discover...

the hidden gifts

of addiction

This four time award-winning book invites you on a redemptive and uplifting exploration of addiction and its healing.

While exploring common themes and challenges in recovery, the chapters also reveal the spiritual and psychological gifts residing in the midst of—and as a result of intimately being with—these challenges.

​You can emerge from an addictive pattern in better shape than you first entered. 

awards


2020 Nautilus Book Awards Winner: As a 2020 Better Books for a Better World silver medal winner in the category of Personal Development, the work is recognized to be "of exceptional merit, making a literary and heartfelt contribution to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, and positive social change."

​Previous winners of Nautilus Book Awards include such diverse figures as Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, and Barbara Kingsolver.

2021 Living Now Book Awards Winner: As a 2021 "Books for Better Living" gold medal winner in the category of Self-Help, the work is recognized, amongst international titles, to be "exceptional and life-changing"
​
​Previous winners of Living Now Book Awards in the last couple years include diverse figures such as Jane Goodall, Marianne Williamson, and Loch Kelly.

2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in both categories of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and Inspirational Non-Fiction. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, which the media sometimes call "the Sundance of the publishing world", is the world's largest independently published book competition, "recognizing and honoring exceptional books".

Top 10 Best New Alcohol Addiction Books ranked by Book Authority, "one of the world's leading website for book recommendations, as featured on CNN and Forbes".
reviews

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​"Most of us are addicted to one thing or another, and Victor Bucklew shows us a way to healing and freedom that is grounded in self-acceptance and self-compassion. Beautifully written, this magnificent book is rich with heartfelt encouragement, soulful wisdom, and suggestions for everyday life.”

Rick Hanson, PhD

author
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Neurodharma and Buddha's Brain

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​“I’ve seldom read a book so inviting, reassuring, and hopeful…This book is destined to be a classic in the field. Yet, the author’s insight and wisdom are for everyone.”

Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle

author
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Aging with Wisdom

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“A heart-opening path that's both grounded and visionary. Bucklew offers us the secret gems that addiction and its healing provide. Highly recommended!”

Ana Holub

addiction recovery counselor and author
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Forgive and be Free

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​“…A heartfelt, soulful and meditative treatise reframing addiction.  Respect replaces shame, validation overrides hopelessness, and learning from suffering transforms the painful journey many people experience in recovery…A light in the darkness, long overdue.”

Tess Castleman

Jungian analyst and author
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​Threads, Knots, and Tapestries

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​“The beauty of this book is that it brings even our most destructive behaviors out of the shadows and into the light of love, kindness, curiosity, and even wonder…Even our darkest paths have their own kind of wisdom and gifts. Victor invites us to ask what is really going on in this territory called "addiction". To pause and be with what is here—even as we are drawn to reach for something to "fill" the moment.”

Richard Witteman

meditation teacher
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Springwater Center for Meditative Inquiry

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“…This isn’t just a book about heroin or alcohol addiction, but also about the much subtler forms of addiction that everyone experiences to some degree. It invites an open meditative exploration rooted in gentle curiosity, present moment awareness, and love. I greatly appreciate Bucklew’s open-minded, open-hearted approach and his recognition that everyone has a unique path of recovery. This is a book to savor and reflect upon, not to rush through. It's a beautiful book that I highly recommend.”

Joan Tollifson

​author
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Nothing to Grasp and Bare Bones Meditation

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interview

about the author
Victor is a counselor-in-training, scientist, author, entrepreneur, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction facilitator. He received his PhD in Laser Physics from Cornell University, studies the quantum mechanics of light, and is in long term recovery from addiction.