The Chemical Carousel
What Science Tells Us About Beating Addiction
Rating :
Author(s) :
Pages :
464
Pub Date :
2008
Edition(s) at Erowid :
2008(pb,1st ed,fine)
Publisher :
Booksurge
ISBN :
9781439212998
FROM THE EROWID REVIEW #
- Review by Jonathan Taylor, 2012 Jan 19
Hanson paints a complex picture that includes findings from hundreds if not thousands of research studies. The heart of the book is a dissection of the effects of various commonly used psychoactive substances on the brain, and a discussion of possible treatment options, including newer pharmaceuticals compounds, that attempt to stem cravings and thus prevent the ubiquitous condition known as relapse. Hanson devotes three long chapters to discussing pharmacological agents used to treat substance abuse, addiction, and craving. Many new drugs either just coming on the market or not yet on the market are discussed. This detailed generalist account is probably the most comprehensive single work on the topic for the lay reader.. . . (more)
BACK COVER #
The Chemical Carousel: What Science Tells Us About Beating Addiction by Dirk Hanson is an in-depth look at addiction science and medical treatments for drug dependence and alcoholism. An experienced science and business journalist, author Hanson brings a complex and widely misunderstood subject out of the shadows and into the light of understanding. In this groundbreaking and highly readable examination of addiction science and the biological, emotional, and scientific underpinnings of substance abuse, The Chemical Carousel breaks through the myths, while presenting the surprising and cutting-edge facts about addiction and its medical origins. Hanson leaves no stone unturned in this invaluable examination of why people become addicted. This is not a textbook or scientific paper, however. Rather, The Chemical Carousel is a book for the rest of us: friends and families of addicts, support groups, and healthcare professionals alike.