Recovery Worker Library

In “The Molecule of More,” psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Michael E. Long explore the profound influence of dopamine—the brain’s primary chemical of motivation and anticipation. The book’s central argument is that human experience is governed by a perpetual conflict between two fundamental chemical systems: the Dopamine System (D-System), which drives the pursuit o...More

“Neurobiology of Addiction” by leading addiction researchers George F. Koob and Michel Le Moal is a definitive, academic text that provides a comprehensive, science-backed framework for understanding addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder. The book’s core achievement is the detailed mapping of the brain changes that drive compulsive substance use, validating the disease...More

In “The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind Twelve-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry,” Dr. Lance Dodes and Zachary Dodes deliver a controversial yet meticulously researched critique of the dominant American addiction treatment model. The book argues that the belief in the overwhelming success of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and 12-Step based rehabilitation centers is...

In “The Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Workbook,” David A. Treleaven offers an essential guide for anyone engaging with mindfulness, particularly those with a history of trauma. Although written for teachers, the book provides vital principles for individuals in recovery, a population where trauma is highly prevalent. Treleaven addresses the critical, often-overlooked fact that tradition...More

In “Thoughts Without a Thinker,” psychiatrist and author Mark Epstein, M.D., offers a groundbreaking exploration of the convergence of Western psychotherapy and Buddhist philosophy. The book’s title points to its central and most radical concept: the Buddhist teaching of “anatman” or “no-self.” Epstein argues that our deeply ingrained belief in a permanent...More

In “Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life,” life coach Gary John Bishop delivers a raw, direct, and no-nonsense guide to personal empowerment. The book’s core message is a direct challenge to the reader: your life is a mess because you allow it to be, and the path to change begins...

In “Unwinding Anxiety,” addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, uses groundbreaking research to show how anxiety and worry are fundamentally habit loops that can be broken. Brewer argues that the brain creates anxiety in the same way it forms any habit: a trigger (like uncertainty) leads to a behavior (like worry or excessive...

In “Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate,” punk rocker-turned-Zen master Brad Warner offers a witty, honest, and irreverent look at the realities of spiritual life. The book is a memoir that chronicles Warner’s journey through a series of life’s messes—death, divorce, and a spiritual pilgrimage—in search of authentic spiritual truth. Warner’s core message is.....More