An entrancing overview of social constructions of addiction. Fisher is an addiction specialist and professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia and writes that he himself is in recovery from alcohol addiction. Exploring everything from early religious texts to public policy actions in the present-day United States, Fisher reveals interesting historical details of addiction and its treatment and explains a lot about how we have arrived where we are today. With its perspective that pure abstinence may not be the answer for everyone who struggles with addiction, this work is sympathetic and understanding; it is not a work of self-help but one of perspective. Mark Deakins does an admirable job narrating the audiobook, shifting adroitly between its memoiristic passages, its history of addiction treatment, and its arguments for how addiction should be treated in the future. VERDICT This combination–memoir/history of addiction would be welcomed by any who want to learn more about addiction and how societies address it. Recommended.
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?