Marc Lewis Books
Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, known for his research on the neuroscience of addiction. A former addict himself, he has written extensively on how brain development and emotional learning contribute to addictive behavior.
Known for: The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
Books by Marc Lewis
The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
In this groundbreaking work, neuroscientist Marc Lewis challenges the prevailing view that addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Drawing on his own experiences as a former addict and his research in neuroscience, Lewis argues that addiction is better understood as a developmental process—a learned pattern of behavior that can be unlearned. Through vivid case studies and accessible explanations of brain science, he shows how desire, habit, and emotional learning shape the brain’s pathways, and how recovery involves reshaping those same circuits through new experiences and choices.
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The Disease Model of Addiction
For decades, the medical establishment has promoted a fixed view of addiction: that it is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. This model has comforted many, for it releases the addict from moral blame. If it’s a disease, then it isn’t your fault. Yet, the language of disease carries hidden assumptio...
From The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
Critique of the Disease Model
As I examined the evidence, the disease model began to feel incomplete. It described what addiction looks like under a microscope, but not what it feels like to live it. Neuroscience can measure dopamine surges, but it cannot chart the inner terrain of emotional need, isolation, or trauma that makes...
From The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
About Marc Lewis
Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, known for his research on the neuroscience of addiction. A former addict himself, he has written extensively on how brain development and emotional learning contribute to addictive behavior. His work bridges scie...
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Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, known for his research on the neuroscience of addiction. A former addict himself, he has written extensively on how brain development and emotional learning contribute to addictive behavior. His work bridges scie...
Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, known for his research on the neuroscience of addiction. A former addict himself, he has written extensively on how brain development and emotional learning contribute to addictive behavior. His work bridges scientific insight and personal experience, offering a compassionate and evidence-based perspective on recovery.
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Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of developmental psychology, known for his research on the neuroscience of addiction. A former addict himself, he has written extensively on how brain development and emotional learning contribute to addictive behavior.
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