Alcoholism Books

I can't even tell you how much this has helped my life. I now have the tools to understand alcoholism. It is a disease that has destroyed so many families and ruined so many lives. It is important for us to understand the disease in order to try and help those who suffer. We need awareness and this book indeed opens our eyes. If you or someone in your family deals with addiction, you MUST read this book. It is the only book that deals with everthing from family issues, intervention to recovery. A MUST GET!

This book was very helpful for me to understand alcoholism as a family disease. I finally found a book that spoke to me in my own language. It seemed to know my life. I now know that this is a disease and not something I could control on my own. This wonderful book saved my family. Everyone in the world should read this. It relates to everyone!!!

This is an inspiring book for anyone who is or knows an alcoholic. My mother-in-law is in the final stages of alcoholism. I felt like crying when I read this book because I felt like the author had met her or seen her. Just when we think there is no hope and that we are alone with this disease, we realize that others are out there, and that we can learn from their experiences. The descriptions are detailed and the personal accounts are vivid. Anyone who is an alcoholic or who knows an alcoholic should read this book.

Something that all starting addictions counselors or students should have in there own personal library.

I've been morose for years about my inability to locate an up to date and comprehensive addictions counseling text. Most of them seem to have been written twenty years ago, or accept traditional "faith" models uncritically, ignore research, and/or have no coverage of crucial topics such as ethics. So it was a pleasure to see that Myers and Salt have come out with a top notch text, one that can be used at community or four year colleges. FINALLY, coverage of case management, ethics and confidentiality, VERY up to date MICA section - sophisticated coverage of personality disorders and AOD. Stages of change, REBT, Patient Placement Criteria, you name it, its there and its the latest. I'm familiar with these folks from the addiction studies educator network, which explains the ability to soak up the good stuff. I hope this text will help some of the "dinosaur" training programs out in the "boonies" to modernize and help our students become employable in the health care industry as it is today.

Trying to stay current in this field isn't easy. First of all, you are constantly hounded by traditional dogmas that don't give a whit about research about "what works". Second, you have people whose first layer of identity is not addictions counseling writing from their limited perspective. Third, counseling texts often devote too much space to pharmacology and stuff which belongs in another course (and there are a trillion books on drug types and effects). Myers and Salt have written a real insiders book on treatment and counseling. It cuts to the heart of the counseling relationship, its crucial issues and problems, and the nitty gritty of screening, assessment, intake, on top of the clinical picture. Everything you need to know, in short. Wish I'd had it in my coursework.....

Sandy Kaplan

I think that it is a fantastic book for anyone that has come from a dysfunctional family in any shape of form. I thought at first that because my parents werent alcoholics it would not help me but I was wrong. If you are prepared to change and break the pattern that you have seen in your family and in your own behaviour this book can help you to understand that you are not alone and that those feelings that you have are normal.
Reading the experiences of those people in the book it helps to try to get an inside into your own behaviour and feelings, it is a great book to help you through your own discovery as it triggers memories and feelings (at least it did it for me)

Even though I didn't grow up in an alcoholic home I did grow up in a dysfunctional one. Most people come from dysfunctional families of some kind, only the lucky few miss out on this grand adventure...lol! I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding themselves, their families of origin, and their current family situation. Many nuggets of wisdom in this volume. A true blessing to anyone looking for emotional healing.

For anyone who has issues with past childhood trauma whether it be alcoholism or other this book is for you. This has helped me answer so many questions that were in the fog for so many years. Because of this book I am allowed to move forward in my health, well-being and relationships like never before. I advise one and all to read this book. You don't even have to have issues to benefit from this book , definitely a find.

This book is a two-for-one hit! My handicapped English students struggle with reading. They rarely, if ever, read a book cover-to-cover. But they ALL read the first Binge. They devoured it. They related to it. They analyzed it, discussed it, were sometimes shocked by it. And now comes what we all had been hoping for, both students and teachers -- Binge II with The Road to Recovery. The AFA/Eight Steps program is going to change lives, probably save lives. It belongs in every school in the country.

S. Georgia Brown Silva, Eden Prarie High School, Eden Prarie, MN

Binge II: Recovery is clearly a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against alcoholism. I have researched this matter thoroughly and can confirm that AFA/Eight Steps is the first and only program of its type in the entire world. Spontaneous group therapy is quite common, but not "programmed" group therapy with specific steps to achieve specific goals. Substance-abuse treatment has become a multibillion-dollar industry in this country -- and is a colossal failure. Then along comes a simple, inexpensive program that points the way not only to recovery but to a better life, a program that offers hope -- and seriously threatens vested interests. Friends, Binge II: Recovery is a light at the end of the tunnel for America's alcoholic crisis. Let's help make AFA/Eight Steps household words, okay?

Betsy Fries, young-adult specialist, Toledo/Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library

If I could, I would give this book TEN stars! It has given me a wonderful new lease on life, and I'm sure it will do the same for countless others. was a notorious closet drunk. I would drink wine by the gallon, vodka by the fifth, beer by the case. I thought I had everyone fooled. Then one afternoon, while home alone, I collapsed in an alcoholic stupor. It was so bad, I couldn't tell up from down. Luckily, my son happened to stop by. He quickly dialed 9-1-1. At the hospital, my blood alcohol content was 0.54. I was nearly dead. Then I went into "treatment." First a counselor (expensive). Then as a patient in a treatment facility (more expensive), and finally a two-week stay in a substance-abuse ward of a hospital (the most expensive of all). Through all of this, I was bombarded daily with the horror stories of other patients, which was quite depressing. At the same time the counselors kept haranguing me that I am "powerless" over alcohol and must seek help in a "higher power," that there is no other way, which was even more depressing. And then after I was discharged, I discovered Binge II and the AFA/Eight Steps program. It was like opening a window and letting the fresh air in. The Fourth Step is about love; the Fifth Step is about all of the good that is within me; and the Sixth Step is an excellent rule of life for anyone, not just for alcoholics. "We resolved to be true to the best that is in us and to help other people, recognizing that in helping others, our own problems fall away." AFA/Eight Steps is a positive program, an upbeat program, a happy program, and I thank Mr, Ferry for writing it.

housewife, grandmother, recovering alcoholic, Rocherster Hills, MI

Sandy's writing takes you to a place you'd usually rather not even visit!!! She shines her beacon through the darkest recesses of the illness she combats daily.

Sandy you are a truly awesome person....in the real sense of that word.

Sandy Jeffs depicts the terrible, violent relationship between her parents and ts effect on her. Jeffs uses the second person to address the dead, as when she tells her father: 'Years of your blistering anger/has severed her senses from life's delights' in 'Farewell Old Bastard'...Jeff's poems about her mother express symathy and empathy, as in 'Mavis's Song': 'Her songs burst forth as though/her life depended on them'. Whilst Jeffs diction is not always inventive, her spacing, timing and self editing are superb, creating disciplined intensity which many readers will find impressive and cathartic, reinforced by the work's wider social dimensions. - Jennifer Maiden, Australian Book Review

At last a poetry book I can read that speaks to my experiences. Thank you Sandy for breaking the silence! on a topic that is widespread but noone ever talks about it. This books invites you into the harrowing world of domestic violence and alcholism with poetry that is both accessible and evocative.

I immediately used the book in group. It was easy to understand and easy for me to extend to clients in treatment. Thank you

The thing I like most about this book is that it just tells the drug user or the drinker streight-up. It doesn't plead or whine; it treats the reader as an adult; it says--here are the facts, now you decide, so what do you want to do. I think this is the best book I have read for anyone who has a real problem with drugs or alcohol and wants to understand what is going on without all the academic gobbly-gook.

This book is unlike anything else written for the hard core user. The author talks straight to the deepest, darkest reasons/excuses for remaining a drug user. Divided into chapters by the user's excuse for continued use. A very logical approach that shoots holes in every possible reason for not quitting. It also helps the parent of a user relate to why their loved one is so lost in the addiction bliss. It is easy to read, straight (even blunt) talking and uses real world examples. I highly recommend it to anyone having trouble kicking the habit or anyone who loves someone like that. A very refreshing approach to drug/alcohol counseling. As the book references, the physical substances passes through the body very quickly, so obviously the remaining addictions are mental...not physical.
Worth every penny and then some!

Practical, rich in clinical wisdom, chock full of fascinating case illustrations, Bridges to Recovery is a comprehensive and enlightening book -- an appropriate book to lead our addictions work into the twenty-first century. It transforms our understanding of addiction and offers us a clinical and theoretical head start for the complex cultural tasks ahead of us. This is the first book in our clinical literature to comprehensively address addiction treatment from a perspective of multicultural competence. It should be required reading for all those in the health care field who deal with substance abuse. Every physician, psychologist, social worker, nurse and counselor should become familiar with the ideas in this book.

The editor, Jo-Ann Krestan, one of the senior clinicians and thinkers in the family therapy field, and a seminal teacher and clinician on issues of addiction, has brought together a remarkable and diverse group of clinicians who have front line experience and knowledge of the struggles of those suffering from addiction. They have done a superb job of summarizing the research and articulating their own and their group's cultural wisdom for intervention. The chapters take account of each group's cultural and political history and the impact of oppression and marginalization within the dominant culture in the United States.

Monica McGoldrick, Director, The Multicultural Family Institute, Highland Park, N.J.(www.MulticulturalFamily.org), whose books include Ethnicity and Family Therapy, Revisioning Family Therapy: Race, Culture and Gender in Clinical Practice, The Expanded Family Life Cycle and Genograms

The section from the Native counselor which includes the cultural belief systems of Natives is the best I have come across in the literature. Their version of the 12 Steps is included also. This extensive section is worthe the price of the book!
Katherine van Wormer,co-author of Addiction Treatment

"Bridges to Recovery" shows the greatness of diversity to enrich our recovery with other people's ideas. It embodies something new for each of us to learn about the spiritual aspects of personal growth and find comfort in the healing process. I found it full of information for newcomers to sobriety as well as for old-timers like myself. Where else could you find reflected the brillance of God as you understand him in its impetus to spiritual growth? This book urges you to begin your healing journey and creates and open atmosphere that just might save your life.

I read this book after seeing an interview with the editor. It was all she had made it out to be. The book opens with Claude's mother missinig. However, this is not the first time her alchoholic mother takes off without letting Claude know. In fact, throughout Claude's life, she had taken on the responsibility of taking care of her mother. Now, she realizes all she has to look after is herself. However, the pressure and lies she makes up about her mother's disappearance eventually take their toll on the young teen and during a hurricane it all comes to a head. This is definitely a gread read with a surprise at the end.

This was a fast read, with a surprising twist at the end. And it's just been named a finalist for the Edgar - the most prestigious award in the mystery field.

This beautifully written, carefully constructed novel paints a deeply disturbing portrait of a seventeen-year-old girl who becomes trapped in the obsessive compulsions she uses to cope with the loss of her alcoholic mother. I found it profoundly moving. However, it deserves an R rating--readers under seventeen should only embark on this journey if accompanied by a caring adult who can help pull them out of its relentless downward spiral.
Looking for a gentler treatment of parental absence and mother-daughter issues? For a younger audience, Danger, Long Division models an internal dialogue that encourages problem solving and nurtures resilience.

Bravo to the author for acheiving "growing sobriety" and having the guts to shine an unflattering light on his earlier alcohol-fueled activities. Most of us don't have the inner strength to reveal our foibles quite so honestly. BTW - I couldn't put the book down!

Eric Gustafson's Fellini-esque travels with the rich and famous, his "bumpy road" fueled by alcohol and a need to be noticed, his desire for meaning and his ability to make life-long friends along the way--all these elements and more make "Cinderella is a Man" fascinating reading. His devotion to his friends and to telling the whole truth make him an inspiration to us all. Go ahead, give it to your Aunt--she'll love it!

I was peased to have the opportunity to read "Cinderella is a Man", so forthright with honesty, Gustafson exposed his vulnerablility and triumphed through recovery, dealing a death blow to the past!

I think the book is great. A must reed for all young adults reaching the drinking age as well as all drinkers who could use a little advice. I would recomend it to all!!

Wow-- This was as they say an "easy read"-- albeit a must read for everyone who may imbibe or for those interested in fostering a program of responsible alcohol consumption .
It is comprehensive,well researched and it is of the utmost value for parent's ,educator's administrator's etc .The time is well overdue that a book has been written about what most like to ignore-- Ignorance is dangerous but knowledge aquired by this book is powerful,and requisite for all as irresponsible alcohol consumption can be very tragic.

This is by far the best reference to use to learn how to drink alcohol responsibly. Every young adult who is considering drinking alcohol MUST read this book!

It's about time someone has addressed the void in the available information on drinking alcohol in a responsible manner. This book will empower the reader with the knowledge necessary to make safe, practical decisions about alcohol.

I say it should be mandatory reading for all college freshman