Drugs Books

G. Peter Duffy graciously escorts us through his troubled life...his own experience of repeated attempts at sobriety offers us exposure the virtual hopelessness of the chronically addicted; and then he proves it all wrong - his complete account convinces us that no one is hopeless!

The author provides us with an autobiographical personal saga that is truly riveting; but more importantly he has discretely woven his methods of overcoming his seemingly uncompromising afflictions into this narrative - which are simple, practical techniques that are ours for the taking.

Not your typical novel - and not a traditional self-help guide (although as effective); this book is a treasure-trove of valuable solutions for those who have struggled with maintaining sobriety. I also recommend this book to anyone who could benefit from empowerment, self-love, and peace - especially those who have had difficulty with the concept and achievement of the same.

Mesmerizing story - a real page turner! Reads like fiction, and then it hits you, you are reading someone'e real life story - and what a story!

"Hey God, I'm Home" is inspiration to anyone. I have an addict friend I am trying to locate who I am confident would benefit from reading this book.

After reading Mr. Duffy's life story, I am amazed he is on this earth to tell it.

A strong and powerful true story. This book is nothing short of inspirational, a must read not only for those struggling with addiction, but for any one who is has fallen into a dark place and is reaching for the light. G. Peter Duffy offers us, by the power of his example, a road to find the comfortable place within our selves. There is no such thing as an impossible case, especially when it comes to the alcoholic, this truly remarkable story will shake you, rattle you, and calm you with the miracle of hope, faith and determination.
Michael Clark Lorenzo
Author, Accidents of Birth

G. Peter Duffy graciously escorts us through his troubled life...his own experience of repeated attempts at sobriety offers us exposure the virtual hopelessness of the chronically addicted; and then he proves it all wrong - his complete account convinces us that no one is hopeless!

The author provides us with an autobiographical personal saga that is truly riveting; but more importantly he has discretely woven his methods of overcoming his seemingly uncompromising afflictions into this narrative - which are simple, practical techniques that are ours for our taking.

Not your typical novel - and not a traditional self-help guide (although as effective); this book is a treasure-trove of valuable solutions for those who have struggled with maintaining sobriety. I also recommend this book to anyone who could benefit from empowerment, self-love, and peace - especially those who have had difficulty with the concept and achievement of the same.

"Hey God I'm Home," is a must read for anyone who has experienced the crisis of addiction, self loathing, loss, abandonment and every other human dilemma that we are prone to. We are born innocent but our indoctrination from the cradle to the grave tells us we are guilty. What is it we are actually guilty of-- is the question G. Peter poses--our own sins or the sins handed down to us? G. Peter Duffy weaves a personal philosophy that is universal. As soon as we forget the sins of our father we can get on with ourselves. "It's about time we gave our thinking some thought...We all live with second hand beliefs..." The author takes us on a journey from his gutter bound existence to a Jacob's Ladder. G. Peter Duffy tells his true story and leaves nothing out. If you don't come out of this reading with a better grip on yourself, well then you didn't read it right. If this man conquered what he truly says he did, well, then there's hope for all of us. A must read for anyone struggling with addiction as well as looking to find their inner source of spirituality. G. Peter Duffy tells it like it is but tells it like no one else ever did.

High and Tight is a tried and true page-turner, an excellent sociological study of two rising urban stars who found that life in the big apple was too much for them to handle. The book also reveals some interesting stories concerning the other members of the 1986 Mets, a team divided in two camps-bible beaters and party animals.

dis is very goods book. me recomend to people who enjoy thrilly baseball parties

HIGH AND TIGHT could have been one of those works that is closer to an overblown magazine article than a full-fledged book. But author Bob Klapisch keeps the pages turning, and it's over quicker than a 1985 at-bat against Dwight Gooden and, unlike that at-bat, leaves you wanting more. The new book HEAT by Gooden and Klapisch serves as a part two for Doc. With Darryl Strawberry's Yankees comeback and subsequent health challenges, can yet another entry be far off?

Having grown up and watching Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden shine for the Big Apple's "other team," I was initially afraid to read this book. I was afraid of the brutal honesty that I would encounter and about tarnishing the images of my two childhood heroes. I was right, the book is brutaly honest, yet so captivating, I really couldn't put it down. The book follows the careers of the two men from thier days growing up to their darkest hours. I really enjoyed watching both players before I read the book, but after reading it, I feel as though I know them personally and was right there with them during all of the incidents that took place. I respect these two men so much for having conqured their demons. Nothing they acomplish on the field could ever equal the magnitude of the personal victories that they have attained. Kudos to author Bob Klapisch for capturing the reader's attention with his captive descriptions of the players' individual situations.

Very sad, but honest story. There were things in the book I never knew. I recommend it to any baseball fan

I really love this book. I've been trying to live a drug free life, but the stress and pressures I feel sometimes make me think that it would be easier if I just started drinking beer and smoking weed like everyone else does. But after reading this book and incorporating some of the exercises into my life, I've found it easier to stay away from drugs. This guy has a great sense of humor and really seems to understand kids. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to releive stress without using drugs. Thanks, Alex. You rock!

It's all here - what every teen and young adult needs to know about how to feel really well and really good about themselves. On the premise that human beings like to get high, and that getting high is good, Dr. Packer's newest book tells us how to do it - without relying on alcohol, drugs or other substances. Written and illustrated in an engagingly contemporary way, "Highs" provides the reader with fresh, usable insights on such matters as serenity, nutrition, exercise, and relationships. Organized in three sections and 11 well- outlined chapters, it is possible - perhaps even recommended - that the reader turn to an area of particular interest first. Literate, witty, insightful, and irreverent where it should be, "Highs" is highly recommended to young people and parents alike.

I highly recomend this book to readers of all ages. Not only is it one of the funniest books i have ever read, it also contains many good methods to sleep better, relax, and most importantly, have fun. The book is true to its title, there are many safe and healthy ways to get a rush of adrenaline, or, just the opposite. There are several full chapters and several partial chapers dedicated to learning how to reduce stress, which is definitly something that most of us need. Another feature of this book is that it tricks kids into learning new things and encouraging a good life style without the feeling of a textbook. I would highly recomend this book to anyone looking for a good, educational, fun, and most of all, entertaining read.

In Highs!, Alex Packer presents more than one hundred and fifty ways for teenagers and young adults to feel good, really good, without resorting to alcohol or other drugs. Packer's detailed suggestions are divided into "Serenity Highs" (meditation, T'ai Chi Chuan, Yoga); "Physical and Sensuous Highs" (sports, relaxation exercises, food, massage); "Social, Spiritual, and Creative Highs" (nature, fasting, roleplaying games, music, dance, art). An especially recommended compendium of ideas and suggestions for today's youth seeking to avoid the pitfalls of alcohol consumptions and substance abuse in their personal and peer group recreational activities, Highs! is enhanced for teen and young adult readers with a bibliography, as well as suggestions for additional readings and resources.

Alex Packer has written a funny, educational, and comprehensive book on alternatives to getting high with alcohol or other drugs. The book includes examples of alternative highs from teenagers along with humorous illustrations and up-to-date links to websites. I hadn't realized how many non-chemical alternatives there were to getting high. I can't wait to pass this book on to my teenage nephew. I only wish such a book had been available when I was his age!

This inspiring book has changed many lives, and has helped many others that are suffering from chronic conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, etc. and I'm pretty sure it will help us understand that prevention, healthy eating, stress management and daily exercise, is as important as breathing, because through the 12 week program and it's many techniques we will be empowered to change and enable our body to heal it self without the need of those costly medications.

'The book is upbeat, reading like the medical equivalent of a sermon from the Crystal Cathedral. The style is entertaining, friendly and motivating; so it's easy to read and reread. To follow The Program is to change one's lifestyle, not just one's diet. It is indeed, 'specific and comprehensive'. Not every reader will be able to adopt the upbeat life view which underlies it, but every reader will become more conscious of destructive things in his life which he should try to eliminate, and most of all learn a number of techniques for managing stress.
There is a good deal of well presented medical information in the book. Any patient with hypertension would profit by reading it. Some will be converted and 'go for it 100%'.'
Jean L. Cook, M.D. Office of the Dean (retired)
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Of Yeshiva University

I've been recently diagnosed with hypertension. My doctor told me to slow down so I took a vacation in the Carribean for a couple of weeks. Brought this fabulous book with me and read it from cover to cover. I am following Dr. Bennett's 12-week program and so far pleased with the results. This book is highly recommended!

Great Book! I would advise all living with or without high blood pressure to read this book. A 12 week program with exercise, stress management techniques and healthy recipes!

Love it and live by it!

Heard about it from a co-worker, sent it to my mother in the Philippines (where everybody has high blood pressure)and also prayed for her. Last week she called and said her pressure was down and her doctor had stopped some of her pills. She has told my aunt about it too. I am a nurse and I see a lot of people with strokes and heart problems. If this book can help my family I am all for it. Looks good so far. Will get back to you in a few months.

This book is a lifesaver for my family.
I struggle to keep a family member "on their meds" so they may continue to live independently. This book has explained, in a simple but sufficiently thorough way, things I've needed to know:
1) What the medications prescribed actually do;
2) Side effects of prescribed medications, so I know which complaints I hear about side effects are actually from the meds, or whether other health concerns should be addressed;
3) Relative costs of medications, so I can address complaints about the medications' costs;
4) Alternative medications, and why they might be prescribed;
5) Time lag - some meds may take weeks before they have therapeudic effect, even though the patient taking them experience side effects immediately.
6) Time lag - if a patient decides to stop taking their meds, there is often a period of time between that last pill and relapse.
Meds, even though they are less than perfect (don't we know!!) are still the miracle keeping mentally ill people alive and "at home", figuratively and literally. It is SO easy for the people who need these meds to stop taking them, with absolutely disasterous results.
Although psychiatrists and pharmacists may have had education in this, social workers, family members, and even general practitioners that are on the front lines dealing with this on a daily basis really do have a need to know this material.
I'd give this book a Milky Way's worth of stars if I could.

We recently had the pleasure of a hosted discussion by Dr. Diamond at our web site.

One person sent me the following review of this book:

The following is an abbreviated version of the original article: Book Review: Instant Psychopharmacology by Ronald J. Diamond, M.D. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., ISBN 0-393-70269-3 (pbk.).

Dr. Ron Diamond, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, as well as the medical director of the Mental Health Clinic of Dane County, recently published a book on psychotropic medications.  Written in a remarkably straightforward manner, this informative handbook is a rare treat.

Indeed, it's quite a resource for psychologists, nurses, and social workers who are often reading and incorporating various sources of data (chart notes, medical histories, etc.) to assist in treatment planning, answering clients' questions and/or communicating with physicians. Students in non-medical mental health fields will also find this book useful, especially the annotated bibliography.  The handbook's bibliography includes web addresses for accessing psychopharmacology information through the Internet.

I would also encourage mental health consumers and their significant others to consult Instant Psychopharmacology. Although it is subtitled, "A guide for the nonmedical mental health professional", the author alternately addresses his colleagues and clients throughout the text.  Diamond achieves an appropriate balance between offering detailed information (dosages and drug profiles) as well as general facts about neurotransmitter systems and how drugs work.  The book's greatest strength is how clearly it's written Chapter One, "Psychopharmacology:  The Rules of the Game", is a must- read for all consumers.

Another strength is how up-to-date it is, in terms of the various types of psychotropic drugs available.  I can also appreciate its usefulness for researchers such as myself, who frequently ask study participants to list the medications they're currently prescribed. 

In this regard, it's extremely helpful to have the appendices which list drugs  by their brand names as well as their generic names.  The book also deals  with the somewhat sensitive topic of  sexual side effects directly and  matter-of-factly.

In summary, Instant Psychopharmacology is a wonderful resource.  I strongly encourage consumers and family members as well as mental health professionals to consult it.

Diane C. Gooding, Ph.D., Chair, Public Education Committee ------ reprinted from The Pioneer, AMI of Dane County, Sept l998 issue

This book was required reading for my Psychopharmacology class, and I am so glad this was chosen. It was easy to undersatnd and it is easy to referacne back too. I feel it should be part of any therpist's bookshelf.

Dr. Diamond's pragmatic and commonsense approach is ideal for mental health professionals without (and with!!) a background in psychopharmacology. The book evolved from a handout he gave to nonmedical trainees with whom he worked. It's insightful, based on real clinical situations, and provides what you absolutely need to know plus more in an understandable format.

I am a school psychologist and with all the prescriptions that we need to know about in order to help students, this has been invaluable. New medications are always coming out and this book was very handy for knowing the side effects, which can be useful if a student is falling asleep in class and it is found that his medication causes drowsiness.

I would definetly recommend this book, I just hope they come out with another so that I can update myself on some of these new prescriptions that were not out at the time it was published!!

This book kept my interest from page one to the end. The characters were developed well. Shelley built the suspense all the way through the book. The description of the scenes built images in my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Her dying Gran persuades Andrea Jordan to give a death bed vow to check in on her great-grandchild to insure the kid is okay. After Gran's funeral, Andrea drives from her Denver home to Tabor, Wyoming where her cousin Tracey and her infant daughter reside in a trailer with dangerous David Elk Runner, a meth manufacturer and dealer. When she gets there Andrea sees someone sleeping in the tub, her cousin stoned comatose and the stove having all sorts of stuff burned out. She shuts the stove off and takes the baby with her leaving a note behind for Tracey; Andrea also takes money that is lying around.

David returns to the trailer; he is outraged and beats up Tracey. He plans to get his money back, kill the witness to his meth lab and the corpse in the tub, and if the baby dies as collateral damage so be it. On her way home, Andrea learns that the cops are looking for her for stealing money; no mention of the infant. Needing to change her plates, she steals the license tag off of a truck that happens to belong to Police Officer Justin Blackburn who tracks down Andrea and offers his protection as they try to bring down the lethal David.

Readers will agree with support character Dr. Virginia Lester that the heroine is nuts for interfering, but did the right thing as the infant was being neglected and abused. Still that took courage because the police and even the FBI could have arrested her for kidnapping. Though the license plate switch scene is too convenient, fans will appreciate this fascinating police procedural romance with its glimpse at a meth lab in which surprisingly the Red States have many more than the Blue States.

Harriet Klausner

Shelley Brannigan has written a wonderful book. Interference has everything I wanted in a book. High excitement, extreme sexual tension and wonderful characters.

Andrea is an emotionally scarred woman, determined to rescue her baby niece Emma from deplorable conditions and her dope addict mother. Just a little Interference and she's sure Tracy, Emma's mom will come around and take care of the 3 month old baby. In the mean time, Andrea takes the baby and some money that was there while Tracy is passed out in a drug induced stupor.

The money wasn't Tracy's but her boyfriend's, a dangerous crazy drug dealer and Emma's father. He wants his money back.

Justin Blackburn is a cop. A handsome, funny, gentle man who falls for Andrea the minute he sees her. The minute before she steals his license plates so she can escape from Wyoming back to Denver. When he finds his plates missing the chase is on.

Can he protect Andrea and Emma from the killer drug dealer who is after them? Can Andrea leave behind her scars from childhood to make a life with this man?

I love this book. Shelley Brannigan rocks! She writes in a way that makes you love her characters and want to see them succeed. You'll be cheering them on every step of the way.

Andrea Jordan wants nothing more than to live a normal life, away from the drug addicted slum she's related to. But one last wish from her dying grandmother leaves her no choice but to interfere and save her cousin's infant, Emma, from a life in a meth lab with a murderer as a father. With baby in tow, she is sent on an adventure that takes her through a physical and emotional roller coaster ride, leading her into the arms of Officer Justin Blackburn.

Justin is a local police officer on a mission to help Andrea and take down the local scum drug dealer both at the same time. Little does he realize how much he wants to help and the real reason why.

Both Andrea and Justin are characters you can't help but cheer on as they form a bond while battling the bad guys, saving Emma's life, and realizing they have more in common than meets the eye.

Interference is a touching book with a large doses of adventure and excitement. A great combination that won't let you put it down until the very last word!

Andrea Jordon is at her cousin Tracy's home in Wyoming checking up on her. On her deathbed, Andrea's grandmother begs her to check up on Tracy and her infant. Once there, Andrea is appalled by the neglect the baby is suffering. So after leaving a note for her cousin, Andrea takes the baby and the money she finds nearby. Once her cousin is sober, she hopes Tracy will call her and do right by her child.

On her way back home to Colorado, Andrea stops for gas where she meets friendly and very attractive officer Justin Blackburn. Andrea wants nothing more that to escape unnoticed so she hurries through and leaves the town behind her. A knock on her door the next night reveals Justin. Her suspicious behavior led him to her and now he is demanding answers.

Andrea begrudgingly puts her trust in Justin and she explains the situation. Justin is all too familiar with Tracy's boyfriend David Elk Runner. He is a very dangerous man who Justin has a personal grudge against, and now he is after Andrea and the baby whom Andrea has decided to call Emma. From the moment he first saw her, Justin has been attracted to Andrea. Not just her looks but her, so Justin decides to do whatever it takes to protect her and Emma.

They head back to Wyoming but once there they don't know who they can trust, so Justin and Andrea have to trust in each other if they are going to make it through this alive.


Interference is an emotion filled thriller. Fighting against all odds, Andrea proves to be a remarkably brave and strong woman. Justin is a good cop and an amazing man. They are very good together. David Elk Runner is an evil maniac; the violence he directs toward baby Emma is sometimes disturbing. The ending is non-stop action followed by heartwarming moments. Interference is a great romantic thriller and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Brannigan.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Dan is an individual with a very large history in the detection business...And unlike all other authors...well let me put it this way...how many authors let their readers email him and he actually replies and replies as long as he still has something interesting to say..which is always. THIS is the only book in his series that I do NOT have, but if every other one is any clue, damn, lol. They are the most involving, well written and well linked together books Ive ever read and Ive read ALOT of stuff in my time. Highly recommended by a person who was in the law enforcement business.

I love books that have the same characters whom I like enough to go back to the beginning and read them all. This is my first, and I will find all the others. Great read.

See storyline above.

A good police procedural. Dan Mahoney's story telling seems to be made for the big screen, but in his writing you get a much better idea of a character's true self.
The story moves at a good pace, while the action and drama will keep you going to the very last page.

Recommended.

ONCE AGAIN DAN MAHONEY HAS WRITTEN A GREAT NYPD NOVEL. IF YOU HAVE READ HIS PAST BOOKS YOU WILL THROUGHLY ENJOY JUSTICE. DAN WRITES ABOUT WHAT HE KNOWS WHICH IS THE NYPD AND POLICE WORK. WHY HOLLYWOOD ISNT TURNING HIS BOOKS INTO MOVIES I DONT KNOW. KEEP WRITING DAN.

Justice is the latest, and in my opinion the best of Mahoney's NYPD thrillers. More action this time, a bad guy that you end up rooting for, and two cops fighting against the system and their own department to stop him from killing again. Mahoney nails the details and as always has great "only in New York" characters who weave in and out of the story. Shootouts, chases through the city, a spy in the police department, and a final showdown: Somebody should make a movie of this one!

To my mind, the expanding civil war in Colombia is the biggest story in the Western Hemisphere -- but no one seems to be paying much attention to it. Good thing, then, that we have Garry Leech, a talented reporter and writer whose book explains it all, from the start of the trouble over fifty years ago to the U.S.'s involvement today with more and more money, guns, and soldiers. If George Bush gets his way, Colombia is going to be the next bloody battle in the "war on terrorism." Americans need to get wise to what's going on before we sink any deeper into Colombia and a world of hurt and regret. Step one: Read this book!

This book satisfied my need for a clarification of the conflicts in Colombia. Leech does an amazing job of simplifying this political quagmire.

Leech has done the confused observer of Colombia's tragedy a great service with this short, pocket-sized introduction to the reality behind the sporadic news reports on Latin America's most violent, dysfunctional country. The book provides a clear and concise history of modern Colombia with particular emphasis on the causes of the armed conflict that has raged there for decades. Leech examines Colombia's civil war and how it differs from yet is intertwined with the drug war, while avoiding the common pitfall of completely muddling the two topics.

The book also traces the gradual U.S. entry into the fray of the Colombia's conflict, from early forays into combatting marijuana production to the current strategy that closely resembles Reagan-era strategies in El Salvador, albeit with the additional complication of Colombia being a leading cocaine and heroin supplier. Leech's answer to the uncomfortable question, "Is the drug war working?" is an emphatic "No." He explains how the U.S. drug war is failing on all of its own terms, while at the same time detailing the disastrous human toll of increased U.S. aid to the undisciplined and extremely compromised Colombian military. The role of the various guerrilla and paramilitary groups is explained, and there are also interesting new insights into the relations between the Colombian army and the rightist paramilitaries.

This book should be of particular use to those who seek to quickly learn more about the country and conflict that are fast becoming one of the primary U.S. foreign policy concerns. Its brevity and breadth should prove especially appropriate for high school and college classes focusing on current events, foreign policy, Latin American affairs, and history. A good, short read on a truly important topic.

"Killing Peace" is an outstanding book. Garry Leech provides a front row seat to the surreal violence in Colombia. Moreover, he explains why a just and enduring peace is so difficult to attain. The author is a superb journalist who documents how the flames of peace have been doused and the drums of war have been amplified. Recommended.

Killing Peace is a good introduction to the forty year civil war in Colombia. (Arguably the civil war began in the 1940s. The 1960s represent the date the rebel forces FARC emerged.) Leech provides objective descriptions of the history of the conflict, the social forces and striking class divisions generating it, how the USA's imperialist interests and interventions aggravate it, the civil war's principal players and fighting forces, the widespread human rights abuses that debase the conflict, the criminal activities employed to finance it, and the many failed military and peace approaches to resolve it.

I particularly appreciated Leech's analysis of the rise and role of the right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia, the staggering degree of homelessness and poverty created by the USA's "fumigation" program, and the USA's use of (what should be frankly coined) corporate mercenaries in the war. Although FARC is the largest fighting rebel force in Colombia, I wish Leech would have provided more information about the ELN. But, in this respect, Killing Peace is like most works on the Colombian civil war.

My chief issue with the book, and others like it, is that it tends to analyze the prospects for resolving the conflict in terms of some equitable and just accommodation among the principal players (except for the paramilitaries). But that's precisely the problem with this civil war: given the nature and extent of their human rights violations (including assassination, mass murder, terror, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, etc.), it is doubtful the principal players are capable of fashioning and maintaining an equitable and just settlement.

The book doesn't satisfactorily look at other options. For example, the prospects for a resolution coming from the various social movements within Colombia as well as how other Latin American regional powers and interests could be brought to bear on the conflict. Perhaps that hope is too thin for Leech, but it could very well be the only one available.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down once I started it. It captured me until the very end. I am sure that I will read it again. It brings you in and captures your interest. It makes you realize what you have could be taken away in an instant. It makes you want to live everyday to the fullest. It gives you an outlook on people dealing with an illness like no other. I felt like I was really there with them during their trials. I wanted to be there. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book is a heart-warming, heart-wrenching book about the Caldwells and their fight with and for their son Brian through cancer. Ms. Steffke-Caldwell fills the pages with her many thoughts and feeling as well as facts. She also attacts the health care system who refused to make referrals for the proper treatments and also questions drugs used, especially the high levels of Tylenol that Brian had taken, convinced that it caused his liver cancer. Ms. Steffke-Caldwell obviously did a lot of research for this book. The medical information is astoundingly easy to understand. But the biggest reward is to understand the love, fight and determination the family had and how it led to the ultimate eternity for Brian-Heaven. Read the book! Brian, some day we'll join you. Will you lead the music?

This book should be read by everyone. It is a story about parents having to watch their son die of cancer. It speaks of medical frustrations, parent/son relationships, husband/wife relationship and of their walk with the Lord. At times I cried at times I felt an overwhelming love. Ms. Steffke-Caldwell does an awesome job. Buy it, read it. You will be rewarded.

This book tells a dramatic, spell-binding true story that will indeed move you. Superior use of dialogue. The story progresses quickly; chapter after chapter moves directly toward the book's memorable conclusion. Highly recommended

As a hospice nurse, I deal with end of life issues on a daily basis. Unfortunately, my perspective as a health care provider can become narrow as I muddle through my day to day routine. The battle to remain fresh and helpful to my patients and their families is ongoing. Ms. Steffke Caldwell's book was a poignant reminder of the family in crisis' perspective. It gave me a glimpse into the hearts of some loved ones who were being battered and bruised by an often impersonal health care system. It reminded me of the confusion, fear and helplessness which accompany families and patients facing terminal illness. Besides being well written, this book gave me fresh incentive to work towards understanding the myriad of emotions experienced by my patients and their families. This is a must read for those of us who are committed to delivering the best to those people placed in our care

Although this book is about addiction, I believe anyone can relate to the story. Anyone who's suffering from drug/chemical dependency, anyone who's a codependent or anyone who's going through a rough time in life. Great story!

Dr. Davis's extremely honest and genuine account of his twin brother's death and his own spiral into addiction provides readers from all different experiences a solid introduction to addiction and the hope that comes with treatment. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a family member or friend dealing with addiction, anyone who wants to know more about a disease that is often misunderstood or misdiagnosed, and any healthcare professional who realizes the extent to which addiction pervades every patient population and the often inadequate help these patients receive. The appendices provide the reader with a great resource manual of different treatment programs and facilities nationwide as well as several screening tools for someone who suspects an individual may be abusing or addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Dr. Davis's discovery of his brother's poetry unexpectedly provides him with insight into his own past. What was once a shared existence, Dr. Davis's loss of his twin brother to HIV/AIDS reveals how much their lives have diverged on the surface, only to converge again in after his brother's passing - a realization that comes to him only after sharing his experiences to others during his own recovery process. Now, Davis is continuing the legacy of his brother by sharing his poetry and his life story.

This book is a very fluid read, and it comes across as very honest without sacrificing its sentiment. Davis is describes the hidden aspects about a professional living with an addiction. It is an encouraging message to those of us who are facing hardships and have succumbed to addiction as a result. His life course has led him to a better place, and vividly documents how he has made that journey.

Dr. Davis conveys an important message in a gripping and honest book: that addiction can affect anyone, even physicians, and that recovery is possible by facing one's fears and deepest emotions. As an identical twin myself, I could relate to much of the description of the relationship between Scott and Jonathan; there's just a bond between twins that is unique and unbreakable.

This book is also a great resource for those interested in finding or referring help. There is a lengthy appendix addressing issues surrounding addiction and abuse as well as intervention and recovery. I highly recommend it!

Dr. Davis's book gives an intimate and insightful perspective on addiction and its effects not only on the addicted, but on the family. By telling his story honestly and without any flair, Dr. Davis shows us that even the best of us can become victim of addiction, and despite the horrible nature of the disease, that there is hope. As a medical student, it is a jarring view of a problem that we see all across the US all too often, and being able to understand it through Dr. Davis's account, gives us better insight through which to understand our patients.