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shubbard116's review
5.0
This book changed my view of addiction. Such a compassionate understanding of the addiction cycle.
heidihaverkamp's review
4.0
May contends that we all suffer from Addiction - trying to satiate our hungers for love and acceptance with "something else," whether alcohol, chocolate, driving too fast, chewing our nails, or hating immigrants. God, or a Higher Power, or some kind of relationship with spirituality and the Love that is Beyond us is all that can satiate us (Augustine, anyone? Pascal?). He also makes connections with recent neuroscience. A fascinating book. I'd like to spend some more time with it.
stinkylizard's review
1.0
did not appreciate the lumping domestic abuse & eating disorders under May’s too broad definition of “addiction.” Could no longer read in good faith when he claims that therapy & medication “prolong the addictive behavior” by “trying to uncover nonexistant childhood experiences to explain addiction.”
no thanks! ✨
DNF at first but pushed through for more concise argument about what was so troubling, annoying, and problematic about the book.
no thanks! ✨
DNF at first but pushed through for more concise argument about what was so troubling, annoying, and problematic about the book.
dougsasser's review against another edition
1.0
This book lacks a coherent thesis throughout. The author states he is a psychiatrist and not a theologian. Some sections deal just with the technical aspects of addiction. Others talk about Christian scripture in ways that make it hard to define the theological perspective. May also talks about addiction as if it relates to all forms of habitual behavior. Addition is defined very broadly. One page has a chart of things someone may be addicted to such as: ice cream, pizza. furniture, etc. I would not put these things in the same category as chemical dependency to nicotine or alcohol. I think this book would be confusing and unhelpful for anyone struggling with an addiction more serious than nail biting.
dougiewougie's review
5.0
One of the best books I ever read on Addiction, Attachments and God's grace
rolemartyrx's review
5.0
A great way to look at addictions from a different perspective. Being trained in Psychology, addictions are very interesting to me, and being a Christian, the religious view is even more so. May does a good job of bringing both together.
davidshq's review
5.0
Reading this book feels like Edmund's experience of shedding his dragon scales in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia (Voyage of the Dawn Treader). In other words it is painful, self-illuminating, an experience of longing and satisfaction, of joy and depression.
I'm not saying I agree with May's tenets but I am saying this has been a worthwhile read.
I'm not saying I agree with May's tenets but I am saying this has been a worthwhile read.
alcazalsir's review against another edition
3.0
Gerald May looks at all of human life through the lens of addiction, identifying all manner of attachments we may develop throughout life that become negative aspects of our life and idols competing for our worship. I found the first half of his book more helpful and accessible than the second half. I guess I wasn’t expecting him to be quite so theological and it took me awhile to adjust. I did appreciate the final chapters that discuss freedom from addiction and how to maintain that freedom. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the intersection of spirituality and addiction, noting that May has a decidedly Christian perspective.
laurakisthardt's review
3.0
Some parts of this book I found inspiration and reflective. Other parts I disagreed with the author. Overall, found Thirst to be a much better book on a similar topic.