Customer Reviews

Relapse and Recovery in Addictions

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In the detective novel the LONG GOODBYE, by Raymond Chandler, his hard-boiled detective, Philip Marlowe describes recovery from alcoholism as the lights changing colors and drinking friends become less fun and that the process takes 3 years. Raymond Chandler, who had personal experience with alcoholism, had great insight into the processes of relapse and recovery and he would have loved the subject of this review, RELAPSE AND RECOVERY IN ADDICTIONS edited by Frank M. Tims, Carl G. Leukefeld and Jerome J.Platt. Chandler appreciated the truth and RELAPSE AND RECOVERY IN ADDITIONS tells the truth about relapse and recovery. The book is a well balanced and comprehensive volume that sums up the contemporary research on relapse and recovery. As workers in the addictions are aware, the processes of relapse and recovery are complex and multi-determined. Similarly, RELAPSE AND RECOVERY IN ADDICTIONS appreciates the complexity of the task and covers the biological, psychological, social and cultural approaches to understanding,predicting and treating relapse and recovery in addictions. This book is no misguided attempt to seek simple but incorrect solutions but rather a realistic appreciation of the very complex conundrum that is treating addictions. The book provides a clear conceptual framework for understanding relapse and recovery, reviews the extant research on recovery and relapse and also describes the current status of the search for effective interventions. The volume is really quite eclectic in the range and depth of topics addressed, most likely reflecting the good judgment, wide knowledge and very even-handed approach of the editors to scientific findings. Interestingly, the authors who have contributed chapters are leading researchers in the field of addictions and the author list includes such addictions superstars as Robert L. Hubbard, M. Dougles Anglin, George DeLeon, Richard Schottenfeld, Harvey Siegal, Barry S. Brown, Patrick M. Flynn, Thomas R. Kosten and D. Dwayne Simpson, among a number of others. In closing, this book is an exceptional work and is destined to be seen as a contemporary classic and an essential reference for information on relapse and recovery. No serious student or researcher in the addictions should be without this book. I am sure that Raymond Chandler would have purchased a copy and perhaps reading the book would
have helped allow his lights to have changed colors a little quicker.