Rating: 
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: A friend recommended this book to me. He raved about how perceptive it was and thought the author had something important to say. Since my sister-in-law was in recovery for alcoholism, I thought maybe this book might help me understand what she was going through.Well, sorry, but this was a huge letdown. The whole thing is just a vanity project by some pompous Hollywood doctor. It's supposed to show us what the doctor thinks and feels as he treats his patients...as if we cared! Worse yet, it's supposed to offer some kind of window into the minds of addicts, but again it doesn't. After wasting our time with two hundred pages of his self-indulgent b.s., Mr. Pinsky tells us that it's all a mystery and we don't know why some people get better and some don't. Thanks, but I didn't need to waste twentyfive bucks of my hardearned money and five hours of my valuable time to receive that little nugget of false knowledge. There are plenty of other books out there that get into the whole terrible process of addiction and treatment much better than this foolish piece of tripe. After reading Cracked, I was curious to learn what kind of advice Mr. Pinsky gives to his patients, so I listened to one of his radio shows. I was not impressed. Mostly, he just sat silently while his boorish sidekick rambled on and on about random, idiotic stuff. Once in a while the doctor gave a few seconds of advice to a troubled teen, usually very generic stuff like 'get some therapy' or 'go see your doctor.' I could have told them that. Only once did he earn his paycheck, when he actually gave a detailed answer to a question about prescription drugs. I'm glad my sister-in-law wasn't being treated at Las Encinas. She would never have gotten better there, if I can judge from what I read and heard.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtless
Review: Drew Pinsky has no credibility in my opinion. All I hear about is how this book is "so important" and that its aim is to help people. This has to stop. Loveline, hosted by Pinsky and Adam Carolla has become cruel, insensitive, and downright deplorable. Night in and night out listeners are subject to the ramblings of a racist bigot (AC) and his passive, do nothing partner Drew. Minority callers are put down and made fun of. Their race and ethnicity becomes fodder for cruel jokes and harsh stereotypes. On one program, Carolla enlightened us on the benefits of "race riots." He was unchallenged by his "dedicated" partner. This has to stop. Women who call the show are treated like trash, made fun of for being overweight and underage women are subject to Carolla's innuendos. Gays are mocked. The show has crossed the boundary of entertainment and has become threatening and insulting. Endless talk about the Holocaust, African American, Hispanic/Mexican American and Jewish slurs, and degredation of women and homosexuals is disgusting. I cannot be the only one offended. It makes me sick. Try growing a spine Dr. Drew, before you claim to want to help people. Unless of course, you share Adam's views... By a former faithful reader and listener...
Rating: 
Summary: dr. drew i need help
Review: hi dr. drew, i know you read these reviews and i wanna get your opinion..my name is jason and im doing a speech on the effects of victims of child abuse (loveline, but mainly u were my insiration for the topic) i need to get research on at least 10 sources and would like to know where to go online to get them. im trying to focus on basic love line stuff, when abused victims get into relationships, etc. i cant call the show because i work nights...my email is soulofadra6on@yahoo.com and i hope you would spare a few minutes to help me out! by the way, the book rocks! im using it as a source hehe
jason
Rating: 
Summary: Kind of mixed
Review: Some of the stories about the addicts Dr. Drew treats were touching and felt realistic. They sounded a lot like the people who call the show asking for help. It was also interesting getting a little background information on Dr. Drew himself. Still, some of the criticisms here are valid. There is too much focus on Drew's feelings and some of the characters in the book felt contrived. There is also too much focus on how pretty the women patients are. Maybe that was put in by the ghost writer to make the book sell better but I think it is kind of tacky. I don't believe those stories about how Dr. Drew was rude to his patients at the hospital. It must be very trying dealing day in and day out with addicts, and Dr. Drew deserves lots of praise for his good and difficult work. Addicts probably misinterpret some of the things a good doctor has to do to treat them. Finally, I have been listening to Loveline for the last few years and I've noticed a disturbing trend in Dr. Drew. After being bullied and ridiculed night after night by his co-host Adam, he seems to have grown passive and now he just sits there letting Adam dominate the show. I sense a lot of frustration in him and sometimes he takes it out on the callers, acting very harsh and unprofessional. Maybe he is starting to identify with the man who bullies him and dominates him, because Dr. Drew also seems to be growing more and more like Adam every day. Adam can get away with his ugly behavior because he is a stand-up comedian doing an "angry white guy" routine. But I think it is unbecoming in a physician to copy such antics or to refuse to stand up to Adam when he goes overboard. I wish he would show more dignity and professionalism in his broadcasts. I certainly wouldn't want to be treated by a doctor who acts like a childish clown and is afraid to intervene when someone in severe emotional pain is being taunted and ridiculed. Thanks for sharing these stories with us, Dr. Drew, and I hope you will start to show a little more courage on Loveline.
Rating:
Summary: Stinks like a full popcorn can
Review: On Dr. Drew's repeated on-air advice I picked this book up, only to wish that I'd spent my $25 on something worth while. Did he have a few half trained monkeys editing this book? I am tired of paying good money for books full of typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, and other blatant mistakes. The book also tends to drift, without focus or purpose. I would much rather have spent those hours repeated getting root canals without any sort of medication than reading this garbage!!!
Two thumbs down, do not waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: fake
Review: i went thru rehab and so did my friends and this book does a lousy job describing what it is like. most of it rings false, which is funny because this doctor is supposed to specialize in drug rehab. how come it reads like a bad novel then?
Rating:
Summary: Honesty
Review: Profound book by a good human being. I've worked at a corporate drug store for 6 years and I find Drew's patience with people who remind me of those I see for only 10 minutes at a time admirable. Excellent book. Keep them coming, for god's sake!
Rating:
Summary: Thanks for Nothing, Drew!
Review: It's been nearly a week since I asked you to plug my new novel and still no plug. I am very disappointed. I thought we could come to some arrangement. Even though I have no money, I could have repaid you in physical ecstasy. I realize you're a busy man, so maybe you can get Adam to read it and give you a precis, then you and Adam together could plug it on the air. Adam would of course get in on some of the action, too.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: This book is one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever and Dr. Drew in my oppinion is a great man. I would like to thank him because on the show LoveLine he has helped many people with problems though never mine this book has helped me thouroughly re-evaluate my life and my problems.
Rating:
Summary: If you learned sex from Dr. Ruth then you'll love this book
Review: The absolute only reason that I think Dr. Pinksky got this book published is because of "Love Line". Dr. Ruth had a layman's interest in sex and conned many people into believing her. Her phd has nothing whatsoever to do with sex.Dr. Drew can get away with getting a book like this published because he is on KROQ and other syndicated "Love Line" outlets.
The sad part is that Dr. Pinsky's subject is truly a social dilemma that should be treated seriously and with care. Instead, one is given a book that, if taken' seriously,I beleive could posssibly help to bring about relapse in recovering patients, an misguide people who may not be inflicted with the diease of addiction, but who know loved ones who are and may need help in trying to get them into recovery programs. Instead of a book that promotes true pathways to recovery you get treated to a "see how great I am" and "I may not get many people into recovery or succeed with any of them" but "I am really cool because I bring to the masses previously unknown information and I am handling a social problem that is too many times swept under the rug.
Dr. Ruth did the same thing with sex in a humorous and lighthearted way and also because she had developed a certain fame, not knowledge, just fame.
Dr. Pinsky is using his fame to try to convince people he really does know what he is talking about. In this case I seriously doubt his veracity and truly believe that he is doing more damage to true recovery professionals. He is an armchair chemical dependency counsoler with the potential to undermine true CD counseling and to do the clients real harm.
I wish to present this review as only an opinion and make no claims to the truths or untruths herein stated.
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