"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.