Humans are biologically programmed to seek out pleasurable experiences. These experiences are processed in the mesolimbic system, also referred to as the "reward center" of the brain, where a number of chemical messengers work in concert to provide a net release of dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens. In some genetically predisposed individuals, addiction occurs when the mechanisms of the mesolimbic system are disrupted by the use of various drugs of abuse. Since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, it's 12 step program of spiritual and character development has helped countless alcoholics and drug addicts curb their self-destructive behaviors. However, the program was developed at a time when comparatively little was known about the function of the brain and it has never been studied scientifically. This is the first book to take a systematic look at the molecular neurobiology associated with each of the 12 steps and to review the significant body of addiction research literature that is pertinent to the program.

In 1965, John Giordano auditioned for Ezra Rachlin, the music director for the Fort Worth and Austin Symphony Orchestras, by playing a concerto with each. As a result of the audition, Rachlin engaged Giordano to perform with both orchestras and offered him the assistant conductor position with the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra. The results of that serendipitous audition proved to be the impetus for Giordano's grand career in symphonic orchestral conducting and led to his long-term relationship with both the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.Speak Loudly and Carry a Little Stick: A Conductor's Chronicles tells the story of the development of the FWSO and the Cliburn competition as the internationally renowned conductor John Giordano knew them. These enlightening and often humorous chronicles give readers insight into the expansion of the FWSO and the Cliburn during Giordano's tenure. Giordano's musical career and adventures carried him all over the world, from China and Russia to Amsterdam and Mexico, and gave him an opportunity to play with musical greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Itzhak Perlman, and Tony Bennett. Through friendships with these talented artists and international figures and through his relationship with music, Giordano proves how critically important music is to our society and how music can positively impact a community.