Scan barcode
A review by eliasaurus
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
First and foremost, this isn't a self help book. It presents information in a simplistic and accessible way, so it's definitely pop sci.
The book's first section is its strongest, with a good overview of what dopamine does and its role in addiction. However, the section about pain went on longer than it needed to, and the section about shame seemed completely out of place. This section is probably responsible for the reviews stating that Lembke is overly favorable towards AA and the 12 steps. I don't think she's recommending AA as much as stating that it worked for many of her patients. Still, this part of the book is the shakiest and could have been omitted entirely.
On the whole, the book is very readable and I learned some new info. I also enjoyed the patient stories (and the author's note about obtaining consent for their use). But it's not amazing.
The book's first section is its strongest, with a good overview of what dopamine does and its role in addiction. However, the section about pain went on longer than it needed to, and the section about shame seemed completely out of place. This section is probably responsible for the reviews stating that Lembke is overly favorable towards AA and the 12 steps. I don't think she's recommending AA as much as stating that it worked for many of her patients. Still, this part of the book is the shakiest and could have been omitted entirely.
On the whole, the book is very readable and I learned some new info. I also enjoyed the patient stories (and the author's note about obtaining consent for their use). But it's not amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts