Our recommendations
Prepared by: Irena Jovanovska
Book
Стонираниот философ од Ц. Алан Тејлор
The Stoned Philosopher, by C. Alan Taylor
Based on a true story, the book offers an introspection into the life of an opioid user not at home with conventional treatments. The book is an efficient addition to any addiction treatment programme. The author’s experiences are presented as never before, offering new hope to the reader. It is a good recommendation for everyone interested in therapy, buprenorphine treatment, substance abuse treatment, alchemy and much more. It is an essential source of information for family members of people who use drugs, as well as people in prison or facing imprisonment. Furthermore, it is a must read for people involved with harm reduction, people who would like to find out more about the inner state of addict/inmate/ex-con mind. In this book, the author puts you in the front passenger seat and takes you for a ride to hell and back.
Film
Scarface, directed by Brian de Palma
The original Scarface came out in 1932 produced by Howard Hughes and with a storyline based on the life of Al Capone. The film was supposed to raise awareness on the organized crime predominant at the time, though, generally, the 1983 remake, directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone, with the unique performance of Al Pacino, is considered to be far more powerful. The story follows the rise and fall of gangster Tony Montana, a poor Cuban migrant who arrives in Florida and starts a career in crime. Despite the mistakes they make with his friend, Manny Ribera (Steven Bauer), they rise from petty criminals to powerful gangsters. Killing everybody in his way, Tony Montana becomes the biggest drug lord in the country, controlling the entire cocaine arriving in USA through Miami. But the thing that gives him power soon finishes him off. The glamour, intrigues and confusions of the great Tony bring about paranoia, desperation and aversion due to the cocaine addiction. The police close in on him, and the war with the Columbian drug cartels and the paranoia soon lead him to his doom and death. It is fair to say that Tony “lived” his American dream.