Review by Kansas City Teacher -- Why can't Johnny Just Q...
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[Following is a volunteer review of "Why can't Johnny Just Quit?" by Kyle Oh.]
[rbc=4]id350979-125[/rbc]
Why Can’t Johnny Just Quit? by Kyle Oh discusses the issue of addiction and dependence. Anyone who has experienced or known someone with an addiction can testify addictions are difficult to treat, widespread in our culture, and a burden on our economy. According to the author and other sources, more than 50% of those in prison have drug-related offenses. Additionally, more than $40 billion are spent on incarcerating these prisoners every year. These statistics are astounding, especially when you consider that this is more than what we spend on early education.
Dr. Oh, a pain specialist, delves into the issue of addiction. He emphasizes the genetic component of addiction and uses his observations and interviews with his own patients as data. He looks at addiction through biological, cognitive and sociocultural lenses throughout the book, and makes compelling arguments to support his claims. One of his most poignant claims is that true addiction is marked by intense euphoria and is often confused with abuse and dependence. Dr. Oh gives a balanced commentary on the underlying factors associated with abuse of opiates and other drugs. He addresses the perspective of family members, treating physicians, and the addicts themselves. His research and claims are backed up with a plethora of cited reputable research and detailed observations. The drugs he discusses as anecdotes to counter addictions are described in detail, as well as the primary causes for relapse. Although his terminology is technical at times, I felt the explanations were adequate for those with a basic understanding of neurology and drugs. At the end of the book, there is a section for technical definitions, the handout the doctor gives his patients, links to professional academic journals affiliated with addictions, and an index.
I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. The topic has great implications on a broad spectrum of society. As discussed above, the information is at times very technical, but I felt I could understand the message of the text. The ideas presented in this book supplemented what I already knew, and provided me with new ideas I had not yet considered. For example, I did not understand how or which drugs were used to treat certain addictions, or that that there is empirical evidence that addictions are mostly genetically influenced. I chose this book because it very relevant to educators. I would recommend this book to all medical professionals, counselors, educators, parents, and teenagers. I was surprised to see many of the points Dr. Oh outlined as myths are what many educators and police resource officers tell our children in schools. As I read this, I am reminded how vulnerable our youth are -vulnerable to social pressures, to the words they hear, and to the things they see. The doctor describes the one question he uses to determine if a person is truly addicted, and has many other interesting insights into effective treatment for addicts. As discussed in the book and highlighted in the case studies, addiction strikes across all cultural barriers and does not discriminate. The examples in this text come from all walks of life. The case studies of homemakers, models, students, nurses, and pharmacy technicians make this text more valid and relatable to the reader.
What I like most about this book is the voice with which the doctor speaks. Above all the technical explanations of neurotransmission, the pharmaceutical classification of drugs, and the structure of neuron receptors arises an aura of compassion that permeates throughout each chapter. This is the kind of professional I would pray to have as a physician and healer if my own children were in trouble. The author and many other mental health professionals maintain that people with addictions are difficult to treat. They are manipulative. Their brain structures have changed. Their desire for the drug leads them to do prioritize, which frequently leads to strained relationships and poor judgment. Through the dialogue in the case studies, the reader can see how compassionate this doctor is - grieving over losses, warning them of pitfalls during relapses, all while still holding them accountable. Even though he is caring, the doctor emphasizes that the role of the physician is to be healers and mentors, not friends. The same can be said of educators.
The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it seemed repetitive at times. This may have been for emphasis, but in many places I felt I was reading the same thing twice. Perhaps some diagrams of the basic process of neurotransmission might make it more clear when the author discusses reuptake and receptor cells.
Overall, this is a very informative book about an important topic that I would recommend to all my fellow educators, medical personnel, and anyone who in a position of molding our youth. The writing appears to be professionally edited. I only found a couple of grammatical errors, and they did not interfere with the author’s delivery or the message of the text.
******
Why can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves |
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Why Can’t Johnny Just Quit? by Kyle Oh discusses the issue of addiction and dependence. Anyone who has experienced or known someone with an addiction can testify addictions are difficult to treat, widespread in our culture, and a burden on our economy. According to the author and other sources, more than 50% of those in prison have drug-related offenses. Additionally, more than $40 billion are spent on incarcerating these prisoners every year. These statistics are astounding, especially when you consider that this is more than what we spend on early education.
Dr. Oh, a pain specialist, delves into the issue of addiction. He emphasizes the genetic component of addiction and uses his observations and interviews with his own patients as data. He looks at addiction through biological, cognitive and sociocultural lenses throughout the book, and makes compelling arguments to support his claims. One of his most poignant claims is that true addiction is marked by intense euphoria and is often confused with abuse and dependence. Dr. Oh gives a balanced commentary on the underlying factors associated with abuse of opiates and other drugs. He addresses the perspective of family members, treating physicians, and the addicts themselves. His research and claims are backed up with a plethora of cited reputable research and detailed observations. The drugs he discusses as anecdotes to counter addictions are described in detail, as well as the primary causes for relapse. Although his terminology is technical at times, I felt the explanations were adequate for those with a basic understanding of neurology and drugs. At the end of the book, there is a section for technical definitions, the handout the doctor gives his patients, links to professional academic journals affiliated with addictions, and an index.
I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. The topic has great implications on a broad spectrum of society. As discussed above, the information is at times very technical, but I felt I could understand the message of the text. The ideas presented in this book supplemented what I already knew, and provided me with new ideas I had not yet considered. For example, I did not understand how or which drugs were used to treat certain addictions, or that that there is empirical evidence that addictions are mostly genetically influenced. I chose this book because it very relevant to educators. I would recommend this book to all medical professionals, counselors, educators, parents, and teenagers. I was surprised to see many of the points Dr. Oh outlined as myths are what many educators and police resource officers tell our children in schools. As I read this, I am reminded how vulnerable our youth are -vulnerable to social pressures, to the words they hear, and to the things they see. The doctor describes the one question he uses to determine if a person is truly addicted, and has many other interesting insights into effective treatment for addicts. As discussed in the book and highlighted in the case studies, addiction strikes across all cultural barriers and does not discriminate. The examples in this text come from all walks of life. The case studies of homemakers, models, students, nurses, and pharmacy technicians make this text more valid and relatable to the reader.
What I like most about this book is the voice with which the doctor speaks. Above all the technical explanations of neurotransmission, the pharmaceutical classification of drugs, and the structure of neuron receptors arises an aura of compassion that permeates throughout each chapter. This is the kind of professional I would pray to have as a physician and healer if my own children were in trouble. The author and many other mental health professionals maintain that people with addictions are difficult to treat. They are manipulative. Their brain structures have changed. Their desire for the drug leads them to do prioritize, which frequently leads to strained relationships and poor judgment. Through the dialogue in the case studies, the reader can see how compassionate this doctor is - grieving over losses, warning them of pitfalls during relapses, all while still holding them accountable. Even though he is caring, the doctor emphasizes that the role of the physician is to be healers and mentors, not friends. The same can be said of educators.
The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it seemed repetitive at times. This may have been for emphasis, but in many places I felt I was reading the same thing twice. Perhaps some diagrams of the basic process of neurotransmission might make it more clear when the author discusses reuptake and receptor cells.
Overall, this is a very informative book about an important topic that I would recommend to all my fellow educators, medical personnel, and anyone who in a position of molding our youth. The writing appears to be professionally edited. I only found a couple of grammatical errors, and they did not interfere with the author’s delivery or the message of the text.
******
Why can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves |
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