Corrections_Today_Fall_2025_Vol.87_No.3

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to manage the revenge desires of the “addict” while literally saving lives and heartache in the process. The author begins with his own experiences with honest, and no doubt difficult, examples and how they shaped his thinking, and his life. He explains his feelings of being bullied as a youth, and after his family home was vandalized one too many times, taking action that could have very well altered his life by seriously injuring, possibly killing the offenders, had he not stopped himself. He goes into vivid detail about becoming a successful lawyer and, ultimately, losing himself in the process as the ideas of humiliating and exposing the person on the stand became more of a driving force than mon ey or even winning the case. This brought him to something many cannot, or will not do... take a deep and meaningful self-reflection and determine a change needs to be made in ones-self. His not only changed the course of his life, but has become a life’s-work to make a difference in the lives of others with the help of many. Comparing the effects of Revenge Addiction and Substance Misuse Addiction throughout the book, the reader is both edu cated and enlightened. In an easily understood, sometimes technical manner, he digs into why some people have the capacity to “Stop” before acting on their feeling s of revenge, and others ”Go”, de scribing its effects on the brain. Throughout the book, the author submits irrefutable evidence

substantiated by scientific study, research, and historical events that do not excuse the actions of the perpetrators, but explain the potential causes that led to their overall views of what are deeply described as real and/or imagined grievances against their victims. Revenge v. forgiveness After presenting a strong case for the Science of Revenge , he delves into the Science of Forgiveness, where he compares the effects of both on the brain. Describing how there is short term pleasure in pain (getting revenge), but how forgiveness is a superior response and has positive effects on us both physically and mentally. On the surface, this may seem obvious, but after reading about the science that backs this, one can understand the similarities of the inner workings of our brains and addictive behaviors. From here readers are intro duced to the “NonJustice” system which means to “abstain from the pursuit of justice in the form of re venge.” “It is organized around the healing principles of non-justice and forgiveness rather than the de structive principles of justice in the form of revenge.” In a allows them to hold a five-step “Courtroom of the Mind” over those whom they hold those grievances against in which the participant plays all of the roles in the courtroom to include the victim, prosecutor/ defendant, judge, jury, warden, and judge of your own life. The mental script goes through the steps of

The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World’s Deadliest Addiction — and How to Overcome It By James Kimmel, Jr., JD, Harmony, 2025, 336 pp.

REVIEWED BY Kraig Emery, Training Sergeant, Merrimack County Department

of Corrections, Boscawen, New Hamphire. R evenge as an “Addiction?” The idea had never crossed my mind. There is no short age of revenge throughout history, story-telling, media, movies, and in everyday life, but as an addiction? Not until now. In his book The Science of Ad diction, Author James Kimmel, Jr., JD brings a thoughtful, evidence based, and example filled work that has the capacity raise a true sense of awareness for “Revenge as an Addiction”. With proactive ideas on how we, as a society, may be able

Corrections Today | Fall 2025

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