Abuse Books

The book Sarah T. Portraite of a teenage alcoholic was a really good book. I really enjoyed reading about how Sarah struggled through everyday life and the problems that she faced everyday. It was really touching to read about her schedule of everyday life and how she coped with a new family and her drinking problem. It was very hard for her to finally admit that she did indeed have a problem. Even her mother wouldn't admit that she had a problem. But in the end it all worked out and she got the help she needed along with a few friends!

I liked this book because some of my family members like to drink some alcoholic because they think its fun to do.They hang out at bars and some of their friends to go drinking.It's wrong when her dad threw her out on the street when she was cought drinking,because he should have sat down with her and talked to her asked her why she drinks.I felt the book was alright and I would recamend it to some of my classmates in my class to read.I think she was way to young to start drinking at her age.She should of been at least 17 or 18 to start to drink.

This book was AMAZING. I never would have thought it would change me the way it did. I am not an alcoholic. I have had maybe two drinks in my whole life. My english teacher recommended this book to me. I was reluctant at first, but I am so glad I decided to read it. Near the last chapter I wanted to bawl my eyes out. I couldnt put the book down. I STRONGLY recommend this book to everyone. It is awesome and diserves 6 stars. Wow.

I had to read this book because I had to write a paper about alcoholics. This book was a great help and it reads very easy and quick. I also had to present the book in class and they all thought it is a wonderfull book. The subject is realistic and also a bit shocking because most people think alcoholics are adults and not teenagers.

I had to read this book in Language Arts class. I thought this would be like any other book we have read, uninteresting and boring. But, I was wrong. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me open my eyes and understand that teen-age alcoholism is a serious problem in America today. This is an awesome book for people of all ages. Hey, im only 13 and i enjoyed it!

Second Year Sobriety: Getting Comfortable Now That Everything Is Different
I read this book with 13 months of sobriety and it was extremely helpful.
I was able to re-identify. I had begun to feel different and apart from.
And as though I had reached a hilltop at one year only to find a mountain range in my path on the other side. I was reminded that I have to stay in touch with the basics no matter how often I've heard them. One Day at a Time. Progress not Perfection. Find the Similarities. Conscious Contact Daily. Where I Am Right Now is Okay...It's Not A Race or a Contest.
A miracle has occurred every day that we stay sober. Embrace Gratitude.

Excellent book that I used as a guide for the my early recovery. Must have for the struggles and challenges of recovery.

Having recently celebrated my 1 year anniversary in AA, this book really helped me understand where I am. There just aren't many people with my sobriety time in the fellowships I attend. They seem to have more or less time, so it has been difficult for me to understand why I feel the way I do. Those that came into AA when I did all seem to be gone and anybody with about my sobriety has been there before. I have a great sponsor, a solid Big Book Program, great fellowship and a constantly improving "life", but why do I feel different than I did a few months ago? Not bad, not great, but just good.
This book was an incredible experience of being able to feel comfortable with the fact that I am "normal" at this stage.
The author has a nice mix of his feelings and some testimony from real, live AA members sharing their experiences and feelings. I would read a little each night after my meetings and feel like I had gone to another meeting. It left me calm and hopeful, like most of my AA experiences on my path. I rarely read a book that I appreciate, but this is one. Thank you, Guy.

I received this book after my first year of sobriety. It was incredibly useful to understand the transitions that I went through after just focusing on being clean & sober. I highly recommend to anyone who starts becoming more aware of feelings and life circumstances that we had years of not dealing with.

I bought this book after I celebrated my first abstinence Bday and didn't read it for another 6 months. I was so comforted by the stories of recovering folk in their 2nd year of sobriety, all who were experiencing difficulties in recovery that I could relate to. One of the most important things this book helped me to see is that it's okay to struggle. Now that I have 21 months of sobriety, it's not all about how do I take a shower or cook for myself; rather, I'm learning how to be a part of the world. This book was a welcome reminder that the issues I struggle with are akin to those that many 2nd-year recoverers struggle with.

I found Secret Life reveals many insights about human nature. Michael Ryan models a way to honestly face the worst aspects of oneself--right through adolescence--with humor, compassion, and therefore the capacity to change.

My Dad used to teach me that no one is "weird", but that we are all people of different backgrounds and experiences. This book shows that truth in the life story of Michael Ryan. It's a brilliant example of the experiences that shape each individual life, for better or worse or sometimes, eventually, both

This book was tasteful and interesting. I bought and read this book because I saw that my english professor was reading it--I didn't even know what it was about. When I bought it and saw it was about an addiction to sex I felt a little embarrassed--but soon got over it because it's not about sex, it's about a man with an addiction. I reccomend this as a literary read if nothing else. Ryan has true talent.

I never understood sexual addiction until I read this book. Ryan is incredible - he is able to completely convey what horrors this compulsive behavior meant for him. What said it all to me is when he explained he would go into bars and pick up whomever - a man, a woman . . . it didn't seem to matter! (He wasn't bisexual) Another shocker is that he had an incredible position at Princeton, but just couldn't keep his you-know-what away from his students. All that mattered is that he HAD to have sex, the compulsion was so incredibly intense, he just approached whomever was handy. In addition, this book, surprisingly enough, is amazingly funny (it reminds me of another memoir, "Permanent Midnight" in that way). Sometimes I found myself laughing out loud! It seemed that the humor was a great healer for him. My only regret is that he didn't reveal his treatment, which I would have loved to have learned about, as his compulsion was so deeply engrained. Bravo to him for "coming out of the closet" on this issue, writing this book, and showing us what this compulsion took from him.

This is one of the very best books I have ever read about sex addiction. Not only does it present a powerful, gut-wrenching account of what it feels like to be such an addict, it also tells a moving, often tragic, but also inspiring story of growing up in the America of the '50s and '60s.

The author wins you over early as he leads you slowly and painfully through his early childhood and molestation, his memories of his alcoholic father, academic and athletic struggles, peer conflicts, bottoming out in his sex addiction, then seeking recovery through a 12-step program.

Must reading for anyone affiliated in any way at all with any of the nearly half dozen programs dealing with sex/lust addiction. Highly recommended for other 12-step recovery people who might be tempted to snear at sex addiction. Ryan demonstrates that his disease was just as deadly as alcoholism and drug addiction. After reading the book, one realizes it is no laughing matter - regardless of what some sitcoms and commercials say.

Compares well with "Asylum" by Patrick McGrath, also about sex addiction, but, unlike "Secret Life," a novel with the tone of a thriller. Ryan's story is so compelling, one almost feels sorry to put it down but wishes the author well at the end as he embarks on a hopeful journey of recovery.

The Serenity Principle helped me see addiction from the perspective of one afflicted with the problem, as well as how difficult the road to recovery is. It offers a fresh approach to both situations, as opposed to the tried, and often failed, feel bad in order to feel better. It is a very compassionate and humane approach. I sent copies to some of my friends.

Joseph Bailey did a wonderful service by writing this book which clearly and efficiently discusses how to apply POM to the understanding and treatment of addiction. Highly recommended to professionals and the self-help audience. --Fred P. Gallo, Ph.D., Author of Energy Tapping and Energy Psychology

This is a practical spiritual book no unlike 12 steps it works. I would also encourage people to read An Encounter With A Prophet for a powerful spiritual book that get's you closer to your higher power.

Bailey has presented easy to grasp ideas that really work for the person in recovery. I have used it on both a personal and professional level and would encourage others to do the same.

This book is excellent. You do not have to be recovering from anything for this book to have meaning. Read it several times.

Dr. Penfold's book was invaluable when I became a victim of therapist abuse. For one thing, it's very difficult to find material in book form on the subject. Who wants to admit to being used?! Two, its gut-level honesty helped enormously to relieve my own shame about having been duped and exploited, and to channel that into healthy outrage. Three, the fact that Dr. Penfold had been a victim herself--and was a highly educated, intelligent, and sensitive person--helped me see how easily anyone can be victimized in fiduciary relationships, where trust is an essential component of the "therapeutic" process. Finally, her painfully realistic assessment of current attitudes towards victims helped give me a clear idea of what I was up against legally. Power imbalances and old-boy (girl) CYA practices still overwhelmingly determine outcomes--but taking a stand against bullies brings immeasurable returns in self-esteem! Thanks, Dr. Penfold, for helping expose such disgusting, arrogant predators in the mental-health field. I LIVE, thanks in part to warriors like you!

Dr. Susan Penfold has made a major contribution with this book. Unfortunately, published by an academic press, I don't think that it has gotten the attention it deserves. She is not unique in being a professional who herself was abused by someone to whom she had gone for help -- but she is unusual in that she has had the courage to come out of the closet and talk about the experience in this remarkable book. For those who think "this can't happen to me, read on....." The book is important because it combines Dr. Penfold's personal experience with a thorough look at the "bigger picture" - that is, what is known about this type of abuse. It is especially invaluble for both those who have been victimized or who know someone who has, but also a very useful guide to those who treat victims of professional abuse. We regularly recommend it.

Gary Schoener, Licensed Psychologist, Minneapolis

SEXUAL ABUSE BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS is an amazing combination of the personal and the professional. Not only does Dr. Penfold have the courage to come forward and describe her abuse in great detail under her own name, she also provides a professional framework for this type of abuse, including an explanation of the problem, the process, and the effects of professional sexual exploitation. This helps the unexploited reader understand the scope of the problem and the complex manner in which it occurs. In addition, it helps those victimized by health professionals understand that (1) it can happen to absolutely anyone; (2) victims are not to blame; and (3) recovery is possible. I read SEXUAL ABUSE BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS during my recovery from therapist sexual abuse and, more than anything, it helped me stop blaming myself. Thank you, Sue.

Dr. Penfold is one of the very few of the professionals who themselves have been victims of professional abuse who has had the courage to share her story. Most are fearful of being subjected to negative attention. Beyond her honest and heartful story and experience, which will help other victims and professionals seeking to help them, she contributes a wonderful analysis of the problem and what is known about it in the professional literature. This is a very unusual "double barreled" approach and provides for great richness. This is a book that I have read more than once, and one which many victims of professional misconduct of all types find inspiring. As a clinical psychologist and someone who helps people with this sort of issue, it is an invaluble resource.

Penfold writes with two different "voices" for two different audiences. First, she writes for women who have been sexual exploited by health care professionals. Second, she writes for health care professionals. She was a sexual victim of a practicing psychiatrist (also her professor) while she was a medical student. Writing in two voices, one for professionals and one for laypersons, is an extremely difficult task. Penfold is impressively successful in her endeavor.

My first immediate and personal response was total disbelief. Feelings are difficult to intellectualize, but I will make an effort. The case illustrations are too bizarre and a professional observer (one without an agenda) could easily interpret these client/patient complaints as being delusional.

A long list of questions plagued my mind during the entire duration of reading this well written book. Most of my concerns have been left unanswered. Most importantly, Penfold does not come off as a sympathetic figure, but rather as someone who should have known better and responded to her difficulty with greater immediacy. The real problem with Penfold and perhaps all psychotherapists is that we possess sophisticated skills in employing rationalization to justify our mistakes and frailties to ourselves and others. At the end, I remained frustrated because Penfold never had the guts to file a complaint, but claims she is able to shepherd her sexually exploited patients to do what she could not. Her intellectual ability to explain her plight is eloquent, but nevertheless shameful. I hate myself for these thoughts because they are classic illustrations of "blaming the victim." In those circumstances, could I have done better? I like to think I could, but realistically I do not know what I would have done.

The critical question is, if Penfold could not file a complaint, how can we expect our clients and patients to do so? The bottom line is that most therapists (male and female) are going to have difficulty in believing these bizarre complaints. However, here lies the saving grace of this book. In the end, the reader will become a believer and more sensitive to the possibility of this type of sexual exploitation. If Penfold's goal was to pressure health care professionals to be more considerate of the possibility of sexual exploitation among our peers, she has greatly succeeded.

Penfold offers a significant contribution to both health care professionals and victims of sexual exploitation from health care professionals. She opens the door to the subject matter by scratching to surface of this problem. Readers, professional and non-professional, will be left with more questions than answers, but I do not believe this feeling of ambiguity is a bad experience. I strongly recommend this book to health care professionals who are on ethics boards and admissions committees of advanced training problems. In addition, I think that professionals who come in contact with patients and clients who complain about sexual exploitation should recommend Penfold's book to them. Lastly, all appropriate academic libraries should adopt this book.

This approach of combining natural, inborn affect, having been observed and studied in infants for decades, with the human developmental process with its resulting emotion is brilliant. I have often been baffled at the complete disregard for shame in the human experience. It is as though the whole world is too ashamed to acknowledge the truth of how they really feel about themselves or how they think they are perceived by others. And the reality of affect broadcasting! How could six billion people collectively, unconsciously choose to put their blinders on and ignore the underlying mechanics of the human experience for so long. How about the description of affect broadcasting? Finally, a beginning model of the personal-social experiences, a reasoning behind social mores and their enforcement! What a pleasure to acquire such useful understanding from a book. I spent years of my own life trying to put the pieces together, putting myself in shameful situation after another (such as the pursuit of mastery of difficult, seemingly unattainable skills and accomplishments, such as professional music performance at high levels and with special emphasis on my weakness as opposed to natural strengths in front of unsympathetic, self-absorbed and cruel audiences. Suffice to say, through years of discipline and tenacity I achieved some excellent skills and experience) trying to understand the Rosetta Stone behind the human experience. This book helped provide a few key pieces to the puzzle. I was riveted! It is a fairly easy read to boot!

This book is based on the affect theory of Silvan Tomkins. I have read Tomkins' original works on affect theory. They are brilliant but somewhat remote and academic. Tomkins' view that affects supply the greatest part of our motivation is revolutionary (It is not your drive to survive that helps you to leap out of the way of the oncoming car, it is your fear affect). It leads to an entirely new way of understanding human behavior. Nathanson explains Tomkins' theories in a much more accessible way, but beware, this is another brilliant author who says more in a single sentence than most of us can squeeze into a paragraph. Hence, it can be dense reading. I have read the book three times, and I get more out of it every time I read it.

Nathanson's focus is on shame and, for me, it was an eye-opening experience to realize how pervasive shame is in almost everything we do. Nathanson is an eloquent writer and a keen observer; he shows how shame and pride influence our lives in so many (often invisible) ways.

Reading this book produced a major paradigm shift for me. I now feel that shame is the most under-appreciated emotion that anyone brings to therapy (I am a therapist). The stigma associated with shame is so great that therapists have glossed over it for years, choosing to focus on the issues that produce shame (such as Freud's focus on sexuality) rather than directly address the shameful feelings about the self that plague so many people who seek therapy. Why? Because we therapists are as vulnerable to those feelings as anyone else. And in order to help others with their feelings of shame, we have to be willing and able to access our own.

This may well be the most important book to appear in the mental health field in decades. It deals with a topic that almost everyone would prefer to avoid. But if you read it, you are likely to be better able to manage your own shame and to help others with theirs.

The book is very informative and brings to the fore a great concept of self. If the theory holds up to time and testing it should be very worthwhile reading for anyone whose life has not been a great big bowl of Cherries!!! The author need not throw $10 words at the lay reader(much more familiar words would have been more appropriate) and the flow of text could have been a little smoother.

The Editorial Review by the Library Journal has it totally wrong! Affect Psychology, as presented in this easy to read book, will open your mind to a new way of thinking about human emotions. The hardest emotion for the reader will be shame, and as shame is described it may interrupt your interest and excitement as you read. Press on! Once you really understand what he has to say, you will never again view your own or others emotions in the same way. This book's concepts are accessible, useable, and extremely applicable in today's crazy world.

Shame and Pride: Affect, Sex, and the Birth of the Self

This is the most readable and cogent explanation of shame to those of us born and bred with that heritage, not knowing it was not the norm for sense of self and relationships. Excellent! I read it in 1992 and am rereading it and sharing it with those who live with the taint of shame.

Krista's book is a valid account of a classic abuser profile and the insidious mechanism of victimization. It illustrates the many emotional battles in an effort to break free of the tormentor. For me, the most compelling part was the final escape itself, the exceptional effort of coordinating the practical side while dealing with the mental agony of committing to the split. Impassioned, poignant, and strong, I felt the writing at this particular point showed some real brilliance. A serious and emotional work, her book has much merit, especially for victims looking for validation and practical answers to deal with impossibly painful choices.

This woman went through so much! I don't want to believe it happened to her or that it happens to many women everyday. Like someone else commented, it is beautifully written and filled with details that take you on her tragic journey. I read the first chapter and was scared to read the rest. When I did start reading it again, I could not put it down, I finished it. I don't know what kept me from crying because you see...this woman is my dear cousin. I am so glad that I never met the monster and look forward to meeting her new Husband and Baby!!!!
Thank you Krista for standing up for yourself and for other women. The world is a better place with you in it. WAY TO GO! Best wishes for your book to make a second/third/fourth, etc. run to the press.
Happily Ever After Cousin!!!

I could not put this book down. Easily it brought tears to my eyes and even helped to make sense of life. It has changed my perception on DV for the rest of my life. I know it has many other people as well, I know she will save way more than one life.
Wonderful, well-written book.

This book is amazingly...candid. The author gives readers a rare view into the dynamics of domestic violence--at times, a very private horror. The author, a resilient survivor, describes her own private pain so well that readers will actually picture the scenes in their minds. The author also answers the question many have: Why do people stay in violent relationships? Please read this book, and then pass it on to a friend to read. It may save someone's life. What a brave woman!

Krista Fink eloquently writes about her experiences with her ex-husband in this painfully beautiful book. From the beginning to the end of her abusive marriage, she documents the ups and downs of a doomed relationship with poise, tact, and meaningful insights. The book is filled with narrative about her life with Jim (the ex-husband), poems and letters she wrote as part of her private therapy, insights and reflections, excerpts from other works about domestic violence, a checklist of identifying symptoms, and a list of numbers to call for more information.

Mrs. Fink is efficacious in conveying her excitement at finding new adventures, sadness at the deterioration of her marriage, and terror at the hands of a violent man. The emotions elicted in her work are dynamic and infectious. Her message is one of great importance and clarity: Domestic violence knows no socio-economic barriers and despite the hardships or even setbacks, every woman can (and should) find the determination to stop the cycle of abuse in order to achieve happiness. This is a great book not only for victims of domestic violence, but for anyone who has faced adversity in her life and has struggled to overcome it. I think it would be safe to say, that includes every last one of us.

I was thoroughly touched by both books and was moved even more into a healing place from which I found strength to deal with my own dragons and all the help from inside to work together through a healing journey. I found that it was ok to have dragons and if one can work together you can get through anything. The books also taught me about a great place that you can go to inside where everything is calm and beautiful and safe where there is blue light, and you can even ride on a dolphin and find lightness of heart while dealing with the most troublesome areas of my life. I found you can create in your mind that great place to go to when things hurt so much, a place all your own. Found that even the most meanest dragons can be beautiful swans. These books helped me be ok with the healing journey I must face in order to become the person I want to be and that it's ok to be scared and confused and sad. I found that I can have fun and have feelings that are good and work on other issues at the same time and rely on my inner strengths to get through even the most troublesome times and find healing at last. The nice thing about these books is how well written they are and easy to understand and to be ok with what you must deal with. Yes while going through the forest there are many dangerous animals and yet you can find strength in the forest as well and beauty. These books helped me to see that and to go through this journey although painful and yet very calming while working together to all become beautiful swans and then you find you all were beautiful swans all along, some needed help to see it that way. The illustrations in these books are so colorful and meaningful.

An adult fairy tale for survivors of childhood abuse who used dissociation to cope with their real life horrors. A comfort to children of survivors, their spouses, and others wishing to learn about what causes multiplicity and how it works. A talisman of hope for those learning to work with the inner team, the talents and pain within.

My Psychiatrist recommended this book to me and let me read his copy of it at the end of one of our sessions. At first I wondered what his motives were in suggesting I read a children's book, but after the first page I knew exactly why. The book was like a divine inspiration to me, helping me to struggle on and strive for the full integration of my "parts." As a child, I had numerous imaginary friends much like the friends who join the little girl during her journey through the woods. Some of them later became extensions of my self, and eventually, integral parts of who I am. I used to just want them to go away and leave me alone. After reading this book, though, I realize that I need them just as much as they need me and one day we'll all become one again. That was what I once feared, but now I know it's what we all truly want.

WHEN I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK I KNEW IT WOULD BE OK ONE DA

For me, this is a very comforting and healing book. The little girl reminds me so much of myself - and her process is so familiar to me and I'm sure many who are healing from abuse and have disassociated during the process. The one thing I would mention is that it startled me a little that this book suggests integration may be necessary - while I know some people who feel that it's not necessary or even desirable for them personally.

I've been privileged to know Kitty Chappell for twenty years and have seen for myself the inner joy that radiates from her in every circumstance. Her forgiveness of a sinful father is a holy and genuine thing. To read her book and be reminded of the horrifying experiences that could have shaped a life of bitterness, but didn't, is an inspiration to me. Her words have made me examine my own life and the relationships I've had where forgiveness is overdue. Thank you, Kitty, for your open heart and your generosity in sharing your wounds and your healing with us.

Many, many people are going through life harboring deep hurts that stand in the way of their happiness. They want to forgive and know they should, but just don't know how. This is the story of an amazing woman who learned how to do it, and you won't believe what and who she had to forgive, but she did it!!! She shares it all with you, and it will leave you awestruck. I promise you that you won't be able to put this book down. You will want to share it with others who are hurting.

I happened upon this book while looking for something to encourage a friend. I read it with the expectation of sharing it with her and hoping that the message would adress issues in a recent discussion. Not only did this book address the need to forgive, but it also nailed the mechanics of how to forgive in spite of the emotions that so often cloud our view. It is the thing that is missing in most books that address this topic. Yes we know we need to forgive, but how do you do that? I found answers to questions of my own.

My heart went out to Kitty as I read her story, and I was pleased by the process through which she identified the right choices and implemented them. I pray that this book will make it into the hands of those who are ready to put the past behind them and move into a productive and positive life. If you are tired of looking back, while trying to move forward, buy and read this book. Thank you Mrs. Chappell!

"Sins of a Father" is an incredible book. Kitty Chappell has the rare sensitivity to share the horrors of her childhood without sensationalism and with restraint, telling just enough to help us understand her message.

The message...this is what sets her story apart from so many other books dealing with childhood abuse. This is the story of how Kitty, and how any of us, can rise above difficult circumstances. It is not just about "enduring" and "making it through" our problems. It is about what comes next. How do we restore wholeness, joy, love, and mercy to our spirits? How do we truly forgive those who hurt us?

My husband and I read this book just as another family dispute with our parents erupted, and Kitty's words rang true in every respect. We underlined and discussed each of her ideas as we read, applying them to our own situation. After twenty years mired in family conflict, she gave us concrete, positive, and loving ways to move forward.

So many books offer suggestions on conflict and forgiveness, but the "modern" way seems to center on finding out who to blame for our pain. Too many books seem to encourage forgiveness in a general way, but then reinforce how badly we've been treated and how right we are to be angry. "Hold onto the hurt, but forgive them anyway, even if they don't deserve it."

Kitty shows a better way. And she gives concrete I-can-do-these suggestions that we can apply right now. Her suggestions are working for us.

Anyone who struggles with difficult people and with a difficult past can learn much from her wisdom, her experience, and her honesty. This book is wonderful!

I have had the honor of attending a seminar in which Mrs. Kitty Chappell spoke and shared her story. Kitty has gone through some of the most stressful times I have heard of and has learned how, with God's help, to go on with her life and not be one of the "damaged" people we see all around us. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is hurting and trying to get on with their life. God Bless you, Kitty.

Elaine Johnson

This book was suggested to me by one of my professors. It is one of the best books written on the History of the profession of RECOVERY!
I believe that ALL practitioners in the field of RECOVERY should read this book, or at least OWN it as a reference guide. You will use it over and over again.
I liked it so much, I bought two copies.

A very thorough account of the addiction field from it's first conception up the the conflicts in this area in the present day.
This book contains an excellent historical context which is useful to many addictions professionals.

This is one of the most comprehensive historical books on the history of addiction treatment and recovery I have read. Not just a history of Alcoholics Anonymous, it covers the cures, the fakes, the trials and tribulations of attempting to treat alcoholism and other drug addiction in America.

It should be a "must read" for anyone interested in treatment and recovery. William L. White did a great service for the treatment field by writing this book

I'll bet not one person in a hundred who is employed in the addictions field has any idea of the history of their profession. This is a history book that is chock full of the befuddled efforts of millions of people who have tried almost everything to get sober. Carrie Nation, The Keeley Institute, Kellogg and his corn flakes, the gold IV injection treatment, and the use of methamphetimine right down to MADD... this book details a group of people who, on their own, tried to fight addiction and support each other in their sobriety. All this without the help of the government until recent times. A textbook, a whodunnit, an emotional journey through hell and out the other side This is the definitive history of addiction treatment attemps in the United States of America. How anyone can call themselves a therapist and not have an intimate knowledge of this material is beyond me. Three thumbs up!

As a clinical person both in mental health and addiction medicine I can say without reservation that this is the most complete and interesting books on the topic. You won't be sorry you bought this one and will keep in you libray for life.