Review by Choice Review
The Sober Truth presents an interesting view of the 12-step treatment modality for addictions through a scientific lens. The father-and-son team Lance Dodes (psychiatrist/addiction specialist; The Heart of Addiction, 2002) and Zachary Dodes conclude, in agreement with a 2006 Cochrane Collaboration review, that there are no experimental studies that "unequivocally" demonstrate the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA; 12-step facilitation therapy). Other and more pervasive support throughout the book for the claim that the 12-step modality is invalid is based on the authors' subjective interpretation of the 12 steps as written in Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism ("Big Book"; 1st ed., 1939; 4th ed., 2001) and the authors' opinion related to that interpretation. Though the book notes that peer-reviewed studies indicate AA is successful for only about 5 to 10 percent of participants (about 1 of every 15), the authors do not propose any evidence-based or nonevidenced based alternative to AA treatment. The work's major weakness is its lack of balance in the discussion. --Margaret M. Slusser, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
