In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the author of When the Body Says No and The Myth of Normal--The definitive book for understanding the roots and behaviours of addiction.

Dr. Gabor Mat is one of the world's most revered thinkers on the psychology of addiction. His radical findings--based on decades of work with patients challenged by catastrophic drug addiction and mental illness--has helped reframe how we view all human development. In this award-winning modern classic, through first-person accounts, riveting case studies, pioneering research and compassionate argument, Mat takes a panoramic yet highly intimate and compassionate look at this widespread and perplexing human ailment, whether it be addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, money or anything self-destructive. He presents it not as a discrete phenomenon confined to a weak-willed few, but as a continuum that runs through (and even underpins) our society--not as a medical 'condition', but rather the result of a complex interplay of personal history, emotional development and brain chemistry.

Distilling cutting-edge research from around the world, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts avoids glib self-help remedies, instead promoting self-understanding as the first key to healing and wellness. Blending personal stories and science with positive solutions, and written in spellbinding prose, it is a must-read that will change how you see yourself, others and the world.