A succinct attempt to clear away the brush and get at the roots of human suffering. It is a simple analysis of the human condition and the forces standing in the way of combating ignorance and powerlessness.

This book is in essence a concerted effort to understand the disease of addiction, and its effect on the human mind. This approach embraces the scientific progress that has dominated the last century and led us to conquer some of the most tenacious diseases in our history. With the discovery of DNA and the advent of ever more refined methods for its manipulation, this century bears the promise of leading us to victory over what may be our most insidious foe; addiction itself.