The Selfish Brain: Learning From Addiction - Tapa dura

This book is essential reading for those wishing to find out about the nature and philosophy of addiction, and issues concerning addiction from a particularly American point of view by an author pre-eminent in his field -- White House 'drug czar' to President Ford and also first Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse.... The book must be read and can only enhance and enrich one's approach to the complex and diverse problem of addiction. It should be read by everyone including addicts and their families. * Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry * This is a remarkable book in its scope, conviction, and perspective...Dupont provides a storehouse of useful and persuasive data, personal reflections, and his extensive clinical experience to support his position.... He is forceful in his point of view, which is a strength of this book. It could be powerfully persuasive and helpful for those who need and can accept such a rigid approach. * JAMA * The author is an expert in prevention and treatment of drug addiction, and he clearly cares passionately about drug abuse and its victims. This book will benefit all who are interested in ideas about the causes and cures of drug addiction. * Choice * This is a truly remarkable book -- remarkable in its scope, its wisdom, and its clarity. Dr. DuPont has drawn upon his lifetime career experience as a psychiatrist specializing in drug abuse and as a former government official (first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse) to produce this most interesting account.... What has been learned from basic research on the biologic basis of drug-seeking behavior is simplified for the nonscientist reader to understand. The properties of the several families of addictive drugs are explained fully and correctly. And the sections on drug policy and the societal dangers of a culture that tolerates drug use are exemplary in this reviewer's opinion. Especially persuasive are the arguments against any form of drug legalization. * Avram Goldstein, M.D., Addiction *

In this country, drug addiction and alcoholism have reached crisis proportions. The grim statistics illuminate the size of this crisis. More than 30 million Americans alive today will become addicted. The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs causes one out of every four deaths in the United States. Illegal drug use now costs the nation $67 billion a year. The Selfish Brain: Learning From Addiction takes a comprehensive, no-holds-barred look at the easy path to drug addiction and the tough road to recovery. Written in an easy-to-understand style, this book can help people confront addiction in their own lives and in their families by exploring the biological roots of addiction and the way addicts are allowed to deny their addiction by compassionate, well-meaning people. Based on his experience as a specialist on addiction and as a policymaker, former drug czar Robert L. DuPont, M.D., advocates "tough-love" measures to strip away the denial that allows addicts to remain trapped in their destructive habit and place them on the road to recovery. He examines treatment options, especially 12-step programs, which he believes are the most effective path to recovery. Powerful and often controversial, The Selfish Brain provides an honest examination of an insidious, destructive disease.