Best Books On Addiction (2020)

Summary

In this informative video, Amber Hollingsworth introduces her top seven favorite books on addiction, offering a blend of science, personal stories, and humor. She categorizes the books to cater to different interests, from the scientifically inclined 'The Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis to Johann Hari's 'Chasing the Scream,' which challenges conventional views on addiction. For those struggling with alcohol, 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace presents an alternative approach, while 'House on Stilts' by Paula Becker provides insight for family members of addicts. Hollingsworth also recommends recovery memoirs by Russell Brand, Tiffany Jenkins, and Laura Cleary, highlighting their use of humor as a tool for healing and self-reflection.

Takeaways

• 📚 Amber Hollingsworth recommends seven books on addiction, emphasizing their value in understanding the science and psychology behind it.
• 🧠 'The Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis is a blend of neuroscience and personal story, offering a deep dive into the brain's addiction mechanisms.
• 🌐 'Chasing the Scream' by Johann Hari explores addiction from various perspectives, including historical, political, and personal viewpoints.
• 🍻 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace presents an alternative approach to alcoholism, focusing on the decision to stop drinking rather than feeling obligated to.
• 🏠 'House on Stilts' by Paula Becker provides insight into a parent's experience dealing with a child's addiction, highlighting the emotional and decision-making challenges.
• 😂 Russell Brand's 'Recovery' uses humor and sarcasm to discuss the 12 steps of recovery, offering a candid and philosophical take on addiction.
• 🌙 Tiffany Jenkins' 'High Achiever' shares her personal story of addiction with humor, making the difficult topic relatable and engaging.
• 🤪 Laura Cleary's 'Idiot' is a humorous and self-deprecating account of her recovery journey, showing the lighter side of overcoming addiction.
• 🔗 The books are categorized to help readers find one that suits their interests, whether they prefer scientific, personal, or humorous narratives.
• 🔗 Links to all recommended books, including titles and authors, will be provided in the video description for easy access.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video and what is the purpose of their channel?

The speaker is Amber Hollingsworth, and the purpose of her channel is to help people get their life back on track by teaching them the science and psychology of addiction.

What is the theme of the video?

The theme of the video is Amber's top seven favorite books on addiction, which she recommends for understanding and dealing with addiction.

How does Amber categorize the books she recommends?

Amber categorizes the books into 'nerdy recovery' books, books that offer a historical, political, and legal perspective on addiction, and books written by people in recovery with personal experiences and humor.

What makes 'The Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis unique according to Amber?

'The Addicted Brain' is unique because it is written by a neuroscientist who is in recovery, offering a perfect balance of science and personal story.

Why does Amber consider 'Chasing the Scream' by Johann Hari a game-changer?

Amber considers 'Chasing the Scream' a game-changer because it explores addiction from multiple perspectives, including historical, political, legal, and personal viewpoints, which led her to rethink her philosophical values about addiction.

What is the main focus of 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace?

'This Naked Mind' focuses on helping people decide they don't want to drink anymore, which is a different approach from the traditional 12-step program.

Which book does Amber recommend for family members, particularly parents, who are worried about someone with an addiction?

Amber recommends 'House on Stilts' by Paula Becker for family members, as it provides a personal story of dealing with a child's addiction.

What common element do the last three books Amber mentions have in terms of the authors' approach to discussing addiction?

The last three books, written by people in recovery, share a common element of using humor, sarcasm, and personal storytelling to discuss their experiences with addiction.

How does Amber describe Russell Brand's book 'Recovery' in terms of its content and style?

Amber describes 'Recovery' by Russell Brand as a mix of humor, sarcasm, deep philosophical insights, and personal stories from his life, including his take on the 12 steps.

What is the title of the book Amber mentions that she stayed up all night listening to?

The book Amber stayed up all night listening to is 'High Achiever' by Tiffany Jenkins.

What makes 'Idiot' by Laura Cleary stand out according to Amber?

'Idiot' by Laura Cleary stands out due to the author's great sense of humor, deep insight, and self-deprecating storytelling style.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Top Seven Favorite Books on Addiction

Amber Hollingsworth introduces her top seven favorite books on addiction, emphasizing the importance of understanding addiction from both a scientific and personal perspective. She categorizes the books to help viewers find the most suitable ones based on their interests. The first category includes 'The Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis, which combines neuroscience with personal recovery story, and 'Chasing the Scream' by Johann Hari, which offers a multifaceted view on addiction including historical, political, and legal perspectives. The third book in this category is 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace, focusing on a non-traditional approach to alcoholism.

05:01

🏠 Books for Family Members and Humorous Recovery Stories

The second part of the script discusses books that cater to family members dealing with a loved one's addiction, such as 'House on Stilts' by Paula Becker, which provides an intimate look at the struggles and decisions a parent faces when their child is battling addiction. The latter half of the paragraph highlights three books written by individuals in recovery, sharing their experiences with humor and sarcasm. 'Recovery' by Russell Brand offers a candid take on the 12 steps with a mix of humor and philosophy. 'High Achiever' by Tiffany Jenkins is a compelling personal story that uses humor to address serious topics, and 'Idiot' by Laura Cleary is noted for its self-deprecating humor and deep insights into the recovery process.

Keywords

💡Addiction

Addiction is a complex condition characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, despite adverse consequences. In the video, addiction is the central theme, with the speaker discussing various books that provide insights into understanding and overcoming it. The script mentions that the channel is dedicated to teaching the science and psychology of addiction, indicating the importance of knowledge in combating this issue.

💡Neurological

Neurological refers to the scientific study of the nervous system, including the brain. In the context of the video, the term is related to the book 'The Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis, which explores the science behind addiction from a neuroscientist's perspective. The script highlights the book's balance of heavy science with a personal story, illustrating how addiction affects the brain.

💡Recovery

Recovery in the video script pertains to the process of overcoming addiction and regaining control over one's life. Several books mentioned, such as 'Chasing the Scream' and 'Recovery' by Russell Brand, discuss different aspects of the recovery journey. The term is integral to the video's theme, as it represents the ultimate goal for individuals struggling with addiction.

💡Science

Science, as used in the script, refers to the systematic study of the physical and natural world, which in this case includes the study of addiction. The speaker appreciates books that blend scientific insights with personal narratives, such as 'The Addicted Brain,' which helps viewers understand the biological aspects of addiction.

💡Personal Story

A personal story in the video script refers to an individual's own narrative or experience, particularly with addiction. The speaker mentions that books with personal stories, like 'The Addicted Brain' and 'High Achiever,' keep the reader engaged and provide a relatable context to the scientific information being presented.

💡Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a specific form of addiction characterized by the compulsive consumption of alcohol despite negative consequences. The script mentions 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace, which focuses on alcoholism and offers a unique approach to helping people decide not to drink, different from traditional 12-step programs.

💡Family Perspective

The family perspective in the video refers to the viewpoint of those who have a loved one struggling with addiction. The book 'House on Stilts' by Paula Becker is highlighted as it provides an intimate look at a parent's experience dealing with a child's addiction, illustrating the impact on the family dynamic.

💡Humor

Humor in the context of the video script is used as a tool to discuss serious topics like addiction in a more approachable and relatable way. The speaker appreciates books that incorporate humor and sarcasm, such as 'Recovery' by Russell Brand and 'High Achiever' by Tiffany Jenkins, as it can help in the healing process and make difficult topics more digestible.

💡12-Step Program

The 12-Step Program is a set of guiding principles for recovery from addiction, most famously associated with Alcoholics Anonymous. The script mentions that 'This Naked Mind' offers a different approach from the traditional 12-step method, focusing on personal choice rather than perceived necessity to stop drinking.

💡Self-Deprecation

Self-deprecation is a form of humor where a person makes light of their own experiences or shortcomings. In the video, the speaker mentions 'Idiot' by Laura Cleary, which uses self-deprecating humor to tell the author's recovery story, making the narrative both humorous and insightful.

Highlights

Introduction of Amber Hollingsworth's channel dedicated to teaching the science and psychology of addiction.

Amber's top seven favorite books on addiction are not ranked but categorized for different preferences.

The 'Addicted Brain' by Mark Lewis offers a balance of neuroscience and personal story in addiction recovery.

Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari explores addiction from historical, political, legal, and personal perspectives.

Johann Hari's book was a game-changer for Amber, prompting a reevaluation of philosophical values on addiction.

The Naked Mind by Annie Grace presents a unique approach to alcoholism recovery, focusing on not wanting to drink.

Annie Grace's YouTube channel is recommended for further insights on her approach to stopping drinking.

House on Stilts by Paula Becker provides a parent's perspective on dealing with a child's addiction.

Recovery by Russell Brand combines humor, sarcasm, and deep philosophical insights on the 12 steps.

High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins is a humorous and real account of addiction and recovery.

Idiot by Laura Cleary uses self-deprecating humor and deep insight to tell a recovery story.

Amber emphasizes the importance of humor in recovery as a sign of healing and moving forward.

A list of all recommended books will be provided in the video description for easy access.

The variety of books suggests different approaches to understanding and dealing with addiction.

Amber's personal engagement with the books, including sitting down to read one, indicates their impact.

The inclusion of books written by people in recovery offers firsthand accounts and diverse perspectives.

The use of humor in the recommended books is a recurring theme, suggesting its role in the recovery process.

Transcripts

there are a ton of books out there about addiction but in this video I'm gonna

tell you about my top seven favorite books on addiction and why that is for

those of you who are new here I'm amber Hollingsworth and I want to welcome you

to put the shovel down this channel is dedicated to helping you get your life

back on track by teaching you the science and psychology of addiction so

you can beat it but you know what there's a lot of other people out there

that know a little something about addiction too and today I'm gonna tell

you about seven of those people and some books that I definitely recommend you

check out now although I'm giving you my top seven books these are not in order

because I like them all I don't really know if I can rank them like least

favorite to favorite of the seven but what I can do is kind of put them in

categories for you so that you might know oh if I like this kind of thing or

that kind of thing which one which one might suits you the best

all right let's start with the sort of what I call like the nerdy recovery

books so there's a book that I read I read this quite a while back it's by a

guy named Mark Lewis and it's called the addicted brain and let me tell you

what's really interesting about this book it's written by a neuroscientist

who's in recovery so this book is the perfect balance of science and story and

y'all know how much I'm a nerd for that kind of thing so if you love that kind

of thing you're gonna like this it has some

really heavy science in it but it breaks it down in a way that you really can't

understand what is happening in that brain and it tells you that information

alongside a personal story which totally keeps your attention and keeps you

engaged throughout this whole book in fact I actually read this book and I

know you're thinking well Amber didn't you read all these books well usually I

listen to books because I'm pretty ADD and I like to do things on the go but I

actually sat down and read this whole book and so for me being

and I read this whole thing that tells you it's a pretty good book next on the

list which I might also kind of put in that nerdy ish category if you really

like to understand how things work is chasing the screen by Johann Hari and if

you've seen a lot of my videos you may have met you may have heard me mention

this before but this is one of my favorites this book is a total

GameChanger and it really explores addiction through so many lenses and so

you get to take a look at addiction historically and politically and legally

and so the author of this book Johann Hari is like a reporter and so he looks

at this thing from all these different points of view he looks at it through

the research point of view and through the person who has an addiction point of

view and from the family point of view and from a drug dealers point of view

and from the legal system or the police point of view just looking at it from

all angles for me this book was a total GameChanger I mean it's like after I

read this book it was almost like questioning your religion like I had to

really back up and rethink some of my some of my long-held philosophical

values about how we deal with addiction that's just how powerful this book is

again it's called chasing The Scream the first and last days of the war on drugs

by Johann Hari and don't worry I'm going to put a list of all these books for you

right in the description ok this next book is the last one that I'm gonna put

in the real like sciency category and it is a book about alcoholism it's called

the naked mind and it's about Annie grace and I just love this book in fact

Annie grace has a YouTube channel and I encourage you to check it out if you

haven't seen it she's got a whole different approach for helping people

stop drinking it's totally different than this 12-step way in fact she really

focuses on helping people decide that they just don't want to drink anymore

which is really different from the typical approach which is like this

ain't working for you and you need to stop drinking so a lot of people think

well I should stop drinking I need to stop drinking but like I said this

naked mind helps you to kind of come to terms with do you don't even want to

drink anymore so if alcohol's the issue definitely consider

checking out Annie Grace's YouTube channel and of course get the book this naked

mind and if you're the family member worried about someone that has an

addiction particularly if you're a parent this next book is for you it's

called house on stilts by Paula Becker and this book really is Paula's personal

story of dealing with her own son's addiction and I mean this is really the

up close and personal point of view about what it's like to have a child

going through this the struggles that you have the decisions that you have to

make the heartstrings that get pulled on the other siblings and how to balance

all that in so if you're a parent of someone struggling house on stilts this

is a great book okay now these next three books I'm going to tell you about

are written from people who are in recovery about their experiences and the

other thing you should know about these next three books is that there's some

language and there's some language in there and a lot of sarcasm know me

personally if you see my videos you probably know I'm a little bit sarcastic

so I love the sarcasm and the humor I mean you like a good real life true

recovery story check out these three books okay the first one I want to tell

you about in this category is the book recovery by Russell Brand you know who

Russell Brand is the comedian you know the British guy who's got the really

sort of funny dark sense of humor like using that movie saving Sarah Marshall

that's the movie I remember him from the most he is hysterical and he talks about

the 12 steps in his book and he really sort of explains it in a really blunt

kind of crass kind of deep philosophical way so I really feel like his book is

this bizarre mix of humor and sarcasm and deep depth like deep stuff and

twelve steps and story you know different stories from his life so it is

a great combination and it really appeals to a lot of

different senses but there will definitely be some points in this book

where you're gonna be like uh did he just say that what I thought he said at

least I had a few of those moments okay next on the list is a book called high

achiever by Tiffany Jenkins oh my gosh I just read this book this week and I am

in love with it in fact I got the book and I thought oh I'll listen to a little

bit of this before I go to sleep guess what I stayed up all night and binge - this

book I know it's like Netflix or something totally love this book like

secretly sniffling trying not to wake up my family because I'm like listening to

this book all night it's her personal story and although this is such a deep

and difficult and personal topic this author uses a lot of humor but it is

very real so if you like that kind of thing check out high achiever again

that's about Tiffany Jenkins okay last book and this is the one that I have

most recently read this is a book called idiot by Laura Cleary now my husband

actually sent this to me recently sometime this week over he sent me like

this funny little Facebook video and he's like this is like a funny view on

recovery I thought you might like and it's hysterical and you can see her on

this little video that I got from my husband it's like she's this woman

Laura the author is talking to her baby and she's like let me tell you how I Met

Your father and she sort of tells these sort of antics in these tales which are

like really far out there and she's got such a great sense of humor and deep

insight but the way she tells it was with such self-deprecation you really

just laugh all the way through this book now a lot of you may be thinking you

know why do you pick all these books that sort of use all this humor and

likeness well I think a lot of times for me one of the ways I can tell someone's

getting better is that there are able to talk about their experiences in a way a

lot of times it does have humor or that doesn't feel like it's going to break

them in pieces that to me is a sign of recovery and I think if you're

struggling with this it might help you to sort of be able to laugh at yourself

and move forward from some of these really dark difficult moments that

you've had so there you have it that's my top seven books

and I'll make sure you have the titles the authors and the links in the

description below