book: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction , Gabor Maté
I first picked up Hungry Ghosts simply due to an interest in psychology & because I had heard good, but nonspecific, things about Gabor Maté. turns out it's one of the more major non-academic publications on harm reduction & treating addicts more humanely!
I would absolutely recommend this book. Dr Maté provides fascinating knowledge on the human brain, and doesn't shy away from excoriating a deeply flawed culture and political system. The book builds on research indicating that the human brain develops massively outside of the womb, meaning that one's environment contributes to psychology in a major way. Dr Maté states outright that a system that enforces nuclear families, detachment, consumerism, and "the grind" facilitates the conditions that lead to brains being miswired. He also notes the persistence of genetic ("nature" in nature vs nuture) explanations: in his mind, they are a way to excuse our society and absolve ourselves of responsibility, since if someone is just born that way then we didn't have a hand in forming their psyche. Also, of course, a justification for racism and eugenics.
good stuff, worth a read given the kind of circular rhetoric of demonising addicts, harm reduction, and similar. There is slow progress while our opponents are recycling the same moral (both secular and religious) outrage. The book was first published in 2008, with this edition containing more info from 2018, and I read it in 2025. It remains relevant, addicts being the scapegoat and the demon of politics.
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