Never Enough:
The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
Professor Judy Grisel’s new book has been a Times best seller.
Professor Judy Grisel’s new book has been a Times best seller.
Never Enough:
The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction
Psychology professor Judy Grisel is a recovering drug addict and scientist. In Never Enough, Grisel marries neuroscience to addiction’s gritty personal side. “People say they appreciate a voice that is neither puritanical nor scientifically ungrounded,” Grisel says. Released in February, Never Enough made an immediate splash, landing Grisel on The New York Times Nonfiction Best Sellers list sandwiched between Michelle Obama and Toni Morrison.
Bravely Baring It All
In its early pages, Never Enough is a candid tale of Grisel’s addiction that took root when she was 13. She rapidly progressed from alcohol to marijuana, meth and needles, and, as if on cue, guns, overdoses and cops enter the picture. Grisel didn’t intend to publish her personal history, but others convinced her that science alone wouldn’t make a page-turner.
Grisel is an introvert but recognized that “when people share stories of their brokenness, there are generally two responses: Some people identify and open up; others become uncomfortable and turn away,” she says.
No Shortage of Opinions
Never Enough is bold — it’s Grisel’s own, albeit educated, account of the problem of addiction and its causes. Amid scores of reader reactions, many from parents of kids who overdosed or are well on their way, there is praise and criticism.
“I want to take in the criticism and see if there’s value, and if there is, change my thinking,” she says. “Certainly, my book isn’t the end-all on the subject, so I’m interested in seeing how my own views evolve.”
One of Grisel’s first author interviews aired in mid-February on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A longtime fan, Grisel traveled to Philadelphia to be in the studio with Gross rather than record it from afar. “It was amazing — like standing next to the sun or the Dalai Lama or Jesus,” Grisel says of meeting Gross. “She’s so brilliant and insightful, it was like having a conversation with a colleague.”
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Joseph Scapellato (English/Creative Writing)
The Made-Up Man: A Novel (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019)
Joseph Scapellato’s novel is part bildungsroman, part comedy and part existential investigation. The protagonist, Stanley, moves to Prague to be in his uncle’s performance-art project, which turns out to be more than he bargained for. Filled with nihilistic humor and a dynamic cast, Scapellato’s novel broaches questions of identity and selfhood with nuance and creative precision.
Matthew Karanian ’82
The Armenian Highland: Western Armenia and the First Armenian Republic of 1918 (Stone Garden Press, 2018)
A century after the Armenian genocide, The Armenian Highland depicts the historic lands that housed the nation for thousands of years. The book transcends modern boundaries of Armenia to provide insight into the history of the First Armenian Republic of 1918. By combining photographs taken during Karanian’s travels in the region, modern and ancient maps and historical descriptions, the book tells untold stories of the area and its history.
Allison Krotzer Kimmel ’02
Rotem Teplow (illustrator)
The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Became A Civil War Hero (Little Bee Books, 2019)
The Eternal Soldier tells the true story of an unlikely Civil War hero, Sallie, who joined the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. This brave dog guarded the unit’s colors and stood with soldiers on the battlefield. The book depicts the compassion and love Sallie brought to the soldiers and reminds us that heroes can come in all shapes and sizes.
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