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Theory of Addiction (Addiction Press)
 
 
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Theory of Addiction (Addiction Press) (Paperback)

by Robert West (Author) "In the beginning this book was going to be a compendium of addiction theories ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: WileyBlackwell (4 Jan 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1405113596
  • ISBN-13: 978-1405113595
  • Product Dimensions: 24 x 17.2 x 1.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 107,466 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #43 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Social Issues > Illness & Addiction > Drug Addiction

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

Review
′In summary, West has written an important book about addiction. It is written by a researcher who knows the addiction area very well. Throughout the book the reader is exposed to a vast number of useful observations, in particular related to smoking cessation, which is his main research area. The review and evaluation of existing theories...from rational choice theories to neurobiological theories is amazing in terms of pinpointing their essence and shortcomings. The theoretical aims are timely, refreshing, ambitious and above all challenging. It opens up a new way of looking at addiction and has the potential to move the field of addiction a considerable leap forward.
Thus we wholeheartedly would like to recommend the book for students as well as scholars. Read and learn!′
Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Vol 24, 2007

‘The book provides a comprehensive review of existing theories – over 30 in all – and this synthesis of theories constitutes an important contribution in and of itself...West is to be commended for his synthesis of addiction theories that span neurobiology, psychology and social science and for his insights into what remains unexplained.’
Addiction, Vol 101, Iss 7.

‘Robert West’s erudite, lucidly written Theory of Addiction takes the reader on an engaging tour of almost every significant conceptual system in the field … West adroitly finds gold amongst the lead, adds some previous gems of his own, and presents the field with a real treasure: an integrated, useful, thought–provoking and testable theory of addition.’
Keith Humphreys, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine


‘This book is a tour de force, constructing step by step a wide–ranging theory of addiction … After summarising and assessing more than 30 previous theories, West draws on elements from economics, sociology, pharmacology and biology, along with a core of material from psychology, to put together a broad and testable theory of how people move into and out of addiction, and how social forces can affect this … The book will serve as a point of reference for years to come.’
Robin Room, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University


‘This volume is a welcome attempt at a synthesis of the plethora of theories and models that abound in the field of addiction.’
Wayne Hall, Professorial Research Fellow and Director, Office of Public Policy and Ethics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia

Robin Room, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University
This book is a tour de force, constructing step by step a wide-ranging theory of addiction.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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In the beginning this book was going to be a compendium of addiction theories. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Theory of Addiction, 28 Jan 2006
By Andy McEwen (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
Most students of this topic will have experienced frustration that previous theories of addiction explain some, but not all aspects of this disorder that has serious consequences for individuals, families and communities. Robert West clearly explains the limitations of all the main existing theories, including not meeting his demand that theories should offer more than mere common sense alone. West’s theory of addiction takes the good parts of previous theories, adds (amongst other things) his own definition of the “structure of the motivational system” and some chaos theory, and synthesises this into a comprehensive theory that can be tested. In fact here is a challenge for other readers: try to find an addictive behaviour that cannot be understood and explained by this theory.

When reading the opening chapters, which cast a critical eye over existing theories of addiction, you can’t help but think: “I knew that wasn’t quite right”. When reading the chapters that describe West’s theory of addiction you have a feeling that: “it all seems to fit somehow”. The use of very real examples compliments and highlights the theoretical content of this book and encourages the reader to ‘test’ the theory against their reality: it works. This book has changed the way that I think about addictive behaviours and my approach to modifying or treating them.

I work with the author Robert West and so you may expect there to be some bias in my review; but there is no need to take my word for how good this book is. Dr Keith Humphreys of Stanford University says of the book, “an integrated, useful, thought-provoking and testable theory of addiction”. Professor Robin Room from Stockholm University calls it a “tour de force……The book will serve as a point of reference for years to come”. Students, practitioners and researchers will all find that this book helps greatly in their understanding of what it is to be ‘addicted’, without simplifying this complex phenomenon.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic overview, 1 Aug 2006
By John Belstead (London UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
As a jobbing substance misuse doctor the heavy psychological jargon in chapters 1-6 is occasionally heavy going but it is worth the struggle for the synthesis that comes together at the end. Has answered a huge number of questions that I have. Read it. (I have no connection with the author)
John
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Theory of Addiction, 28 Jan 2006
By Andy McEwen (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
Most students of this topic will have experienced frustration that previous theories of addiction explain some, but not all aspects of this disorder that has serious consequences for individuals, families and communities. Robert West clearly explains the limitations of all the main existing theories, including not meeting his demand that theories should offer more than mere common sense alone. West’s theory of addiction takes the good parts of previous theories, adds (amongst other things) his own definition of the “structure of the motivational system” and some chaos theory, and synthesises this into a comprehensive theory that can be tested. In fact here is a challenge for other readers: try to find an addictive behaviour that cannot be understood and explained by this theory.

When reading the opening chapters, which cast a critical eye over existing theories of addiction, you can’t help but think: “I knew that wasn’t quite right”. When reading the chapters that describe West’s theory of addiction you have a feeling that: “it all seems to fit somehow”. The use of very real examples compliments and highlights the theoretical content of this book and encourages the reader to ‘test’ the theory against their reality: it works. This book has changed the way that I think about addictive behaviours and my approach to modifying or treating them.

I work with the author Robert West and so you may expect there to be some bias in my review; but there is no need to take my word for how good this book is. Dr Keith Humphreys of Stanford University says of the book, “an integrated, useful, thought-provoking and testable theory of addiction”. Professor Robin Room from Stockholm University calls it a “tour de force……The book will serve as a point of reference for years to come”. Students, practitioners and researchers will all find that this book helps greatly in their understanding of what it is to be ‘addicted’, without simplifying this complex phenomenon.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


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