Title: Eating Smoke
Author: Chris Thrall
Review: This
book could be viewed several different ways: A cautionary tale, how to not
succeed in business, how to choose your friends, or a guy doing stupid things
with his life.
Chris Thrall joined the Royal Marine Commandos when he was
18 years old and throughout the years he earns his merits working his way up
the ranks until the lure of business and money was to strong and he left for
Hong Kong.
Chris moved to Hong Kong to expand a business that he built
while serving in the armed forces. Soon
Chris's optimistic thoughts of the future turned sour and his business failed
before it started. While trying to find a job he finds himself taking Meth to
ease the pressures of loss.
Soon he finds many different jobs that he is hired and fired
from. Starting with a phone book scam,
teaching English, D.J and Bouncer and
soon he is working for the Traid. With
each job he finds himself deeper and deeper into his drug addiction. Chris was a cheerful optimistic person by
nature but though drug abuse he seemed to always find the wrong people to spend
his time with. His days were seen though
a drug induced haze which caused him to hardly ever sleep due to the effects of
meth. He would see and hear things that may or may not have been real.
Chris keeps the book humorous while detailing what most
people would find at the bottom of the barrel.
Ever job is perfect until the drug induced haze takes over and he fails
again.
However there are times while reading the book the reader
isn't sure what they are reading because of how paranoid Chris has become from
the over use of drugs. At several points
in the book I felt like I was rereading the same chapter, because the same
things seems to happen to Chris over and over again. However never once does
the author tell you how he was able to kick the drug habit. I personally feel that would make a great
book and could help though who suffer from Meth addiction
The best line in this book is "I'm not a stupid guy,
just an average guy who does stupid things." Its true Chris is a smart guy but he does
some really stupid things thought out this book.
Chris writes this book as he talks and certain points I
could have had less swearing and I might have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Thank you Heidi for this review.
Publisher: Published September 16th 2011 by BlacksmithBooks (first published September 15th 2011)
ISBN: 9789881900296
Pages: 420
Quick Review: 4 out of 5 stars
Where I got the
book: Sent by the Publisher
Synopsis: Chris Thrall left the Royal Marines to find
his fortune in Hong Kong, but instead found himself homeless and addicted to
crystal meth. Soon he began working for the 14K, Hong Kong's largest crime
family, in the Wanchai red-light district. Dealing with the 'foreign triad' - a
secretive expat clique connected to the Chinese mafia - he had to survive in
the world's most unforgiving city, addicted to the world's most dangerous drug.
Author Information: Chris Thrall was born in Kent, UK. At
eighteen, he joined the Royal Marine Commandos. Following active service in the
Northern Ireland Conflict and training in Arctic warfare and survival, he
earned his parachutist’s ‘wings’ and went on to serve as part of a high-security
detachment onboard an aircraft carrier.
In 1995, Chris moved to Hong Kong to oversee the
Asia-Pacific expansion of a successful network-marketing operation he’d built,
part-time, while serving in the Forces. Less than a year later, he was
homeless, hooked on crystal methamphetamine and working for the 14K, Hong
Kong's largest triad crime family, as a doorman in Wanchai's infamous red-light
district.
Eating Smoke, a humorous yet deeply moving first book, is
his account of what happened . . .
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