Short Synopsis
Told through the riveting stories of addicts hooked on everything from alcohol and drugs to food and gambling—and incorporating the author's own recovery from sexual addiction—America Anonymous takes listeners on a haunting journey through our culture of addition and recovery, shining a spotlight on our biggest and most misunderstood public health crisis.

Full Synopsis
America Anonymous is the unforgettable story of eight men and women from around the country—including a grandmother, a college student, a bodybuilder, and a housewife—who are struggling with addictions. For nearly three years, acclaimed journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis immersed himself in their lives as they battled drug and alcohol abuse, overeating, and compulsive gambling and sexuality. Alternating with their stories is Denizet-Lewis's candid account of his own recovery from sexual addiction and his compelling examination of our culture of addiction, where we obsessively search for new and innovative ways to escape the reality of the present moment and make ourselves feel "better."

Addiction is arguably America's biggest public-health crisis, triggering and exacerbating many of our most pressing social problems (crime, poverty, skyrocketing health-care costs, and childhood abuse and neglect). But while cancer and AIDS survivors have taken to the streets—and to the halls of Congress—demanding to be counted, millions of addicts with successful long-term recovery talk only to each other in the confines of anonymous twelve-step meetings. (A notable exception is the addicted celebrity, who often enters and exits rehab with great fanfare.) Through the riveting stories of Americans in various stages of recovery and relapse, Denizet-Lewis shines a spotlight on our most misunderstood health problem (Is addiction a brain disease? A spiritual malady? A moral failing?) and breaks through the shame and denial that still shape our cultural understanding of it—and hamper our ability to treat it.

Are Americans more addicted than people in other countries, or does it just seem that way? Can food or sex be as addictive as alcohol and drugs? And will we ever be able to treat addiction with a pill? These are just a few of the questions Denizet-Lewis explores during his remarkable journey inside the lives of men and women struggling to become, or stay, sober. As the addicts in this book stumble, fall, and try again to make a different and better life, Denizet-Lewis records their struggles—and his own—with honesty and empathy.

"An intimate journal." ---The Boston Globe

"This book reaches into the dark depths of the heart and soul of addiction." ---William Cope Moyers, author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption

"Denizet-Lewis writes with an impressive mix of transparency and compassion about the addict's eternal battle between will and action.... This is an intimate, compelling volume." ---Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon

"An arresting, personal glimpse into the merciless world of drug and behavioral addiction." ---Kirkus Starred Review

"This unforgettable book is far more than a compilation of irresistible, artfully told stories about addicts. It's about truth, healing, survival, and hope." ---David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

"[Denizet-Lewis's] novelistic technique injects suspense ...and highlights the sadness of addicts' lives." ---New York Times

Kirkus Review

New York Times Bestseller