The Globalisation of Addiction [Hardcover]

 

 

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Words and phrases built around the root word 'addict' play a critical role in our culture, whether we're referring to 'addictive drugs' or 'addictive personalities' or 'addicting video-games' or something else. Despite the centrality of this notion of `addiction', however, the term is usually defined only loosely, and people routinely use the word to connote a wide variety of ideas. Not so with Professor Bruce Alexander. Instead, in this astonishing book Alexander derives an extremely precise idea of what addiction means, and then uses this definition to deconstruct a variety of mistaken presumptions that are of central importance to our culture. He first explodes the multitude of myths that surround addiction itself, including the myth of the 'demon drug' and the 'addictive personality', and instead describes addiction as an eminently understandable coping mechanism. This idea alone is worth the ride, since it implies a whole new way to understand the behavior of the many people who are caught up in their assorted addictions, and it suggests constructive and compassionate ways in which we might build connections to them. Secondly however, Alexander then contextualizes the role of addiction within the world of a free-market society, and makes clear that some of the fundamental constructs of our society lead to an environment that fosters addictive behavior in us all. This second half of the book is where the ideas really take off, as the book ties the tragedy of widespread addiction in our age to the broad historical circumstances that make the result almost inevitable. The conclusion that addiction, one seen as merely a personal misfortune, is now an inevitable outcome for millions of people means that this book should not be treated as a well-written academic exercise, but instead as a wake-up call for the western world. If those suffering addicts around us are the canaries in the coal mine then the rest of us need to pay attention and try to climb out of the cave. This book should be read by everyone who has, or knows anyone else who has, an addictive relationship with any chemical or with alcohol, or who has an obsessive relationship to television, shopping, Internet use, or anything else. This work is so thoroughly documented and so persuasively argued as to make the case incontrovertible. I firmly believe that Alexander will eventually be recognized as one of the premier social commentators and intellectuals of his day, along with people like Foucault, Chomsky, and Orwell, and that this volume will be recognized as a classic. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

This book is a must-read for any thinking person. It challenges everyday assumptions about addiction by linking it to economic and political factors that cause world-wide dislocation. Readers may not agree, but cannot ignore the disturbing implications if Alexander is right.

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