Book Being Reviewed:
Pinsky, D. (2003). Cracked: Putting broken lives together again. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Reviewer:
Mark Dickerson

Genre:
Fiction: Adult

Subject Headings:
Substance abuse: alcohol, substance abuse: drugs

Review:
Cracked by Dr. Drew Pinsky is a captivating and eye-opening account of based-on-true-stories that exemplify the typical cases Dr. Drew works with in his substance abuse treatment center. While Dr. Drew may seem more of a celebrity now than a doctor, he is incredibly genuine in revealing his emotional reactions to his patients, which demonstrates the human side of both him and of being a substance abuse counselor. The amount of insight in Dr. Drew’s vivid accounts of his typical cases is astounding. I often found myself completely absorbed in the stories, wondering how I would handle the situation as a counselor. I believe that this aspect of the book is a helpful reminder that counselors must be aware of their own emotions when working with clients, especially with addicts that can evoke strong emotions. Another very beneficial aspect of Cracked is that Dr. Drew uses the correct technical medical terms throughout, and while he explains them, he does not "dumb down” the concepts, even as he answers questions that his patients have.

I feel that this is excellent for counselors who have a limited knowledge of the physiology behind addiction and can help prepare counselors for questions their clients may have. I highly recommend Cracked to all counselors and especially to substance abuse counselors.