Alcoholism and drug addiction inflict a devastating toll on society, producing millions of broken people and scores of broken homes. What then, if anything, can be done to help? Destined to Recover takes an unblinking look at the problem from a unique vantage point, that of a physician-scientist who is also a recovering alcoholic and addict. Fast-paced, provocative, and intended for the public, the author’s account will bring the reader face-to-face with the heartbreaking reality of addictive disorders and our frustratingly limited ability to help those in need, despite the existence of medical and self-help recovery programs that work well for a small subset of alcoholics and addicts. Perhaps there are new approaches to recovery that should be explored. As one example, emerging from the author’s personal experiences and observations is the notion that fundamental neurobiology and genetics underlie the recovery process, concepts that may improve future treatment methods, offering the possibility that fewer of the next generation of alcoholics and addicts will suffer the same sad destiny as those of the past.