Book excerpt: This is a popular and somewhat superficial account of the international diamond industry, written by an American journalist. The book is based on extensive reading and investigations, including visits to several mines in Southern Africa, but contains a number of inaccuracies and is not as reliable and informative as the similar account by T. Green (The world of diamonds, London 1981). The major part of the book deals with the role of De Beers and the Central Selling Organization, and chapter 4 "Holding back the ocean" - is devoted to the operations in Namibia. The author describes how the cartel organizes production and marketing on a global scale, and how it has repeatedly interfered in the internal political affairs of African states. He predicts a collapse of the monopoly and the disintegration of the industry, with profound effects on a country like Namibia which depends heavily on income from the export of diamonds. There is also a bibliographic guide to the vast literature on diamonds, mining and marketing (p. 239-56). (Eriksen/Moorsom 1989).