Review of “Powerless But Not Helpless” by Buddy C

Score: 85/100 (8.5 out of 10)

Powerless But Not Helpless by Buddy C is an admirable, high-spirited, well-researched book about breaking the chains of addictive behavior through the meditative verses of Tao Te Ching.

Now, we're a bit familiar with Taoism and Buddhism with many of us growing up in Asian or Pacific-Asian cultures, but we did not expect to see it applied so well to helping alcoholics and drugs addicts. It actually fits.

From what we gather, the author encourages us to break the chains of alcoholism and addiction by following the Buddhist teaching of letting go of attachments and the suffering they cause. We allow things like drugs and alcohol to control us and to have power over us—our thoughts and our emotions. We want these things like sex or bad food, but they are wants and desires, not needs. We don't need drugs. We don't need alcohol. Happiness and inner-peace come from love. The author equates love to God—it's a feeling that gives you peace, happiness, joy, and—he stoutly proclaims—freedom! Love is a liberating feeling, the one thing more powerful than an addiction.

Would you give up an addiction if it meant saving the life you love? What if it meant saving or reconciling with your family? Your spouse? You community? What if it meant not spending all the money you have on chasing that next high? What if it meant having self-discipline and self-control? What if it meant having self-respect and dignity again?

What's incredible is that, although the author doesn't always state these things, presenting the information in the form of Taoist proverbs (mostly), that's what we were able to gather from as little as 80 pages and probably less than 8,000 words. That's actually an incredible achievement on part of the author!

Check this out on Amazon!