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HomeShop at BookSurgeFictionThe Chemical Carousel: What Science Tells Us About Beating Addiction |
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Battle Plan for a Real War on Drugs Aug 19, 2009
Just a few weeks back, I had a conversation with the local district attorney at a party (over a beer I might add), and the conversation came around to repeat DWI offenders. He told me one offender had just been charged with his 9th offense. We both shook our heads in disbelief and disgust and hoped that the state legislature would toughen laws to better protect us from drunk drivers. Shame on him, and shame on me. Dirk Hanson's book stripped away my prejudices and misconceptions on the disease of addiction. Hanson showed me that putting addicts in jail makes as much sense as putting diabetics or cancer patients behind bars. Addiction is a difficult, painful and multifaceted chronic affliction. Hanson's diligent research and his finely written book give us all hope that we can one day make some real progress in slowing this growing epidemic. That Hanson himself is a recovering addict and a great writer makes this book all the more powerful. He could have made the mistake of the addict writing an emotional memoir of how he or she beat addiction. But the journalist in him doused any thoughts of self-indulgence or pity. We are all the better for it. Addicts, law enforcement officials, politicians, healthcare providers, anyone who gives a hoot about curing what Hanson terms this "fatal disease" should read this important book.
Craig Zarley
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
One of the Best Books on Addiction Aug 13, 2009
As a recovering alcoholic-slash-addict, as a writer of a memoir dealing with addiction, (The Los Angeles Diaries), I've read 89 books on the subject of alcoholism and addiction, and I can say without reservation that Dirk Hanson's THE CHEMICAL CAROUSEL is one of my top five favorites. It is well researched. It is exceedingly well written. It is unbiased, yet empathetic to the plight of the addict/alcoholic, and the sections on overeating and tobacco add further dimension to the text, citing scientific parallels between all forms of obsession. An outstanding book. I highly recommend it to anyone suffering from addiction, for those in the process of recovery, to family members of addicts and alcoholics, and all professionals in the field of addiction studies and counseling.
James Brown
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A review by a psychologist May 17, 2009
As a psychologist of the personality, I find Hanson's publication to be sound in described methods and well supported by his documentation.
I especially appreciate his reference on page 310 regarding the Maharishi and Dr. Benson, as these two people have helped many of my boomer generation from dissolving into substance abuse.
J. Lightfoot
Minnesota
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Finally, an honest depiction of addiction May 07, 2009
I grew up with an addict. My mother, sister, and I spent our lives tip-toeing around the house, hoping we wouldn't enrage our alcoholic father, avoiding the inevitable outburst, trying not to get hit. There was no way that my father could "just say no." After reading Dirk Hanson's book, The Chemical Carousel, I now know why. But this book isn't just about alcoholism. Hanson has written a thoughtful and thorough description of the complex world of addiction, regardless of the drug of choice. He systematically dismantles the world of addiction and he does it in a way that both the layman and the scientist may understand. Anybody who has struggled with addiction, who has lived with an addict, who knows someone who is an addict, whose job requires dealing with addicts, or anybody interested in knowing the world of the addict to better understand this disease, needs to read this book
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Insight into the biology of addiction. Apr 25, 2009
Like Plato dispelling the mythology of the "flat earth" Hanson looks to science and critical thinking to begin to break down the mythology of addiction and substance abuse. Hanson uses an easy to read yet densely informative story line to bring the reader out of the wilderness of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" to a detailed understanding of the biology and biochemistry that fundamentally underlie everyone's individual potential for addiction. Packed with eye opening information, "The Chemical Carousel" is a must read for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the biology behind the human proclivity for substance abuse.
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