Alcoholism Books

This book includes very practical guidelines and charts and record forms for the therapist to apply to the patients with substance abuse. The format of the book is clear, precise and very readable !

Forty two years ago - in Feb. 1966 - after almost twenty years of increasingly alcoholic drinking, I randomly pulled a copy of "The Common Sense of Drinking" from a bookshelf in the library of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Written by Richard Peabody in the early 1930s, the book described alcoholism and the behavior of many alcoholics. As I turned the pages, an awareness dawned on me: this book is about me. I took the book home and read it cover to cover. I have not had a drink since then, nor have I desired one. Peabody's book was not a miracle for me in itself - I joined AA shortly thereafter and give almost all the credit for my continued sobriety to AA, its ideas and its people. But "The Common Sense of Drinking" was a serendipitous doorway for me. It provided the safecracker's "click" that I apparently had been listening for during many previous, fruitless attempts to figure out what was wrong with me. I commend this book to anyone interested in early research on alcoholism. I would dearly love to find a copy (it's long out of print) or locate a descendant of Richard Peabody to express my belated thanks.

Bob D.
tralee71@comcast.net

This book offers a thoughtful and thorough analysis of drug abuse among youth, plaguing communities today. Accompanying the problem identification are strategies for community diagnosis, intervention and funding. This step by step guide outlines through figures and exhibits the approaches that may lead to successful social development in communities. Model goals and objectives, timeframes and evaluation tools are especially useful. Materials are timely and real-world, ready for us to put them to use.

The number of pages in this book and its size may lead readers to believe that this is a very short overview of addiction and alcoholism. Fortunately, this is not true. This book is jam-packed with details on addiction, including its definition, various manifestations, treatment, etc. Also, it is very well-written, balanced and even-handed, on this volatile, much disputed subject. For example, unlike many books by psychiatrists, it does not dismiss or assault twelve-step programs. This is important because many medical professionals feel compelled to critique 12 step programs without giving them a fair hearing.

Doctors feed their egos by maintaining that they can do a better job of treating addiction, particularly alcoholism. To be candid, doctors and others in the medical world are worried that non-professional approaches to addiction can be successful, thus dispensing with some of the services provided by these self-selected experts ( Doctors consider themselves to be an elite, without offering empirical, persuasive evidence that they know better on all things that even faintly fall within the ambit of professional medical treatment).

Moreover, this book merges psychiatric treatment of mental disorders with treatement of addiction. This seems elementary, but it is truly amazing that so many psychiatrists do not feel obligated to know how to treat both addiction and mental disorders when they coalesce in one person. Ironically, most doctors don't want to treat addiction, but, as stated above, they don't want non-professionals (AA or NA) to get any credit for their efforts (often successful) in treating alcoholics and drug addicts.

This book provides a lot of useful information for both professionals and for laymen. Highly recommended

I read this book as part of my biographical research on a man who was an alcoholic. It opened my eyes to the many aspects of alcohol dependency. Its intelligent, unpatronizing directions on how to reduce the amount you drink or decide for abstinence were thoughtful, and I could see how it would be helpful to those thinking through their relationship with alcohol. I think this book would be useful, too, for impulse eating and similar situations. I recommend this book highly.

This is undeniably the most comprehensive English-Irish dictionary available. It was originally published by the Irish government in 1959 and is often used as a companion to the O Donaill Irish-English dictionary. The preface is in English. The thing I like best about this book is the larger number of examples of usage that are included in the entries. The book translates common English phrases into Irish, which is very helpful to the learner. For example, under the entry for the English verb *grind*, there are seventeen lines of explanation, with translations for several short English phrases, such as *to grind ones teeth*, *to grind an organ*, *to grind for an exam* etc. Altogether an invaluable book for anybody who wants to write coherently in the Irish language.

This book finds its roots in the therapy sessions which the author conducted with alcoholic families. Both drinking and non-drinking members complained to the author that they couldn't find a book which answered their questions about the why of alcoholism and how to cope with the alcoholic. This book does both and does so in a highly readable style and format. -- from book's back cover

As a substance abuse counseling intern, this book has given me tremendous insight into the best approaches for my clients regarding triggers and other warning signs of relapse.
It also has a section on the immediate family and how important it is for them to seek help, as no one
recovers in isolation.

During my graduate school studies, this was one of the required textbooks for one of my classes. For myself, this was not dry or boring and I plan to continue using it as I begin working in the field after recently completing my degree.

This book doesn't focus on proving things about addiction. Rather, it offers a perspective that is both "new" and ancient. Addiction personality type or personality trap that all humans are capable of falling into - it is, essentially, a pattern. This author blends Native American folklore about the Coyote archetype with sound professional experience. I highly recommend this book for students in counseling/psychology professions, or as a fresh perspective for anyone interested in learning the true nature of addiction.