Review of Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
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[Following is a volunteer review of "Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?" by Kyle Oh.]
Addiction is a disease. It affects a significant portion of different societies in many - sometimes tragic - ways and yet apparently we do not properly understand it. At least that's what Kyle Oh believes. In this book, Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?, the author suggests that "once we finally understand addiction, we will have a better definition of addiction at the conclusion of this book." The author expertly uses decades-long experience, observation and research to carve a pathway that leads us to a more elucidated understanding of what addiction is versus what we have previously believed. The author makes a - sometimes debatable - distinction between a high and intoxication, between sedation and stimulation, between addiction and abuse. It's through these points that we get to better understand what addiction truly is.
The writing here is honest and easy to understand. Some experts write in a language that is sometimes difficult for the typical layman to get through with understanding. This book doesn't suffer from that. Even though the author does get technical and speaks of scientific compounds in detail, it never gets to a point of being textbook-like.
When dealing with addiction and the addicted, unfortunately judgement is a big factor. We tend to judge the addicted when ours should be compassion and understanding. Kyle Oh pounds at this multiple times. Addiction can happen to anyone susceptible. And it doesn't take the consumption of hard, illicit drugs for this to happen. Alcohol, pot and pain medication can be highly addictive when taken by someone susceptible to addiction. I think that was the greatest eye-opener for me. The doctor explains in great detail how this occurs to some and not most, and how, with better understanding, one can avoid getting hooked on drugs.
The book covers a wide range of topics around addiction; from the chemical components of drugs to even racial biases that exists in the incarceration of drug related offenses. It is that thorough. The author also uses quite a large number of patient examples and case studies to make compelling arguments. The use of traceable references was also most welcomed. It shows the amount of research that went through completing the book.
The book is, however, quite repetitive. The doctor does acknowledge this in one instance: "I apologize if I seem to repeat myself. But I find that some concepts are so important to understanding this problem that they bear repeating." I understand the need for this but there were a few times when statements were repeated verbatim. I found this unnecessary and a little dreary. There's absolutely no reason to write "monkey on your back" four times in one book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, simply because not only was I satisfied with the overall product, I feel like I've learned something extremely valuable and necessary. Kyle Oh made what seems like a simple matter to understand more understandable by bringing a completely new approach to it. The book is also well edited as I was only able to notice very few grammatical errors.
This book should be read by everyone at least once. If Kyle Oh is on the mark with his understanding of addiction, then it's worth saying that the potential of this book to save lives is incalculable.
******
Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves |
Addiction is a disease. It affects a significant portion of different societies in many - sometimes tragic - ways and yet apparently we do not properly understand it. At least that's what Kyle Oh believes. In this book, Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?, the author suggests that "once we finally understand addiction, we will have a better definition of addiction at the conclusion of this book." The author expertly uses decades-long experience, observation and research to carve a pathway that leads us to a more elucidated understanding of what addiction is versus what we have previously believed. The author makes a - sometimes debatable - distinction between a high and intoxication, between sedation and stimulation, between addiction and abuse. It's through these points that we get to better understand what addiction truly is.
The writing here is honest and easy to understand. Some experts write in a language that is sometimes difficult for the typical layman to get through with understanding. This book doesn't suffer from that. Even though the author does get technical and speaks of scientific compounds in detail, it never gets to a point of being textbook-like.
When dealing with addiction and the addicted, unfortunately judgement is a big factor. We tend to judge the addicted when ours should be compassion and understanding. Kyle Oh pounds at this multiple times. Addiction can happen to anyone susceptible. And it doesn't take the consumption of hard, illicit drugs for this to happen. Alcohol, pot and pain medication can be highly addictive when taken by someone susceptible to addiction. I think that was the greatest eye-opener for me. The doctor explains in great detail how this occurs to some and not most, and how, with better understanding, one can avoid getting hooked on drugs.
The book covers a wide range of topics around addiction; from the chemical components of drugs to even racial biases that exists in the incarceration of drug related offenses. It is that thorough. The author also uses quite a large number of patient examples and case studies to make compelling arguments. The use of traceable references was also most welcomed. It shows the amount of research that went through completing the book.
The book is, however, quite repetitive. The doctor does acknowledge this in one instance: "I apologize if I seem to repeat myself. But I find that some concepts are so important to understanding this problem that they bear repeating." I understand the need for this but there were a few times when statements were repeated verbatim. I found this unnecessary and a little dreary. There's absolutely no reason to write "monkey on your back" four times in one book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, simply because not only was I satisfied with the overall product, I feel like I've learned something extremely valuable and necessary. Kyle Oh made what seems like a simple matter to understand more understandable by bringing a completely new approach to it. The book is also well edited as I was only able to notice very few grammatical errors.
This book should be read by everyone at least once. If Kyle Oh is on the mark with his understanding of addiction, then it's worth saying that the potential of this book to save lives is incalculable.
******
Why Can't Johnny Just Quit?
View: on Bookshelves |
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