Thirteenth Step

Markus Heilig is a physician scientist and one of the most highly cited addiction researchers of his generation. For the past decade, he has led one of the largest research programs on addictive disorders in the world at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health. He is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and is an editor of leading scientific journals in the field.

Heilig makes the science of addiction accessible to both lay and professional audiences alike with an engaging conversational tone laced with humor and illustrative vignettes. He draws the reader in and effectively consolidates complex concepts. I applaud his efforts to bring the plight of the addicted to the attention of others and for his calling upon the field to do its very best to help.

• Acknowledgments1. Us and Them2. A Grocery Store That Closed3. An Entity in Its Own Right4. A Chronic, Relapsing Disorder5. Man or Machine?6. Histories, Brains, and Behaviors7. The Pursuit of Happiness8. The Dark Side of Addiction9. Rash Actions10. Turning On a Bright Light11. Getting the Cue12. A Strained Mind13. Fathers and Sons14. Molecular Culprits15. Trick or Treatment16. Please Behave17. Pills for Addiction Ills18. Pray If You Wish, but Please Take Your Meds First19. The Journey AheadNotesIndex