Howard Marks
Mr. Nice

Howard Marks, British criminal according to the Italian Wikipedia page. Teacher, drug courier, and author according to the English one, much more respectful I would say. But let's not get sidetracked; I didn't start writing to talk about the Catholic bigotry that exists in Italy nor about what I think of soft drugs, but rather about the good things this man can offer us through the stories of his hottest years.

H.M. was born in 1945 in Kenfig Hill, Wales. He studied Physics and the History and Philosophy of Science at Balliol College, Oxford. Afterwards, he limited himself to giving some private lessons, but academia wasn't exactly at the top of his mind, so he decided to dedicate himself full-time to his greatest passion, soft drugs. He was good at it, and in a very short time, he managed to close deals first in Europe and later across the ocean, thanks to the help of an English band's tour. He became the world's most wanted man (and for what, really?), and eventually was caught by the D.E.A, protectors of the bigots and warmongers. He was released after seven years and currently lives in the United Kingdom, where he engages in advocacy for the legalization of cannabis.

Mr. Nice is the logbook of one of the greatest international couriers of all time, but it's not a ledger; among other things, it contains the description of the feelings of a deal gone right or wrong, a high moment before conducting a lesson, having used 43 false identities, and therefore, each of us can draw something good from it, whether smoker or not. We are talking about a cultured and intelligent man who decided to turn his life around spontaneously, without being compelled by poverty. He took a gamble for his passion, abandoning a comfortable routine. I am convinced that people like this have received a divine illumination, have somehow gotten answers to inexplicable why's, sacrificing their peaceful existence to open a closed box in search of infinite doses of life and adrenaline.

I strongly advise against idiots, the greedy, and megalomaniacs reading this book. As has happened to many who have seen the movie "Blow," you'll end up getting arrested in a matter of months, weeks, days, hours...

In conclusion, this book is not only "The Tales of a Young Pablo Escobar, Traveler" but also "Moments of Life, Smiling with Mr. Nice."