick. And that's what makes the story so interesting as Larry had many fine qualities. He clearly would have been sucessful in any field but watching him walk through the minefield of a dealer is really interesting. Through this journey he is ripped off at gunpoint with his wife, ripped off by his workers and ripped off by a financial advisor who sees Larry as the answer to his problems. Other highlights include the lives of his workers, some of who are very eccentric and develop very bad coke habits to the point of humor.

I strongly recommend this book if you like fully researched real-life dramas about life on the edge. While this book was written about 15 years ago, Bowden does a great update in 2001 to revisit Larry and see how his life is turning out in prison.


5 stars for Doctor Dealer a great book!   July 26, 2004
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

This was my first book by Mr. Bowden and I must say I was impressed. The book was very informative and the story never got slow. I was constantly wondering what was Larry going to do next? Larry Lavin was a college kid with nothing to lose and turned into a Kingpin with everything to lose. Book explains the trials and tribulations of Larry and his organization and the addicting effects of cocaine and money. A must read. If you liked the movie Blow, this book reads just like the movie plays out. A+


Larry Lavin's Old Neighbor   May 20, 2003
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

When we moved into Larry's Virginia Beach Neighborhood we wondered how could a man who piddles in his garage all day could afford to live in such a nice house. Well a couple months later the house was wrapped in crime scene tape and we found out how he could afford to handout full sized Snicker bars on Halloween!
Mark described him accurately during his Va Beach days. He was a good-guy and even helped my friend Kevin and I unhinge the jaws of a snapper turtle, which was trying to eat another turtle we had caught in the marshes.
Bowden scores again, with readable interesting non-fiction


A word or two about Doctor Dealer.   November 6, 2001
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Doctor Dealer is an excellent read and far superior to any other
book written on the subject (Larry Lavin), in part because of the
way Mark Bowden tells the story. Despite a lack of pictures (there are none), Bowden's storytelling literally makes you feel like you are there with the characters. Any Philadelphian who reads this story will feel as if he or she lived the tale because
of the specific geographical details that Bowden allows. Doctor Dealer is truly a Philadelphia story (albeit a transplanted Philadelphian) which leaves the reader shaking his or her head at the magnitude and incredible level of cocaine dealing which put this city at the center of many individuals worlds.