- ISBN13: 9780743277839
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
America Anonymous is the unforgettable story of eight men and women from around the country — including a grandmother, a college student, a bodybuilder, and a housewife — struggling with addictions. For nearly three years, acclaimed journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis immersed himself in their lives as they battled drug and alcohol abuse, overeating, and compulsive gambling and sexuality. Alternating with their stories is Denizet-Lewis’s candid account of his own reco… More >>
America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life
Addiction is one of society’s most serious problems and surely we have to take better steps such as emphasizing treatment rather than incarceration.
This book is not about treatment options, it is about 8 addicts (drugs, sex, shoplifting….). What they have in common, perhaps because of the author’s approach, is that they come across as boring narcissists (the crack and heroin addicts excepted, maybe the old alcoholic. OK they’re not all narcissists but they sure are boring. Being an addiction counselor must be horrible, hanging around with these dopes all day.).
Liked the (former) Chinese method of dealing with heroin dealers though, wonder why they stopped?.
Rating: 2 / 5
This is a thorough and thoughtful insight into the various types of addiction that, though different, have the same underlying causes and conditions. Denizet-Lewis follows real people through the ups and downs of recovery with an honest, yet gentle view. This is an excellent read for those in recovery, those struggling to stay sober, and friends and family of both.
Rating: 4 / 5
Benoit Denizet-Lewis is a gifted young journalist who is not afraid to tackle contraversial subjects in modern American culture. With America Anonymous, he has used his formidable journalistic skills to write an important addition to the literature on addiction in contemporary America. The principal aims of the book are to show the reader what addiction looks like through the struggles of eight addicts (plus insight into his own struggle with sex addiction), to educate us that addictions can be much broader than those we typical identify (for example, shoplifting, gambling and sex can be as destructively addictive as alcohol and other substances), and to suggest that the anonymity required by twelve step programs (which the author believes are the only useful method of recovery) may in the end be preventing addicts from achieving the broad based support that can be necessary to address the problem comprehensively. The stories of the eight protagonists draw you in, in part because Denizet-Lewis is an excellent journalist, and in part because you want to know how these peoples’ lives progress. Do they get and/or respond to treatment, will they relapse, will they even acknowledge the extent of their addictions and what needs to be done, etc.? It makes for a fascinating and exciting read. I originally picked up the book because I thought it might help me to understand better a friend who I’ve watched struggle with alcoholism for the past 15 years. The book did help me on that score, but it also spurred me to think about larger issues, such as what causes some who experience childhood trauma to go down the addiction path, while others who have similar experiences do not manifest the same desires. If I found the book lacking in any respect, it’s that it asks many questions but it doesn’t necessarily try to answer them. For instance, Denizet-Lewis wonders but doesn’t really try to figure out whether it would be better for addiction recovery to take place more publicly, although I think in the end he believes that would be the better path than the strict anonymity of most recovery programs. He also doesn’t attempt to suggest what the contours of a more public addiction recovery would be. But this is a very minor point that does not detract from the larger importance of the book. In the end, the book is an attempt to identify issues and get the dialogue going, and on that score, it’s a remarkable success.
Rating: 4 / 5
Nearly 23 million Americans are hooked on alcohol or drugs, another 61 million smoke cigarettes, and millions more are slaves to gambling, overeating, etc.
In 2007, the economic cost from alcohol and drug abuse alone was estimated to be over half a billion. Denizet-Lewis points out that profit and politics have more to do with how we combat addiction than rational thinking – nicotine and alcohol are legal, while marijuana, which kills virtually no one, is an obsessive focus.
“Faces of Addiction” follows 8 different addicts through their struggles with various personal devils ranging from alcohol, drugs, shop-lifting, food, etc. Some are more successful than others. A common theme running throughout is the existence of groups to help those addicted, and generally following the 12-step process.
Insurance companies don’t pay for addiction treatment, but they treat other chronic conditions that often are caused by untreated addiction.
Something to think about – a quote from a counselor quoted in the book: “I never met a recovered addict who said it was because he/she couldn’t find drugs anymore.” So much for the War on Drugs?
Rating: 4 / 5
The 8 case studies create a realistic but hopeful picture of addiction. There are many wasted years among the happy endings. The book is a nice way to learn about 12 Step programs and philosphy, as it reads easily and integrates the material into the life stories.
Rating: 4 / 5