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The Thirteenth Step: Addiction in the Age of Brain Science Hardcover – May 12, 2015
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Clarifying the cutting-edge science of addiction for both practitioners and general readers, The Thirteenth Step pairs stories of real patients with explanations of key concepts relating to their illness. A police chief who disappears on the job illustrates the process through which a drug can trigger the brain circuits mediating relapse. One person's effort to find a burrito shack in a foreign city illuminates the reward prediction error signaled by the brain chemical dopamine. With these examples and more, this volume paints a vivid, readable portrait of drug seeking, escalation, and other aspects of addiction and suggests science-based treatments that promise to improve troubling relapse rates. Merging science and human experience, The Thirteenth Step offers compassionate, valuable answers to anyone who hopes for a better handle on a confounding disease.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherColumbia University Press
- Publication dateMay 12, 2015
- Dimensions6.3 x 1.2 x 9.1 inches
- ISBN-100231172362
- ISBN-13978-0231159371
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Editorial Reviews
Review
It was a great pleasure to read this book. Without being openly critical of the usual talk therapy, Heilig outlines the newest treatments that should be offered to every patient suffering from addiction. He shows that treatments today can be based on recent scientific knowledge about what is happening in the brains of alcoholics and describes new treatments based on current knowledge about the disease. Heilig, a world-class expert, has done a tremendous service for patients and their families by writing this book. -- Charles P. O'Brien, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
Markus Heilig sums up what he has learned during his twenty years as a physician and researcher in the treatment of alcohol and other addictive disorders.... An informative and compassionate chronicle. ― Kirkus Reviews
Poignantly written and personal, yet presents the current science of addiction in a clear and engaging way. Markus Heilig's exploration of addiction science is beautifully written and is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand why addictive behaviors and bad habits are difficult to give up, and how to do it. Heilig has masterfully laid out his own clinical experiences and concisely presented the science of addiction. His book brings to life the countless devastating effects of addiction that affect individuals across all strata of society while attacking the stigma of addiction and shows the importance of neuroscience in understanding and treating it. -- Rajita Sinha, chief, psychology section, Yale Medical School
Heilig is one of the wisest, smartest, most insightful people I know. And what Heilig is, so is this book. A fantastic journey across one of the most complex and misunderstood problems of our time. -- Pier Vincenzo Piazza, director, Neurocentre Magendie
Recommended for anyone who suffers from addiction or who knows someone who does; undergraduate and graduate students, scholars, and researchers studying medicine, particularly addiction and neurology, and psychology; and anyone who has an interest in learning more about the subject. ― Library Journal
What makes this book especially compelling is the author's ability to smoothly transition between dealing with addictions at the human clinical level and at the more abstract level of scientific research. Heilig admirably tries to extract the most meaningful takeaway points from sometimes-dense scientific findings.... Highly recommended. ― Choice
Markus Heilig has succeeded in making the airy dismissals of biological evidence-based approaches to addiction, such as those he heard in medical school, no longer tenable. -- Séamus Sweeney ― Times Literary Supplement
[The Thirteenth Step] offers a brilliant and, perhaps more important, highly legible review of current addiction science.... Heilig's synthesis invites us all to critically consider the addiction concept along with its implications for people, policy, and the practice of medicine. -- Kyle Bridge ― H-Sci-Med-Tech
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Columbia University Press; 1st edition (May 12, 2015)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0231172362
- ISBN-13 : 978-0231159371
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.3 x 1.2 x 9.1 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,059,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #396 in Medical Psychopharmacology
- #525 in Popular Psychology Psychopharmacology
- #1,887 in Sociological Study of Medicine
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book insightful and informative about addiction. They say it provides a good grounding in scientific research and clinical help. Readers praise the writing quality as well-written, cogent, and brilliant.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find this book provides a balanced and informative account of addiction. It is filled with scientific research and information that is helpful for those involved with the treatment of addiction. The book covers topics like molecular culprits and pills for addiction, as well as effective approaches to successful treatment.
"...should fundamentally change and address the stigma and treatment of addiction medicine...." Read more
"This is a balanced and informative account of a serious public health problem. The writer is experienced in both treatment and research." Read more
"...If you want a good grounding in the research, the status of clinical help available, and the many factors that are associated with addiction, read..." Read more
"...The entire book does an excellent job of reviewing the history of treatments for addiction, as well as the history of evidenced-based medical..." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, cogent, and useful for casual readers. The author is described as brilliant and well-informed.
"...It's written at a relatively sophisticated level, but it is not dry or boring." Read more
"...For my purpose, I could not ask for more from a resource. Well written, cogent and very useful for the casual reader trying to assist family..." Read more
"...The author is brilliant and well informed-..." Read more
"Must Read!..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018The author brings his expertise and years of thoughtful hard work to ask questions that should fundamentally change and address the stigma and treatment of addiction medicine. Before you or your friend starts treatment, read this book entirely. It will be life changing.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2015This is a balanced and informative account of a serious public health problem. The writer is experienced in both treatment and research.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023Truly an eye opening and sensitive treatment of an important subject. I hope it results in a more rational approach to addiction.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2017Best book I've read on the subject. And that is saying something, because I have read several dozen since addiction visited the life of a close family member.
If you want a good grounding in the research, the status of clinical help available, and the many factors that are associated with addiction, read this book. It's written at a relatively sophisticated level, but it is not dry or boring.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021ever think to look into what the "thirteenth step" refers to among recovering people, before deciding on a title for this book? In case you were wondering, the "thirteenth step" is the term used to describe becoming involved in romantic/sexual entanglements within the context of a 12-step program. Not knowing this very basic and common vernacular is a fantastic way of isolating his readership.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2015As a treatment professional, I found this book to be an excellent read about the science of addiction and evidenced-based treatments available. Heilig's chapters on molecular culprits and pills for addiction are superb. The entire book does an excellent job of reviewing the history of treatments for addiction, as well as the history of evidenced-based medical treatments for alcohol use disorders. He handles a discussion of AA with aplomb, and with the pragmatic view of a scientist. Overall, an excellent read for anyone interested in the science of addiction, the pharmaceutical treatments that are currently available, as well as a review of other treatment options from the perspective of a person of evidenced-based science.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2018Required text for MSW program. Not a fan of the narrative.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2015This book deserves a serious review from scholar/practioner in Addiction work. I am a social scientist doing research for family members. For my purpose, I could not ask for more from a resource. Well written, cogent and very useful for the casual reader trying to assist family members. Bravo.
Top reviews from other countries
Gordon McNeillyReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 20174.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book, well-researched by someone working in the ...
An interesting book, well-researched by someone working in the field of drug (including alcohol) dependency problems and clearly trying to apply evidence-based medicine/techniques to it. Perhaps an unfortunate title given its connotations in AA-based slang, but I understand it as, maybe, meaning 'moving beyond' the Twelve Steps although I don't see that overall either. Markus Heilig comes from a different approach of being mainly evidence-based and eschewing anecdotes and anecdotal evidence which the Anonymous movement thrives on. He does share in common, though, a belief in the disease model which I am not sure he presented convincing evidence to back up, but I shall re-read that section in due time.
andy jaunzemsReviewed in Canada on October 21, 20155.0 out of 5 stars Excellent content, excellent analyses
Excellent content, excellent analyses, excellent argumentation. As a recovering "person", I found it answered my questions and gave me hope..
Demonstrated to me that alcoholism (oops! "dependency") is a disease, For comparison, think of diabetes. If diabetics were advised to go to talk therapy, how many would be helped? Buy it or borrow or steal.

