Recovery From Our Addictions - Russell Brand

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

Okay yeah I'm stupid, I should have read the title. I thought this was his memoir, but was indeed his guide for recovery and his take on the 12 steps. With that said, and with the acknowledgement that this book was certainly not aimed at me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I knew little about Brand besides that he has a cool accent and is in some funny movies. But man, his writing style speaks to me. He is incredibly poetic and incredibly profane, and something about that combo hit my sweet spot. He's a comedian and his ability to get really philosophical and then make you laugh is distinct and endearing.

From my brief time working in recovery centres, I can certainly tell you that there are no people more in touch with themselves than people in recovery. Brand is certainly no exception, and his spiritual maturity is inspiring. I feel like this is the best Christian book I've read recently, and it's not a Christian book. I felt compelled to get in touch with my higher being like Brand discusses. This book also has a lot to say about other, more normal addictions like food and money that I feel were important for me to hear.

I found it interesting that Brand is so adamantly supportive of the 12 steps because they really don't sound trendy these days. They have major Christian themes as they were made by a group of American Christian guys a century ago. He reinterprets them some, but definitely keeps the spirit of them in tact which I thought was awesome. In some ways, for such a radical, Brand sounds more like a conservative Christian than I do.

Do I recommend this book? No, not unless you are dealing with active addiction. But I do think Brand's life and philosophy are worth exploring, and I'm excited to read, you know, his actual memoir sometime.