ADDICTION NATION By Timothy McMahan King

MONICA READS, a review by Monica West

Reading Addiction Nation was part schooling of mind-numbing brain awareness, part introspection of what a personal life means, part thoughtful negotiation with my mind and a thorough look at my personal religious values.  Yes, it was fascinating and exhausting and very helpful in changing some of my own ideals and values.

How Timothy McMahan King achieves all of this is through a robust and relentless look at his own life and times through the lens of many other addiction books, a gutsy look at details of his own illness and addiction and his quest to be not addicted.  It is an unbelievable journey that he shares with the reader. 

As I read through it, I turned corners of pages I thought were amazing and insightful.  I look at the book now after having finished it and I see so many notched pages it is laughable.  You will learn so much about how the brain works and how addiction affects an individual’s life.

I learned that there is no easy fix.  I learned how far back the “joy flower” has been around.  I learned how each individual is looking for meaning and happiness.  I learned how important love is and what, agape love means.  I learned that each individual, you and I, is addicted to something.  I learned that Bill Miller developed “Motivational Interviewing” with addicted clients and how much it helps for the client to envision his own version of a healthy life without addiction.  Slow motion to solving this problem.

I also learned a ton about the numbers of addicted individuals in New Hampshire as well as other states.  This is an epidemic.  The so-called War on Drugs is a failure because it is designed to offer addicted people punitive criminal justice sentences.  It does not help or dish out hope for a life without addiction.  I learned that love is the answer and hope for a brighter future.  You really need to get this book and read it, cover to cover. 

“Addiction, both personal and communal, can be transformed into a learning that makes us stronger than before.  That even when we feel as if we are falling apart, and sometimes because we are, new life is possible for us and our world.”  Thank you, Timothy McMahan King for writing this book. 

Timothy McMahan King is a writer, nonprofit professional, and the owner of Vagabond Consulting. He has worked as a community organizer in Chicago, a chief strategy officer with Sojourners, and currently serves as a consultant for the Center for Action and Contemplation. King’s work has been published in Christianity Today, Sojourners, and other venues, and he has been interviewed by ABC, the BBC, TIME, CNN, and the Daily Beast. A graduate of North Park University with degrees in theology and philosophy, King lives with his wife, Hannah, in Manchester.

Monica West reviews books for InDepthNH.org. Monica is known for her love of history and her lifelong love for reading. She has a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in English. “My years of reading for leisure and pleasure have given me the insight to read a book and analyze the author’s baggage, cargo and ability to write the language of his/her mind and utilize the gift of prose to educate and entertain the reader. Go get a book, read it and enjoy the adventure.” Contact Monica at mawest@tds.net