Addiction and the Medicalisation of Conspicuous Behaviour

Reviews / Votes

"We desperately need a more intelligent, thoughtful and sociologically literate conversation about addiction, and this important book is a significant part of that." (Johann Hari, author of The New York Times' best-seller, "Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs")

"This is an outstanding collection. Through a series of dazzling individual essays, it illuminates key aspects of addiction, challenging conventional thinking about the field and, ultimately, laying the groundwork for a bold new agenda for critical sociological addiction research." "An essential volume for anyone interested in critical understandings of addiction - and, indeed, in the wider application of cutting-edge sociological thought to urgent social issues in general. "I absolutely loved this book! Hugely impressive project; it's going to be a fantastic contribution to the field." (Gerda Reith, Professor of Social Science, University of Glasgow, UK)

"I absolutely loved this book! Hugely impressive project; it's going to be a fantastic contribution to the field." (Gerda Reith, Professor of Social Science, University of Glasgow, UK)

"This timely book brings together a thought-provoking collection of theoretical and empirical analyses, demonstrating the unique value of sociological approaches to addiction in its contemporary and multiplying forms. With topics ranging from the cultivation of risk in extreme sports to the technical mediation of nicotine consumption and gambling, the volume rigorously challenges reductive psychiatric frameworks. Moving beyond critique, it offers an expanded and generative conceptual vocabulary to better understand experiences of over-attachment, passionate involvement and boundary transgression." (Helen Keane, Professor of Sociology, Australian National University)

"The critical perspectives articulated in this book demand an answer to the question 'does addiction science cause unintended harm by reinforcing historic power inequalities?'. The book will help addiction researchers across all disciplines to navigate the uncertainties raised by these questions." (Lee Hogarth, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Exeter, UK)