The Dostoevsky effect : problem gambling and the origins of addiction

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

The Dostoevsky effect : problem gambling and the origins of addiction

Lorne Tepperman ... [et al.]

Oxford University Press, 2013

1st ed

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

When writing his novella The Gambler in 1866, Fyodor Dostoevsky remained true to the old adage "write what you know." Critically acclaimed for its insight into the mind of a gambling addict, the book offers a fascinating glimpse into Dostoevsky's personal struggle with gambling. The manuscript, in fact, was written to pay off a debt he owed to his publisher. A decade of Dostoevsky's adult life was consumed by gambling, yet the reason behind his startling dependency has remained largely unknown. In comparing Dostoevsky's life with the experience of modern-day gamblers, documented through in-depth interviews and written biographical accounts, a team of leading sociologists have uncovered the Dostoevsky Effect. This model proposes that social factors-especially childhood trauma and a poor ability to deal with adult stress-are often the cause of gambling addiction rather than, as some have argued, an inherited predisposition to wager. The Dostoevsky Effect offers new insight into Dostoevsky's life and work, and using contemporary field research draws surprising connections to today's gamblers, blurring the often elusive line between fact and fiction.

Table of Contents

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • PART I. GAMBLING IN THE LIFE OF DOSTOEVSKY
  • 1. AN INTRODUCTION TO DOSTOEVSKY'S LIFE
  • 2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: GAMBLING IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY RUSSIA
  • 3. WHAT DO DOSTOEVSKY'S NOVELS REFLECT?
  • 4. TRADITIONAL EXPLANATIONS OF DOSTOEVSKY'S GAMBLING
  • PART II. THE DOSTOEVSKY PROCESS TODAY
  • 5. CHILDHOOD STRESS
  • 6. ADULTHOOD STRESS
  • 7. MALADAPTIVE COPING
  • 8. HOW GAMBLING MAKES LIFE WORSE
  • PART III. NON-DOSTOEVSKIAN PROCESSES
  • 9. OPPORTUNITY AND ACCEPTABILITY
  • 10. LEARNING AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY
  • 11. HOW DO NON-PROBLEM GAMBLING FAMILIES COMPARE?
  • PART IV. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
  • 12. THE GAMBLER, THEN AND NOW
  • 13. LESSONS FROM AND FOR DOSTOEVSKY
  • 14. IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND SOCIAL POLICY
  • APPENDIX 1: A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
  • APPENDIX 2: HOW WE DID THIS STUDY
  • NOTES
  • REFERENCES
  • INDEX

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