Before reading this book, I was skeptical of what Mr. Sandor had to say on the subject of addiction. I am a recovering addict and have joined many Narcotics Anonymous rooms. I read and used the twelve steps in the NA manual to help me recover from my addiction. It was sometimes difficult for me to overcome my addiction because I was weak and helpless. With the help of my sponsor and support group, I finally became strong enough to stay clean. But as I read his book, I was surprised by the information I learned. Themes I would like to address are: The value of understanding, helplessness and the definition of recovery. The Value of Understanding At the beginning of this book, the author talks about the value of understanding a person's addiction. Sandor explains that a recovering addict's understanding of their addiction is based on the experiences they have had. Sandor states that “understanding requires a balance between knowing (information) and being (experience). » (Sandor, 2009, p.7). Sandor goes on to explain that when it comes to drug treatment, professionals rely on the information they have been trained with from textbooks, lectures, and patient interviews. Sandor realized that the professionals had “thought too much” about the problem. For example, when I was younger, my dad would take me to the pool to learn how to swim. My father threw me into the water. He thought if he threw me in, I would learn 1) how to keep my head above water and 2) how to swim. I was afraid of drowning in the pool, so my father signed me up for swimming lessons. After a few months, I overcame my fear of drowning and learned to swim.Helplessness: Addi's essential experience...... middle of paper ......e towards drug addicts and /or alcoholics has not changed. I'm the type of person who wants to help an individual. When I meet alcoholics, I usually give them the advice "hey, maybe you should eat something instead of drinking" or "hey, have you eaten today." There are a lot of homeless people around me who are alcoholics. I tend to buy them a sandwich or coffees so they have something other than alcohol in them. I know we have all had difficult lives, some people have simply lost the way or the will to live. I convinced these people to come to church to ask God for forgiveness and help them on their journey to recovery. Those who are ready to change have heeded my advice, but those who haven't, I am still here for them. I'm not the type to turn my back on people. This book helped me understand the internal dynamics of how an individual can become addicted..