Richie Stephens is an actor who often plays hardened gangsters and criminals. This is easy for him because he was a drug trafficker, kidnapper, drug addict, alcoholic, and all-around criminal himself. His life twisted and turned in harrowing self-destructive adventures that took him from his native Ireland to San Francisco, Australia, and finally, Los Angeles, coalescing into a classic tale of a man trying to run from his problems by moving to new and more exotic locations—a hard and painful realization that comes at a point in which he’s about to take his own life. The only reason there is a story to tell is because he did not. Instead, he found help, and in doing so, found himself. More than that, he found that help comes in different forms, and oftentimes it just takes the right thought to hit at the right time for it all to make sense. The Gangster’s Guide to Sobriety chronicles Richie’s descent into the abyss of crime and dependency, and how his personal understanding of freedom allowed him to become the functioning positive force he is today. Richie’s story is sprawling and epic, but the key to the book is the same key to his recovery: the 12 Steps. With his own flair and original understanding of life and the world, he followed the 12 Steps to find the clarity he needed to save his own life and evolve into a positive force for others. As Richie says, “Hopefully if people see that someone as fucked up as me could change their life, then there is hope for anyone.” The Gangster’s Guide to Sobriety is gripping in its honesty and openness. Even at its darkest moments, there is a keen understanding of the absurd nature of life as the author comes to grips with his failings and his faith, while also entering a place of self-acceptance. This is a story of redemption and the power of the human spirit, and how sometimes you have to turn to something greater than yourself.

The Swamp has been around for over 150 years, and six major presidents have tried to drain it with varying degrees of success. Donald Trump promised to “Drain the Swamp,” by which he originally meant lobbyists. When he got in, he found an entirely different Swamp—a Deep State that had grown, layer upon layer, within the government. But he wasn’t the first to encounter entrenched Swamp opposition. Abraham Lincoln had to battle the “Slave Power Conspiracy”; Grover Cleveland was the most successful of three presidents to fight the spoils Swamp. Theodore Roosevelt found a new iteration of the Swamp awaiting him: Trusts. After World War II, John F. Kennedy discovered that he had little control over the Central Intelligence Agency, and even found he needed the CIA for his own purposes. Despite promising to shrink the bureaucracy Swamp, Ronald Reagan found himself helpless to even make a dent in it. And Trump soon learned that the Deep State could ensure no one ever brought any of its own to justice. Dragonslayers explains why these Swamps exist, and why they were—and remain—so hard to defeat.

This book is Bert Pluymen's story of struggle and triumph over alcohol addiction. It also contains insightful, witty, uplifting, and wryly humorous stories of the many people Pluymen met who were also searching for sobriety. This is an informative book that will shed new light on how alcohol abuse can ruin people's lives--even if they thought it could never happen to them.

This book chronicles the author's experience with sobriety and recovery, offering relief and hope to recovering substance abusers and their loved ones. With optimism and humor, the author explores an enduringly human struggle--living with a consciousness addicted to alteration. While documenting the world of active addiction and his recovery from substance abuse, the author guides others on their own journey with sobriety. Chapters provide reminders and meditations to the newly recovering; lists of activities and life experiences to enjoy in sobriety; insights into a world seen through "clear" eyes; etiquette for the refined recoverer; behavioral observations and humorous anecdotes from addicts on the mend. Wrapped in satire and wit, this honest, funny, and personally reflective guidebook will be recognizable and helpful to recovering addicts and to their friends and families.

Enough Already! is an easy read that educates alcoholics and addicts on precisely what to do to get and stay sober. After learning about the disease of alcoholism/addiction and time-tested tools of recovery, the reader is introduced to relapse prevention strategies, the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 Step programs, and coping skills to deal with uncomfortable emotions that often lead to drug and alcohol use. This is followed by specific instructions on how to get started in recovery and a final inspiring chapter entitled "The Miracle." Having years of sobriety and experience in the field of chemical dependency, Bob presents the information in this book drawing from personal and professional perspectives. Therefore, the reader learns the principles of sobriety and how to apply them in daily living through Bob's candid self-disclosure - a unique quality of this book.

"Honest, direct, comprehensive, and practical." --Bestselling author Mary Pipher "Kelly Madigan Erlandson’s book will help many who are beginning their trudge on the road to happy destiny." --Christopher Kennedy Lawford, author of Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption Already hailed as "a thoughtful and comprehensive guide to those early, crucial days of sobriety," this groundbreaking new book is different from anything else on the market. As an alcohol and drug counselor for more than 20 years who has helped thousands into recovery, the author does not focus on trying to diagnose the problem; instead, she compassionately guides you through the first 30 days of sobriety--the most crucial part of recovery. She gives you practical, day-by-day advice for becoming and staying sober--from removing alcohol and alcohol-related items from your house to picking the recovery program that fits your needs.