Selecting Your Choice Book

Pick ONE of the following books to read for a group discussion and short reflection paper.
• “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff – This is a compelling real-life story with lots of information about treatment and what it is like to love someone who is addicted to substances. David is Nic’s father (see below).
• “Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines” by Nic Sheff – This book is intense and graphic. If you are interested in the raw story from the perspective of someone who struggles with substance addiction, this should be your choice. If you are in recovery yourself, you might want to read more about it for possible triggers before selecting it. Nic is David’s son (see above).
• “Blackout: Remembering What I Drank to Forget” by Sarah Hepola – In addition to being an individual memoir, this book explores our society’s emphasis on (dependence on?) alcohol as a “fix” for so many things. While not as graphic as “Tweak” you might still want to read reviews, if you are in recovery yourself.
• “Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening” by Meyers and Wolfe – This is one of the best, scientifically proven approaches to not only getting someone you love into treatment and remaining sober, but also improving your own life. If you are in this situation, or work with (or plan to work with) people in this situation, this would be a good choice. The focus is on alcohol. While the approach has been proven, please don’t expect an easy cure-all.

These books are available locally from Multnomah County Library. They are also widely available for purchase (for under $15 each), including through www.Powells.com.
• Check out this link for some more information on the books by the Sheffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m77f1I_AexU&feature=player_embedded
• Check out this link for an introduction from Sarah Hepola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4urajV-WlNw