Thousands of us suffer from addiction, including psychiatrist and recovering alcoholic Carl Erik Fisher. But where does this age-old behavior come from, and how should we approach it?

As a young doctor, Carl Erik Fisher faced his own addiction crisis, which nearly cost him everything. In his book "The Urge," he explores the history of this condition, how we have tried to define it, treat it, and control it, and how broader understanding and empathy could change people's lives.

"The Urge" is both a revealing history of ideas, a compelling personal narrative of addiction and recovery, and a clinician's urgent call for a more comprehensive and detailed approach to one of society's most persistent challenges.