The story of addiction from an internal med doc. He sees 'regular' patients and also dispense a drug that helps with withdrawal from Vicodin and other opiates. An interesting read. ( )

Sounds like most of his patients could really use some therapy... thankfully (I guess) they can get some from the author. I'm not really sure what to make of this book. ( )

The personality slowly revealed is simply that of the snotty doctor: he knows very little of his patient and doesn't actually seem interested in her at all, except as an opportunity to discuss his own theories. Basically, he's kind of a prat. ( )

DNF

I just couldn't do it. It started out okay but got increasingly boring as it went on. I did stick it out to the half way mark hoping for a change but ,sadly, I finally had to acknowledge it was not for me. By 50 percent of the book I feel I should be emotionally invested in the characters or the issues being written about. This book just failed to engage me. Well documented and the doctors work is to be applauded. Stein did managed to feed me information on prescription drugs that I was unaware of. BUT, for me, he failed to give me the connection I was really wanting (and why I put the book on my tbr pile in the first place) to the main character Lucy. I'm not sure I can even explain it in a way that doesn't make it sound like a horrid book, because it's not. It is just that it never really felt like "Lucy's Story" and that was what I wanted to read. Just no emotional connect. ( )

Before I tell you this is the best book I have read in years I must first tell you I am a recovering addict/alcoholic w/bipolar disorder (I felt I must reveal this in order for you to get where I'm coming from). If you do not suffer from some form of addiction or are not close to someone suffering from addiction you may not get the same experience I did when when reading this book.

The book is written by an doctor of Internal medicine who, in addition to his regular practice treats opiate addicts with buprenorphine (it's like methadone for heroine addicts). He kept notes (as any good doctor will do), changed the names of his patients, focused the book primarily on one, Lucy, and wrote a great book.

The book was easy to read. Not easy as in simplistic, easy as in fluid and hit home in unbelievable ways. I had to start highlighting the passages that hit home there were so many, it was like a form of therapy, hence my opening revealations. I couldn't put the book down and started limiting how many pages I could read in a day so it wouldn't end. When it was over it took me nearly a week and attempts at reading four other books before I could find one that could measure up to this book. It was great. ( )