Praise for The Biology of Desire

“A courageous and much-needed voice in rethinking addiction. . . . Through his intimate personal and professional knowledge of addiction, Lewis reframes our understanding of its mechanisms and nature in a way that is empowering.” —Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, author of the international bestseller The Woman Who Changed Her Brain

“This is the real story of ‘this is your brain on drugs,’ but one that provides a refreshing, convincing alternative to the widespread disease-model view of addiction. . . . It offers far more positivity about ways out of addiction than those offered by traditional treatment approaches, providing hope for those struggling and their loved ones.” —Anne M. Fletcher, MS, author of New York Times bestselling Sober for Good, Inside Rehab, and the Thin for Life books

“Highly readable and plausible illustration of current ideas about addiction from behavioral neuroscience and clinical perspectives by the use of vivid case histories.” ——Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Cambridge University

“Marc Lewis’s new book neatly links current thinking about addiction with neuroscientific theory. . . . Ex-addicts, we learn, are not ‘cured,’ rather they have become more connected to others, wiser, and more in touch with their own humanity. This is a hopeful message that has, as Lewis demonstrates, the advantage of also being true.” —Gene Heyman, author of Addiction: A Disorder of Choice

“Informed by unparalleled neuroscientific insight and written with his usual flare, Marc Lewis . . . effectively refutes the medical view of addiction as a brain disease. A bracing and informative corrective to the muddle that now characterizes public and professional discourse on this topic.” —Gabor Maté, MD, author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Whether you are looking for a foundation in the neuroscience of addiction, guidelines for recovery, or just hope that recovery is possible, it’s all here. . . . Informed by this book, you’ll see how neuroscience explains addiction as a part of life, rather than a mysterious entity only experts can understand.” —Tom Horvath, PhD, president of the American Board of Professional Psychology, Practical Recovery, and SMART Recovery and author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions