The Encyclopedia Of Addictions And Addictive Behaviors (Facts on File Library of Health and Living) [Hardcover]

Esther, M.D. Gwinnell (Author), Christine A. Adamec (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Crack cocaine. Exercise addiction/dependence. Gambling, pathological. Internet. Nicotine. These addictions are among the more than 300 entries in this volume, which provides coverage of the symptoms, possible causes, treatment, rate of occurrence, social and ethnic influences, and emergency treatment of addictions, among other topics. Eighteen helpful appendixes provide information on state mental health agencies, rates of substance abuse by high-schoolers, demographics of people who have received treatment for substance abuse, and more. Numerous tables and graphs help communicate complex statistical data.

The inclusion of important organizational contact information directly within the individual entries is a useful feature. For example, at the end of the entry for Credit card overspending, the reader will find the mailing address and URL for Debtor's Anonymous. Similarly, within the entry Depression may be found the addresses, phone numbers, and URLs for six related organizations, including the National Foundation for Depressive Illness and the National Institute of Mental Health. In other works, such information may only be found in an appendix. Here, it is found in both locations, and the redundancy is appreciated.

The index is well constructed, and boldfaced numbers quickly direct the reader to any topic's primary entries. See and see also references are present in the body and the index. A few useful cross-references are missing. For example, someone interested in investigating an addiction to plastic surgery would have to know to turn instead to Cosmetic surgery without the directional nudge of a see reference anywhere in the book.

Nonetheless, the encyclopedia is a very user-friendly, trustworthy resource and is recommended for a wide range of readers, certainly young adult through general audiences. It is appropriate for many types of libraries, including public, high school, and undergraduate. Scottie Wallace
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File; 1 edition (October 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816057079
• ISBN-13: 978-0816057078
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From drinking and cosmetic surgery addiction to drugs, shopping, gambling, and food, February 3, 2006

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This review is from: The Encyclopedia Of Addictions And Addictive Behaviors (Facts on File Library of Health and Living) (Hardcover)

All kinds of addictive behaviors, from drinking and cosmetic surgery addiction to drugs, shopping, gambling, and food are covered in Encyclopedia Of Addictions And Addictive Behaviors, a wide-ranging encyclopedia which charts symptoms, treatments, and recovery processes. Add appendixes of important organizations, state substance abuse offices, listings of controlled substances, and charts of information and you have an excellent reference packed with statistics, the latest research findings, and insights on causes and patterns of addictive behaviors.