Trying to Make it: The Enterprises, Gangs, and People of the American Drug Trade by R.V. Gundur

This is a review of the 2023 IASOC Prize Winner Trying to Make It: The Enterprises, Gangs, and People of the American Drug Trade. By R.V. Gundur. Gundur offers a masterful account of the inner workings of the illicit drugs trade from the Mexico-US Border into the USA. His ethnography examines the lived experiences and criminal strategies of key actors in the trade, such as those involved in gangs and cartels. In doing so, Gundur provides a depth of original insight in contrast to common stereotypical tropes on the issue.