The history of sugar in Florida is a tale of experimentation and entrepreneurs, early mistakes and later successes, politics and money flowing freely from Washington to the sugar barons and then back again as campaign contributions guaranteed the industry would grow in influence well beyond its impact on the economy.

This book was written from hundreds of sources, interviews and site visits. It is an attempt to help the reader concerned about human health, south Florida's delicate ecosystem, and money in politics understand how we got to this point, and to think about where we go in the future.