A Disease of One's Own: Psychotherapy, Addiction and the Emergence of Co-dependency - Tapa dura

-John Rice, rather than coming to praise or defend co-dependency, actually tries to understand its appeal. The result is a clear-headed example of a sociological investigation as it is supposed to be. A Disease of One's Own is a book well worth reading.- --Alan Wolfe, professor of sociology, Boston University -In A Disease of One's Own, Rice offers a penetrating, insightful, and profound analysis of the co-dependency movement. We not only learn much about the nature, emergence and consequences of this important stream of popular -liberation psychotherapy- but about American culture generally, in its abiding romance with therapeutic self-help. This is an outstanding work, one demonstrating originality, careful analysis and deep theoretical and moral reflection. It fully merits a place alongside the great works of Phillip Rieff and Christopher Lasch.- --James Davison Hunter, Kenan Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia -Rice provides a critical and provocative evaluation of the codependency movement, which has attracted millions of adherents... The author's central premise is that codependency as a basis for a system of therapy is the product of a cultural transformation in which imposed requirements for selfless behavior by the family, school, and church are being rejected... His ideas are organized, clearly stated, and show sophisticated insights into how such a movement evolved.- --W. P. Anderson, Choice -[Rice's] agile use of language and his ability to present an analysis without resorting to either apologetics or invective make the book a pleasure to read. . . . Rice has written a book that takes codependency seriously and analyzes transformations in discourse.- --Charles Derber, Contemporary Sociology "John Rice, rather than coming to praise or defend co-dependency, actually tries to understand its appeal. The result is a clear-headed example of a sociological investigation as it is supposed to be. A Disease of One's Own is a book well worth reading." --Alan Wolfe, professor of sociology, Boston University "In A Disease of One's Own, Rice offers a penetrating, insightful, and profound analysis of the co-dependency movement. We not only learn much about the nature, emergence and consequences of this important stream of popular "liberation psychotherapy" but about American culture generally, in its abiding romance with therapeutic self-help. This is an outstanding work, one demonstrating originality, careful analysis and deep theoretical and moral reflection. It fully merits a place alongside the great works of Phillip Rieff and Christopher Lasch." --James Davison Hunter, Kenan Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia "Rice provides a critical and provocative evaluation of the codependency movement, which has attracted millions of adherents... The author's central premise is that codependency as a basis for a system of therapy is the product of a cultural transformation in which imposed requirements for selfless behavior by the family, school, and church are being rejected... His ideas are organized, clearly stated, and show sophisticated insights into how such a movement evolved." --W. P. Anderson, Choice "[Rice's] agile use of language and his ability to present an analysis without resorting to either apologetics or invective make the book a pleasure to read. . . . Rice has written a book that takes codependency seriously and analyzes transformations in discourse." --Charles Derber, Contemporary Sociology "John Rice, rather than coming to praise or defend co-dependency, actually tries to understand its appeal. The result is a clear-headed example of a sociological investigation as it is supposed to be. A Disease of One's Own is a book well worth reading." --Alan Wolfe, professor of sociology, Boston University "In A Disease of One's Own, Rice offers a penetrating, insightful, and profound analysis of the co-dependency movement. We not only learn much about the nature, emergence and consequences of this important stream of popular "liberation psychotherapy" but about American culture generally, in its abiding romance with therapeutic self-help. This is an outstanding work, one demonstrating originality, careful analysis and deep theoretical and moral reflection. It fully merits a place alongside the great works of Phillip Rieff and Christopher Lasch." --James Davison Hunter, Kenan Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia "Rice provides a critical and provocative evaluation of the codependency movement, which has attracted millions of adherents... The author's central premise is that codependency as a basis for a system of therapy is the product of a cultural transformation in which imposed requirements for selfless behavior by the family, school, and church are being rejected... His ideas are organized, clearly stated, and show sophisticated insights into how such a movement evolved." --W. P. Anderson, Choice "[Rice's] agile use of language and his ability to present an analysis without resorting to either apologetics or invective make the book a pleasure to read. . . . Rice has written a book that takes codependency seriously and analyzes transformations in discourse." --Charles Derber, Contemporary Sociology "Rice provides a critical and provocative evaluation of the codependency movement, which has attracted millions of adherents... The author's central premise is that codependency as a basis for a system of therapy is the product of a cultural transformation in which imposed requirements for selfless behavior by the family, school, and church are being rejected... His ideas are organized, clearly stated, and show sophisticated insights into how such a movement evolved." --W. P. Anderson, Choice

Examines the phenomenon from a sociological perspective, viewing it not as something a person has, but as something a person believes, not a psychological disease, but as a belief system that offers its adherents a particular way of talking about the self and social relationships.