Everything you know about addiction is wrong.

Johann Hari was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and when he was a year old, his family moved to London, where he grew up and where he has lived for most of his life. His father – a Swiss immigrant – was a bus driver, and his mother was a nurse and later worked in shelters for survivors of domestic violence. 

He studied Social and Political Science at King’s College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Double First.

He has written three books, written for many of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, given two Ted talks, and has appeared on many popular shows and podcasts.

What really causes addiction — to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do — and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem.