I visited Ecuador several years ago and got to chew on coca leaves, but they also had coca leaf candies! Both were excellent for helping with altitude sickness, and I really enjoyed the flavor. Had a gentle mood lifting effect too, like a nice cup of tea, but in the form of chewed cud, haha.
The book is very good! I happened to catch wind of it right after it came out. Its a great mix of Visitor’s personal experiences in TV, and her research and interviews with many women who’ve worked in Trek over the years. She writes well and the stories are both personal and educational about the history of the show and the medium.