Books by Parents/Spouse
Addiction Collateral Damage: The Other Victims of Addiction Collection of short essays by parents who have lost children to the disease of addiction. Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis, 2011. website Updated: 2012-04-03
Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Addiction Nic (Tweak) Sheff’s father and his take on addiction and trying to save his son’s life. David Sheff, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Updated: 2011-03-10
I Am Your Disease: The Many Faces of Addiction. Real Lives, True Stories Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis with Heiko Ganzer, 2006 website Updated: 2012-06-06
Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir Weber’s son does not die of anything related to substance issues. What is compelling? Here is a parent who did everything humanly possible to save his son’s life. Exhausting to read at times, it serves a purpose. Try against all odds. – no regrets Doron Weber, Updated: 2012-08-27
S-W-I-S-H Maria in the Mourning Pamela Palmer Mutino., USA: Outskirts Press, Inc., 2008. Updated: 2011-10-10
Slaying the Addiction Monster Sheryl Letzgus MCGinnis, Booksurge Publishing, An Amazon.com Company, 2008. Updated: 2011-10-10
The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough Lois is the founder of AlaNon; wife of AA cofounder Bill Wilson. William G. Borchet, 1st ed. Center City, Minnesota: Hazelden, 2005. Updated: 2011-08-10
The Reason – Help and Hope for Those Who Grieve A mother shares her journey and what she has learned after the suicide of her beloved son. Sally Graplick, 2011. website Updated: 2011-10-10
When Dreams and Daughters Die An alcoholic from her first taste, Mel finally felt “normal”. A mother’s story about her beautiful daughter lost to the ravages of alcoholism. M. H. DeMent, 1094 NE DeHaven Street, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713: Infinity Publishing.Com, 2009. Updated: 2011-10-10
Books By/About Addicts
Addiction and Art Wonderful views into the minds of recovering addicts! Edited by Santora, Dowell, Henningfield,, Johns Hopkins University Press. website Updated: 2011-10-10
High: Confessions of an International Drug Smuggler If you don’t learn it on the streets, you’ll learn the business of drug smuggling in prison. Brian O’Dea, Other Press ed. New York: Other Press, 2009. Updated: 2011-10-10
Life No one quite like this bloke who tells it like it is for him. Candid and eye opening. Keith Richards, Back Bay Books. website Updated: 2012-03-21
My Name is Bill: Bill Wilson – His Life and the Creation of Alcoholics Anonymous Think you know about alcoholism? Here’s an excellent history lesson. Susan Cheever, Washington Square Press. Updated: 2012-03-26
Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict Privileged, educated and in the midst of the good life in NYC. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. Joshua Lyon, 1st ed. New York: Hyperion, 2009. Updated: 2011-10-10
the lost years: surviving a mother and daughter’s worst nightmare Co-written by addicted daughter and distraught mother, these authors offer unvarnished truths of their journey. Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry, Jeffers Press. website Updated: 2012-03-21
The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life, His Own. David Carr, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. Updated: 2011-09-14
Tweak: (Growing Up on Methamphetamines) What goes on inside the mind of a meth addict? Nic gives us a window inside hell. Nic Sheff, 1st ed. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. Updated: 2011-10-10
White Rabbit, A Doctor’s Story of Her Addiction and Recovery Smart 4th year medical student addicted to heroin to cope with the pressure. Blessed to land in the midst of a recovery system, she survives to help others. Martha Morrison, M.D. , New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1989. Updated: 2011-10-10
History
An Anatomy of Addiction: Sigmund Freud, William Halsted and the Miracle Drug Cocaine These early cocaine addicts brought perspectives that can teach us a lot. Dr. Markel’s historical story is fascinating and extremely educational. Howard Markel, Pantheon, 2011 website Updated: 2011-07-27
Discovering Addiction: The Science and Politics of Substance Abuse Research Wonder where zillions of research dollars have gone over the years? Here’s some important historical information. Nancy Campbell, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2007. Updated: 2011-10-10
Genius and Heroin Pills, Absinthe, Crack, Hash, (and Other Variations, Including Martinis, Bourbon, and Sex) the Illustrated Catalogue of Creativity Fascinating compendium of addicts over the centuries. Michael Largo, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022: Harper Collins Books, 2008. Updated: 2011-10-10
Pain Killer: A “Wonder” Drug’s Trail of Addiction and Death Award winning reporter offers the history of Oxycontin and the fortune made to the cost of thousands of lives. Barry Meier, Emmaus, PA. Updated: 2011-10-10
The Narcotic Farm The first US prison for addicts opens in Lexington, Kentucky in 1935. A critical history lesson leading to the establishment of NIDA. Nancy D. Campbell, J.P. Olsen, and Luke Corydon Walden, New York: Abrams, 2008. Updated: 2011-10-10
Novels
Cost Fictional version of family repercussion of addiction. Highly relatable. Roxana Robinson, 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2008. Updated: 2011-10-10
Perspective
Addict Nation: An Intervention for America Food, news, crisis…we are not lacking in things to be addicted to including the self induced adrenaline rush of over working, over spending…. Jane Velez-Mithcel and Sandra Mohr, HCI, Inc. 2011. Updated: 2012-04-03
Long Day’s Journey into Night From one of American’s foremost playwrights, an award winning Broadway and television play. Alcohol and drug addiction in the 30’s and 40’s. by Eugene O’Neill. 1st ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1956; 1955. Updated: 2012-01-16
Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy In the worst of circumstances (Nazi camps of WWII), hope and meaning can be found. Applicable in any situation deemed hopeless. by Viktor E. Frankel, Newcket Books, 1963. Updated: 2012-01-05
The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You Beware what you assume to be “the truth” according to your search engine. by Eli Parisier, 2011. Updated: 2012-01-25
The Fix Excellent history of US drug law enforcement from local to international politics. If you think there are enough resources to stop drug trafficking in the US, read this book. Michael Massing, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. Updated: 2012-01-18
The New Codependency: Help and Guidance for Today’s Generation Co-alcholic, codependency, enabling…what you need to know to help yourself before helping anyone else, ever. Melody Beattie, Simon and Schuster. website Updated: 2012-03-21
The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis, It’s Role in Medicine, Politics… Think you know all about pot? This 2011 compilation from the best researchers in the world is enlightening. Edited by Julie Holland, M.D., Park Street Press 2011. website Updated: 2012-03-21
Unhinged: the Trouble with Psychiatry – A Doctor’s Revelations about a Profession in Crisis The title says it all – a revealing discussion regarding prescription medications, addiction and the pharmaceutical industry. Daniel J. Carlat. M.D., Free Press, 2010 website Updated: 2012-06-06
Weekends at Bellevue – nine years on the night shift at the psych ER Dr. Holland saw it all – from the addicts, law enforcement, hospital administrators to other medical staff. Another window into the bigger picture of addiction, Julie Holland, M.D., Bantam Books 2010. website Updated: 2012-03-26
Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know… Interventionist viewpoint where the author also shares his own struggles with addiction. Good primer. Joe Herzanek, Changing Lives Foundation. website Updated: 2012-03-21
Policy
Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the US and Mexico El Paso and Ciudad Juarez – the deadliest of border cities in the US thanks to drug trafficking. How the city councils hands were tied by the highest officials in the US. Beto O’Rourke and Susie Byrd , Cinco Puntos Press 2010. website Border Wars – Mexico Updated: 2012-03-21
Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies White paper detailing the success of Portugal’s 10 years since decriminalizing drugs in 2001. Glenn Greenwald of the Cato Institute, website Updated: 2011-10-10
Honorable Intentions: The odyssey of an American warrior… Russell Jones reports on his own history in law enforcement and what he has come to see as a broader truth in the war on drugs. Fascinating read! Russell Jones, Hill Country Ink 2012. website Updated: 2012-03-21
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction Chock full of the latest research on addiction, causes, treatment, dignity and offering a broader view than is typically covered – a must read. Gabor Mate, M.D., North Atlantic Books 2010. website Updated: 2012-03-21
The Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition How much money could be freed up from the US annual budgets and applied elsewhere? A mega-lot! Jeffery Miron and Katherine Waldock of the CATO Institute, Cato Institute. website Updated: 2011-10-10
War On Drugs, Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy Comprised of the highest ranking governmental leaders from across the globe, this report offers their findings on the anniversary of the 40 year war on drugs. It’s not pretty. On Line Resource. website Updated: 2011-10-10
