---
product_id: 33223321
title: "The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease"
brand: "marc lewis phd"
price: "22990CFA"
currency: XOF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/33223321-the-biology-of-desire-why-addiction-is-not-a-disease
store_origin: SN
region: Senegal
---

# The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease

**Brand:** marc lewis phd
**Price:** 22990CFA
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease by marc lewis phd
- **How much does it cost?** 22990CFA with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/33223321-the-biology-of-desire-why-addiction-is-not-a-disease)

## Best For

- marc lewis phd enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted marc lewis phd brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease

## Images

![The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/616VQzoApXL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent reframing of how we view addiction and behaviour
*by A***R on May 6, 2025*

Well argued and thought provoking. Reframes how one thinks about addiction and behaviour. One thing I would have liked to see would have been a case study on perhaps the most infamous substance - tobacco. I feel like it’s harder to perceive the apparent ‘pleasure/reward’ than it is for other drugs and substances.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is one of the best books I've read in a long time regarding addiction
*by A***Y on January 31, 2016*

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time regarding addiction, though psychology and neuroscience more in general. It should be clear from the outset Dr. Lewis is not anti-psychiatry/medicine/science/etc., does not argue along the lines of Thomas Szasz regarding disease as a metaphor, or in anyway is blind to modern developments in neuroscience, brain scans, or anything along those lines. In fact, he's a neuroscientist and former addict (talk about turning it around).This books underlying thesis is while addiction is a harmful, compulsive, and incredibly hard to control, it is not a disease and should not fall under the disease model. He does not argue in anyway the brain doesn't change from ongoing drug use, as you'll no doubt see in trainings/lectures where people show a heroin brain next to a normal one. Rather, what he argues is the brain changes from just about any experience. So, if you are craving chocolate and have a similar scan your brain will show differences than a brain not craving chocolate. Similarly, if you're in love, which can make us all be a little nuts, your brain will show a very similar scan to someone addicted to heroin. His overall point is strong desires, achieving those desires, strong desires, achieving those desires, eventually results in a feedback loop that disrupts neural/brain processes responsible for modifying our behavior.What was most interesting to me was his discussion of ego depletion in Chapter 8, where he discusses treatment methods or advice from people is actually self defeating. If you are attempting to stop using heroin, alcohol, or what not, simply saying to yourself "I won't use", "I must not use", or something similar is one of the worst things to do because it depletes the very area of your brain that helps you not use heroin, making it more likely you will. Rather, you should reinterpret your experiences, view of the substance, and the situation, which results in less or no depletion.The reason I like this book so much is it's not a pie in the sky, nonsense fluff you will often read and is based on solid research and the way our minds work. He easily combines various brain structures with real life examples to make his underlying point. It is both intellectually demanding (remembering the various brain regions and their interactions) but also very dramatic and real. It's hard not to feel sympathy for some of the people he presents.I'd highly recommend this book. Again, it's not dismissing neuroscience or brain research, he points out multiple times it's important to erase the stigma of addiction so people can get help, but he shows in a very concise, understanding way we should not view addiction as a disease similar to cancer, diabetes, or what not. It's very readable and combines current research with good stories of people he's spoken to who have been through heroin, meth, and alcohol addiction up to someone being anoxeric and how they're similar.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Way to Learn
*by A***B on June 14, 2016*

I purchased this book out of curiosity about the subject, and not because I have a personal stake in it or am a student. This book was off to a slow start - the first few chapters are fairly repetitive, and the information is presented in a dense way that a lay-person might find forbidding. To a student this may be very appropriate, however, as the author does explain how he came to make his claims in a detailed manner. The chapters containing the case studies were amazingly interesting to me. I am only giving this book a four star review because I don't think the science behind the content is presented in a simple and objective way. I would recommend this book to people who are either dealing with recovery, or want to understand how a drug addict's brain works, or even how brains work in general.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
- Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/33223321-the-biology-of-desire-why-addiction-is-not-a-disease](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/33223321-the-biology-of-desire-why-addiction-is-not-a-disease)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Senegal*
*Store origin: SN*
*Last updated: 2026-02-02*