While I Have Your Attention: It’s Never Too Late for a New Beginning by Dr. Lucille O’Neal

This is a inspirational memoir written by NBA's Shaquille O'neal's mother, Lucille O’Neal sharing her struggles, hardships, challenges with addictions and accomplishments.

Won by decision: From Victim to Victorious by Joanne Davis Taylor

A biography which shares a story of healing, hope, compassion, forgiveness, honor, dignity and recovery. Click on the book cover to purchase Joanne Davis Taylor’s book.

When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey

A kaleidoscopic account of the crack cocaine era and a community’s ultimate resilience, told through a cast of characters whose lives illuminate the dramatic rise and fall of the epidemic. Click on the book cover to purchase Donovan X. Ramsey’s book.

How Would I Know? by Jackie Gouche

Jackie’s autobiography, “How Would I Know?”, is a story that spans 30 years of her life; beginning with her childhood, and ending on her tenth wedding anniversary. Jackie candidly tells how she met and married her husband, their struggle through addiction, infidelity and incarceration, and how the grace of God restored them to wholeness. Click on the book cover to purchase Jackie Gouche’s book.

Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome

Brian Broome’s book is touching upon his story of growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned boy dealing with attractions to other boys who eventually turned to drugs and liquor as a coping mechanism. Click on the book cover to purchase Brian Broome’s book.

Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward

Jesmyn Ward vividly recounts growing up Black in a small town in Mississippi, and living through the deaths of men whom she loved. In five years, Ward lost five men in her life, including her only brother, to drug overdose, accidents, and suicide. Click on the book cover to purchase Jesmyn Ward’s book.

Heavy by Kiese Laymon

It tells the story of the lifelong ravages of physical and sexual abuse and racism’s ravage on the body. Click on the book cover to purchase Kiese Laymon’s book.

The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir by Jenifer Lewis

This is a story of how undiagnosed mental illness nearly derailed Lewis’s career, leading her to finally confront her bipolar disorder and sex addiction after a breakdown during the filming of The Temptations. Click on the book cover to purchase Jenifer Lewis’ book.

Unashamed by Lecrae

Rapper Lecrae’s memoir is a frank story of overcoming many obstacles, including childhood abuse, abortion, addiction, and suicidality as a two-time Grammy award rapper. Click on the book cover to purchase Lecrae’s book.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRUGS, ADDICTION & RECOVERY by HENRY ABRAHAM, CADC FOREWORD by MARK SANDERS, LCSW, CADC

Everything You Need to Know about Drugs, Addiction & Recovery is to the field of addictions, what a Physician’s Desk Reference is to the field of medicine. Scripture tells us that “Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.” Abraham’s book is one of the many tools necessary to establish wisdom and understanding in the area of addiction and recovery. I am truly honored to recommend this great work.
—Minister Kellie Gage, MS-Ed Psy, CAADC Click on the book cover to purchase Henry Abraham’s book.

Fetal Alcohol Exposure in the African American Community by Dr. Carl C. Bell, M.D.

Renowned psychiatrist Carl Bell offers solutions to the problem of fetal alcohol exposure in African American Communities. Click on the book cover to purchase Dr. Bell’s book on Amazon.

Angel on My Shoulder: An Autobiography by Natalie Cole and Digby Diehl

This book tells the addiction and recovery story of Grammy award winning singer, Natalie Cole. Click on the book cover to purchase Natalie Cole’s book on Amazon.

Culturally Specific Treatment: A Model for the Treatment of African-American Clients by Hattie Wash, Psy. D.

Dr. Hattie Wash develops a Culturally Specific Model for working with African Americans with Substance Use Disorders. (Click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on Amazon).

Healing Neen by Tonier Cain

Not long ago, Neen was in prison - a place as familiar to her as the streets she lived on. A hard - core crack addict, Neen had already been arrested 83 times. But hers isn't just another victim story, ultimately, it is a testament to God's grace and presence. It is the story of her path to salvation and a propitious glimpse into the potential buried deep within some of society's most vulnerable people. (Click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on Amazon).

Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary by Jasmin Guy

Jasmin Guy tells the story of Afeni Shakur and her amazing life as one of the most well-known members of the Black Power movement, mother of Tupac Amaru Shakur and also her recovery journey. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on Amazon)

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which was published in 1965 is an account of the life of Malcolm X, (1925-1965) who became one of the most famous human rights activist. The book was a collaboration between Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Dysfunctional by Design: The Rebirth of Cultural Survivors by William Green

In this book, William Green accounts his own recovery journey. For more than thirty years William has worked in the addictions field as a counselor, supervisor, trainer and author. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Substance Use Disorders in African American Communities: Prevention edited by Mark Sanders

This book is dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and recovery of African Americans with substance use disorders. The book was originally published as a special issue of Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Relapse Prevention Counseling Workbook by Terrence T. Groski with Arthur B. Trundy

Terence T. Gorski is the president of The CENAPS Corporation, a training and consultation firm specializing in t recovery form addictive disease and relapse prevention therapy. This workbook presents seven powerful clinical processes that quickly identify and manage high-risk situations causing relapse. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Doin' Drugs: Patters of African American Addiction by William H. James and Stephen L. Johnson

In this book William Henry James and Stephen Lloyd Johnson document the role of alcohol and other drugs in traditional African cultures, among African salves before the American Civil War, and in contemporary African American society. The authors discuss the interplay of addiction and race to uncover the social and psychological factors that underlie addiction. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Dopefiend by Donald Goines

Donald Goines was a career criminal and addict who took up writing during his seven different prison sentences. During 1969-1974, Donald published sixteen novels which are now recognized as almost unbearably authentic portraits of the roughest aspects of the black experience. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Chemical Dependency and the African American by Peter Bell

Originally published in 1990, Chemical Dependency and the African American is now revised and expanded to reflect updated statistics and the latest information in the treatment field. Peter Bell is an expert on the topic of how cultural differences affect addiction treatment. In this work, Peter Bell makes the decisive case that there is room in the disease theory of addiction to accommodate racial issues--not as casual factors, but as contributive. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Behind the Eight Ball: Sex for Crack Cocaine Exchange and Poor Black Women by Tanya Telfair Sharpe

This fascinating book documents an American tragedy that highlights the widening gap between social and economic classes. In their own words, poor black women—nameless, faceless, and marginalized by poverty—share the details of their lives before and after crack cocaine invaded their communities, each recalling the circumstances of her introduction to the drug and her first experience using sex to support her addiction. These candid interviews expose the socioeconomic changes in inner-city neighborhoods that created the perfect conditions for a crack stronghold; the crack cocaine economy's impact on the lives of inner-city residents; and the social and familial consequences of crack addiction among poor, black women. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Treatment of Black Alcoholics (Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly) by Bruce Carruth, Frances L Brisbane & Maxine Womble

Authorities discuss the policies, programs, and personnel that are needed to sensitively and effectively meet the treatment needs of black alcoholics. In a clear and concise look at the devastating disease of alcoholism, they focus on the physical, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual dimensions of the effects of the disease on black alcoholics. Each chapter responds to these concerns and provides treatment models, recommendations, and information about treating black alcoholics. This is an informative and highly practical book for professionals in alcohol-specific agencies, mental health centers, family services, and child care agencies, as well as for administrators of treatment programs, students, and those who allocate funds for services. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Growing Up Black and Proud: Facilitator's Guidebook by Peter Bell and James Bitney

In this fantastic curriculum for African-American youth, Peter Bell and James Bitney look at preventing alcohol and other drug problems through building a positive racial identity. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Something's In The Air: Race, Crime, and the Legalization of Marijuana Edited by Katherine Tate, James Lance Taylor, and Mark Q. Sawyer

America’s drug laws have always exerted an unequal and unfair toll on Blacks and Latinos, who are arrested more often than Whites for the possession of illegal drugs and given harsher sentences. In this volume, contributors ask how would marijuana legalization affect communities of color? Is legalization of marijuana necessary to safeguard minority families from a lifetime of hardship and inequality? Who in minority communities' favors legalization and why, and do these minority opinions differ from the opinions held by White Americans? This volume also includes analyses of the policy debate by a range of scholars addressing economic, health, and empowerment issues. Comparative lessons from other countries are also analyzed. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

From the Crack House to the White House: Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities by Denise Stokes

Denise Stokes book looks at her life and the long journey she has had to overcome. To look at Denise's amazing stride you would not think she outran death for over 30 years.The beginning of Denise's life was filled with pain and sorrow however Denise found a way to take the very pain and use that energy to encourage others. This book is her journey. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

No Hiding Place: Empowerment and Recovery for Our Troubled Communities by Cecil Williams and Rebecca Laird
Cecil Williams is known nationally for his fight against addiction and for the empowerment of African American families. The book No Hiding Place: Empowerment and Recovery for Our Troubled Communities tells the extraordinary story of a community where recovery is working. This is the true story of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco where Williams has been the Minister of Liberation for more than twenty-nine years and has been leading innovative recovery programs.  (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)

Divine Grace Behind the Walls by Jolinda Wade

The book Divine Grace Behind the Walls by Jolinda Wade is the story of her path to GOD and the freedom that the Lord provided. The book follows her path into the ministry and the true meaning of love. (click on the cover of the book for link to purchase on amazon)