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In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

3 Ratings: 3.7

A book by Gabor Mate M.D.

Amazon.com Exclusive: A Letter from Gabor Maté Dear Amazon.com readers, I've written In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts because I see addiction as one of the most misunderstood phenomena in our society. People--including many people who should … see full wiki

Tags: Books, Addiction, Drug Abuse, War On Drugs

Author: Gabor Mate M.D.

Genre: Health, Mind & Body, Nonfiction

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

3 reviews about In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters...

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review by MysticCowboy. December 29, 2009

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Moving and real

Taken as a whole, I found this book moving and real. The stories of addicts pull no punches and the comparison of our addictive tendencies in everyday life to hardcore drug addiction works for me. As a former psychiatric social worker, I've had some contact with the same population as Dr. Mate and share his belief that our "war on drug" is a failure in both conception and implementation. He states clearly that people take drugs to avoid pain. I've seen so many clients self-medicate on illegal substances … more

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review by JediShaman. December 14, 2009

Multi-faceted look at addictions, psychology, and society

Gabor's In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts takes its title from a Buddhist description of the state of existence in which addicts find themselves. This sets the tone for the deep analysis of this complex topic, as the author looks at neurochemistry, social systems, developmental psychology, spirituality, and other factors related to the subject of addiction. This book exposes the ignorant and often abusive nature of many existing approaches to treating drug addicts and their addictive … more

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review by KarenTiede. November 29, 2009

Evidence-based understanding of addiction

Five stars for the hard science and experience, three for the recommended treatment? I was drawn into the first 3/4 of this book, wherein the author discusses the realities of street-level, needle addiction, and the current understanding of the neurological basis of addition. Good stuff. Barely put it down. I have definitely shifted my understanding and view of decriminalization and harm reduction as a result. On reflection, I'm pondering a bit of a gap: the claim that addicts … more

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