The Small Book: A Revolutionary Alternative for Overcoming Alcohol and Drug Dependence

by Jack Trimpey

Offering an alternative to twelve-step programs, a supportive guide explains how to identify the impulse to use intoxicants, learn self-control, value sobriety, and replace addiction with self-supportive behaviors.

Genres: Self Help, Addiction, Nonfiction, Mental Health

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1992

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I briefly skimmed this book, because the meat of it is on a website for Rational Recovery (RR), . AVRT is Addictive Voice Recognition Therapy. If you feel addicted to anything, check out the website. Once you learn how tricky and unrelenting but helpless your Addictive Voice is, and how smart and powerful You are, you can be done with any addiction in 5 minutes. The book is focused on the philosophical and practical differences between RR and AA.

[Carlton Duff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trimpey Calls alcoholism a “personal philosophy”, says “heroin is not addictive”, and urges those with alcohol problems to use their inner rational voice to use reason to override the irrational voice of the “Beast” inside yourself.
On top of offering almost no help for alcoholics who are looking to recover, Trimpey just seems like an a-hole.

[Rich]

It's a simple and secular approach to stopping alcohol dependence. It teaches us to depend upon ourselves rather than imaginary helper deities ("Help us Giant Robot!").

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book a whole bunch. my beast and I learned we were not alone in our quest for sobriety.

[Stephanie’s Libby Antics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s the thing, this book is NOT for everyone. The obvious one is it isn’t for religious people, that’s a give in. It’s also not for anyone who had comorbidity with mental illness that they have not been treated FULLY with yet.

This book was NOT for a young, anxious version of myself having more panic attacks than showers in a week.

It DID speak to my 28 year old, heavily medicated and therapized, mainly struggling with my “addiction” self. I’m not an alcoholic, but I have a much less serious and much less…. Real?…. Addiction to sugar. This book says that’s not a real addiction , and I agree! But it also says heroin isn’t really addictive…. so go in ready to hear someone with very strong opinions 😂

This book is also not for people who don’t respond well to personal responsibility prompts. Basically, if you have ever been upset by someone else’s “toxic positivity” skip this book.


All that aside, this really reached me down deep in my core and gave me a way to battle my…. Let’s call it an obsession :p my added sugar obsession.

But ffs 🤦🏻‍♀️ spend more time describing YOUR program and less time bashing AA! Like, you’ve sold us, we bought the book? There’s a whole sections responding to criticisms…… like calm your giant ego down and just help other addicts overcome it, cause that’s what you have to offer

[Sharie · Rating 3 out of 5]

helpful for some; dated with the science; most concerned that a person might glom onto theories that are ultimately damaging without seeking support from professionals or others in recovery; support outside oneself remains paramount, AA or not

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing point of view on how to deal with substance abuse problems, for people who don't cotton to the Twelve Steps. In world that seems to present no other real options but AA and NA, this is a welcome book indeed. I especially like the sheer simplicity oif it. In fact, my understanding of Rational Recovery is that it started out with 10 steps, then went down to one, and now doesn't even run groups anymore, feeling that all that kind of stuff is a distraction from the real point.

[Mioree · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
A relief to have a reason-based system for recovery. Feels empowering to know what the book has to say. Principles here can be applied for any type of dependence, not just alcohol. I am aiming to apply it to my toughest to beat bad habits.

[Jason Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biased yet useful.

[Another · Rating 5 out of 5]

The website has a brief and more to the point outline of the info in this book.

[Annica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two chapters contains nothing but anti AA propaganda, vilification of all forms of spirituality and glorification of the medical profession. In the following chapters the philosophy of the RR (rational recovery) is discussed with AA antagonism occurring only sporadically. Whilst there are some valid and helpful points, unfortunately, what is declared ‘rational’ is sometimes totally inaccurate which diminishes the general message in my opinion. For example, according to the author, adults should not need love, companionship or any form of appreciation. If this was true, no one would succumb to addiction in the first place. Science shows that human beings are hard wired for connection so this hardly appears as a helpful or rational statement. The notion that one simply should not feel in a certain way does not take away the feeling. Dr Amy Johnson’s approach, as described in ‘The little book of big change’ is far more rational and helpful and it explains why we feel what we feel and what to do about it rather than just dismissing what is.

[Janet]

I gave up when it suggested calling your addiction the "beast." We can't have a higher power, but we can have a "beast?"