John Barleycorn
Author: Jack London
It all came to me one election day. It was on a warm California afternoon and I had ridden down into the Valley of the Moon from the ranch to the little village to vote Yes and No to a host of proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of California.
Upton Sinclair
Assuredly one of the most useful, as well as one of the most entertaining books ever penned by a man.
Look this: Through the Kitchen Window or Southern Fried Yankee Cookbook
Wild Hunger: The Primal Roots of Modern Addiction
Author: Bruce Wilshir
This pioneering work explores why our culture is plagued by addictions--by giving serious attention to our genetic legacy from our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
The Journal of Addiction and Mental Health
Wild Hunger is every bit as literate and spiritually refreshing as Pincola Estes' Women Who Run with the Wolves and Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul, which topped the bestseller lists. Wilshire speaks to Everyman (and woman) about the nature of Nature to satisfy the primal wild hunger, banish addictive behavior, and extend the message that life is at its best without aNew York crutches.
Publishers Weekly
In this thoughtful, earnest examination of the roots of the addictive behaviors plaguing contemporary societies, Wilshire (Role Playing and Identity) makes an impassioned plea for rediscovering our primal need for ecstatic involvement with the world and other human beings. His conviction that addiction stems from ecstasy deprivation and an inability to access the regenerative sources inherent in nature is compelling, and many readers will identify with the feelings of emptiness and loneliness he blames on our dualistic culture, which, he says, fosters fragmented identities and prevents a holistic approach to life. Where primitive cultures had long-established ways of interpreting and integrating their experiences (myth, ritual, symbols), today's workaholic, alcoholic, media-bombarded humans, Wilshire maintains, have degraded substitutes and no rites of passage to help them. And, by violating themselves with addictive substances and beliefs (including the belief in all-powerful science), they further erode their own powers of renewal. In addition to putting a spotlight on addicts' denial of their basic needs, Wilshire attempts to reveal our limited understanding of the rituals we do partake in (for example, the use of drugs in shamanistic practices and the communal aspect of smoking). Although his scholarly tone and repetitive text may be off-putting to some readers, Wilshire's salient subject matter will speak to a wide audience, as will his location of salvation in the form of creative work and meaningful relationships.
Library Journal
Wilshire (philosophy, Rutgers Univ.) argues that addictive behaviors from smoking to overeating to alcoholism result from modern humanity's loss of ecstatic connection with nature and that society can only overcome these difficulties by cultivating nature, religion, and art. This book is not a systematic argument for this position but rather a compendium of autobiographical meditations (some of which do not seem to have any relationship to the rest of the book), literary quotations, and general musings. It does not offer individual treatment suggestions. Recommended only for larger academic libraries serving programs in addiction counseling or environmentalism.--Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA
Booknews
Wilshire (Philosophy, Rutgers University) traces the variety of addictions in modern affluent society to our genetic legacy from hunting-gathering ancestors and to the unique way people adapt to their environment through science and by creating art and cities. He suggests wilderness exploration in the arts, myths, and old ceremonies as remedies.
Parabola
Startling! Writing with passion and honesty, Wilshire shows that in addiction we participate in degenerative vicious circles that substitute for the regenerative cycles of nature.
The Journal of Addiction and Mental Health
Wild Hunger is every bit as literate and spiritually refreshing as Pincola Estes' Women Who Run with the Wolves and Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul, which topped the bestseller lists. Wilshire speaks to Everyman (and woman) about the nature of Nature to satisfy the primal wild hunger, banish addictive behavior, and extend the message that life is at its best without any crutches.
What People Are Saying
Thomas Berry
Wilshire gives insight into the...pseudo-ecstasy of addiction...and how a new awakening can come about.
David Ehrenfeld
This book is absolutely on the cutting edge. After Wild Hunger it will be difficult to think of addiction as a purely medical-neurological problem.
Table of Contents:
| Prologue: Hunger for Ecstatic Connectedness | ||
| Pt. I | Nature's Regenerative Cycles | 1 |
| Ch. 1 | Ecstasy Deprivation and Addictive "Remedies" | 3 |
| Ch. 2 | Rediscovering Space, Time, Body, Self | 29 |
| Ch. 3 | Circular Power Returning into Itself | 47 |
| Ch. 4 | The Intimate Otherness of Body-Self's World: Addiction As Frightened Response | 59 |
| Pt. II | Addiction: Circular Power Short-Circuited | 81 |
| Ch. 5 | The More Than Merely Human: Hunger to Belong | 83 |
| Ch. 6 | Medical Materialism and the Fragmented Grasp of Addiction | 95 |
| Ch. 7 | Possession, Addiction, Fragmentation: Is a Healing Community Possible? | 123 |
| Ch. 8 | Smoking As Ritual, Smoking As Addiction | 135 |
| Ch. 9 | Body, Nose, Viscera, Earth | 149 |
| Ch. 10 | Art and Truth | 169 |
| Pt. III | Harmony with Nature | 191 |
| Ch. 11 | Mother Nature: Circular Power Returning into Itself | 193 |
| Ch. 12 | Technology As Ecstasy: How to Deal with It? | 221 |
| Conclusion: The Awesome World | 249 | |
| Sources | 261 | |
| Acknowledgments | 277 | |
| Index | 279 | |
| About the Author | 287 |
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