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Cover of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

  • 488 pages · about 8 hours
  • First published 2008
  • 7 editions

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1 About this book

"...This insightful book explores the scientific and psychological causes of addiction, as well as the impact on the addicts treated at the Downtown Eastside Vancouver clinic where Mate is a physician. He widens the lens to address the larger societal problem--speaking also to the risks of more "high-status" addictions, such as wealth, power, and sex.

He boldly challenges the War on Drugs, proposing a more holistic, constructive set of alternatives. A riveting, debate-provoking book about an illness that reaches all levels of society, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts provides a much-needed glimpse of hope from an innovator who is taking on addiction with startling clarity, vision, and wisdom"--Cover, p. 4.

Good for readers who want: psychology, self-improvement, history, and a long read.

  • Psychology
  • Self-help
  • History
  • Social science
  • Mental health
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Drug addiction

2 About Gabor Maté

Born 1944

Gabor Maté ( GAH-bor MAH-tay; born January 1944) is a Canadian physician and author. He has worked in family practices and specializes in childhood development and trauma, including long-term effects on physical and mental health, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and addiction.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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