Alcoholism Books

This is a really cute story. Cecelia Ahern has become one of my favorite authors. She truly is a talented author. This book is going to be turned into a movie and Hugh Jackman has been cast to play Ivan. He is perfect for this part. Patrick Dempsey would be perfect as Ben! If you liked P.S. I love you, you'll like this better. It's much more light hearted and fun.

I can not wait to see the movie!

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! Best one she has written by far. It really gets you thinking about being a kid again and how we as adults take so many things for granted. I sent it to a friend to read and now she won't send it back cause she is now sending it around her circle of friends back ome. Guess i gotta but it again. Totally worth it though.

I wanted to say this was a unique book written by a truly gifted writer. She writes about strong women who are so amazing. I can't put her books down. Thank you Cecelia, keep writing.

There aren't even words to describe how fantastic this book really is. Cecelia Ahern takes the reader on an emotional journey, and in writing about oen woman finding herself and her ability to love, the reader in turn is taken through an emotional catharsis unlike any other!

What a delightfully fun and wonderful story! I fell in love with the story, as well as the characters, right from the first page. This book shows a whole new perspective on imaginary friends - they are not just for children, but for anyone needing a bit of help.
'If You Could See Me Know' introduces us to Elizabeth Egan. Elizabeth focuses her life on her work, as an interior designer, who owns her own business. She is on the obsessive side when it comes to having things perfect - from her work and home, to the salt and pepper shakers at restaurants. There is no room for messiness or unorganization. This stems from a childhood of insecurities and broken dreams.
Elizabeth also has to deal with raising her nephew from infancy, the reason being that his mother, Elizabeth's sister, is on the wild and impulsive side - having no desire to be a mother.
One day, Luke, Elizabeth's nephew, begins talking to and seemingly playing with someone who cannot be seen. This worries Elizabeth and she is hoping that this is only a very short phase and a bit normal for a six year old.
Luke insists on sitting places at the dinner table for Ivan, his friend, and holding doors open for him. He also becomes very upset when Elizabeth cannot see his new friend. This doesn't last long, however, after a very short while, a man shows up at Elizabeth's house, seemingly to pick up Luke's friend, Sam. She mistakes Ivan for Sam's Dad and things just are not the same after that.
Ivan is from Ekam Eveileb and soon finds out that he has been sent to be friends with Elizabeth, rather than her nephew. His job is to add fun and love into Elizabeth's life - help her to see and come to terms with her life and a piece of forgotten childhood.
Something happens, though, that neither Ivan nor Elizabeth counted on. Soon, a decision has to be made by Ivan - a very painful one.
I greatly enjoy Cecelia Ahern's works of literary art. She has a wonderful way of blending fun and tenderness to her stories. It is so easy to become absorbed into the character's lives and see a whole new life through their eyes.

Waffles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Waffles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Waflles 02/25/07

Title: We All Fall Down Author: Robert Cormier ISBN-0-385-30501-X


The Real World in a Book


This is a scene form We All Fall Down, a realistic fiction. This book has three main characters, Buddy, Jane and The Avenger. This takes place in two towns. The time is the present. All of the characters take part in things that could happen today.

This book has been one of the first books that I have read the really opened my eyes. This is at the top of my list. Number one reason why this is at the top is because. Cormier is a straight shooter, as in he gives it to you have you think it. Cormier also does not "sugar coat" his writing. There for him not sugar coating it, this book as been banned some places. I would definitely recommend this book. This book is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in there life, just because it is a teenager book does not mean that a 50 year old can not read it. The book makes you think about the real world today. Although the book does not have drugs in it to refer today it has a lot of other things in it. Like I said it is an eye opener, but the stuff in this book is happening all over the world today. People in the age range of 13-80 would like this book. An optimistic person would like this book also people with children would enjoy reading and learning what there kid could get involved in.

I enjoyed the genre, the genre is realistic fiction. The book made the genre by being so real to what the genre name is. Also the scenes in the book were so real to the real world it was scary. Also that it is an average town just like places all around the world. Also the book felt like I was reading a newspaper.
I enjoyed the writing style of this writer. His writing flows very well and is very decrypted. There is a point in the book were I wanted to stop reading. But then I read on and the story put me back on the track to read more. Which I am glad I kept reading.
There were loads of surprises in this book. This also intended me to keep going in the book, because it kept me interested. The first page is one of the first surprises that kept me reading. It is in when the boys are in the girl's house and they are trashing and also doing some important this to the house and a girl. This is one of the major scenes that I thought was a surprise, which kept me interested.

Cormier's intense, suspenseful, and ironic plot makes this novel a great page-turner. The different characters and different point's of view make the book more exciting. How at the end all of the characters come together for a very strange ironic ending of the book. This is a great book but I would not recommend it for anyone under 14. This book was disturbing and included a lot of mature context.

There are 3 different sides to this story one from Jane Jerome a teenage girl whose house gets trashed and everything was ruined. Her sister Karen was admitted into the hospital and was in a Coma. Jane Jerome was never realized how much she loved her sister and her regular life routine. Now Jane struggles to live a normal life and forget about the past. Jane Jerome later falls deeply in love with a boy named Buddy Walker and she has never felt so much love in her life. She starts to feel like everything is going to be okay because now she has Buddy by her side.

The second main character in the book is Buddy Walker. Buddy Walker and his friends decide to trash a house for "Funtime". Later Buddy found out that the house he trashed was Jane Jermoe's. Buddy soon feel in love with Jane, and Buddy never admitting the truth to Jane and what he had done to her house.

The third main character in the book was the "Avenger". The Avenger is an eleven year old boy who seeks revenge from "Bad people". The Avenger was an extreme character in this novel and carried out many disturbing and engrossing acts through out the book. The Avenger is tied into the story at the end and his true identity was revealed at the end for a surprising twist.

The Avenger sees it all. He watches closely as four guys trash Jane Jerome's house, shoving her sister Karen into the basement to do whatever it is they're doing. He isn't going to let it go unavenged.

The Jerome family is fairly new in the neighborhood, having just moved from Monument (where THE CHOCOLATE WAR took place) a short while ago. Being the new kid is bad, but being Judy Jerome, the new kid who people stop talking to because they don't know what to say to a girl whose house gets ransacked and whose sister ends up in the hospital, is worse. Rumors fly. Reputations dive. Revenge ensues.

Suicide, rape, murder, vandalism, and love. All in a young adult book. While Robert Cormier may not be for the faint of heart, his writing sings with the skillful voice of truth. He's never afraid to show darkness and light for what they are, and for that, I commend and recommend him.

-- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

another great read from hopking... i have loved everything she has writen. stories that are good and could be real..very realistic hitting on real life issues

I started reading this book last night and I just finished it 90 minutes ago...I could not put it down...I instantly fell in love with the characters (well not all). It may not leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, but it's a great read.

Ellen Hopkins has yet again created another masterpiece that is both touching and thrilling. This book creates images of a story that people can relate to and see happening in our every day lives. It takes place in a Mormon family where a woman's only role is to have as many children as she can (mostly boys), take care of them and please her husband - even if it means getting beaten!

In Pattyn's (the main characters)world, she has never known true freedom until her father catches her with a boy (that isn't Mormon) and after a series of dilemas, is sent to live with her Aunt J whom has never gotten along with her brother, Pattyn's father.

The story continues at Pattyn's finds love, hatred, pain, and the harsh sides of her own reality and the one person she truly loves... This heart warming story will live you in tears or close to them. Enjoy!

I bought Burned and didn't expect much to come out of the book, man was i wrong!!! I got a few pages into the book and was hooked, i loved this book and finished it in 2 days. It's a wonderful book and i suggest that everyone read it.

This was possibly the greatest book I have ever read. Dispite my useraname I am a boy of 14 and i cried like a baby at the end. Being jewish I think this book really opened my eyes to the life of mormon families ( not all of course). In a nutshell, amazing storyline, grat writing, depressing ending. YAY

I ordered the book Broken on May 19th and I still have not recieved it yet, can someone help me or give me a number to call. Thank you

Having walked through the hell of having a child with profound substance abuse issues, I found this book a biography I could identify with. Congratulations to Cope and his family. No one gets sober in a straight line and without help and support.

I really appreciated this book. I found it to be honest and moving. It shows a very accurate and powerful picture of addictions and what it takes to get into recovery. William Moyers really helps people to see the power of addicitons and the power of recovery. I really appreciated all he had to say. I do believe that we need to share our stories and educate the public as to the truth about addictions.

I had the opportunity to hear William Moyers speak at SECAD. His presentation moved me to purchase his book, BROKEN. This book was so powerful that I was unable to put it down once I read the prologue. As a recovering person and therapist in the mental health/drug and alcohol treatment field I immediately purchased a dozen more copies of BROKEN to give to clients and family members who struggle with addiction. Anyone interested in issues of addiction and recovery will be equally moved if they pick up a copy and read the 3 1/2 page prologue. BROKEN is powerfully candid and written is a straightforward manner that results in the reader being captivated and most importantly....inspired by William Moyers' journey of recovery.

I started this book but couldn't finish it. I guess I found it to be a bit
boring and too detailed. Perhaps a big exaggerated? I do applaud Cope Moyers however for writing the book. I'm sure it will help MANY who have struggled with addiction. As a literary piece, though, I think it needs more work.

Sober.... And staying that way

Just as Susan composes herself on TV, she is the same way in her writing. Over the top and a bit edgy. In my opinion there are sections of the book that could have been cut. Now why am I supporting Lady Powter's Book? Because she cuts thru the bull of treating alcoholism. She freely exercises her freedom of speech; with her own style and trademark flair.

Susan Powter's attack is to actually TREAT alcoholism, as apposed to simply standing still and staying sober, calling someone in the middle of the night and constantly living one day at a time. Thru the author's eyes, you are able to see past that life threatening next drink. Incidentally, that next drink will not only bring you back to where you were when you last practiced your alcoholism, but you will find that your dis-ease has much advanced, perhaps even doubled. Dearheart, don't go there!

The foundation for her argument in treating alcoholism is laid down in a concrete detailing of nutrition. For instance: consuming sugary products to ease the cravings only keeps the cravings alive and creates the "dry drunks"

She brings power to the word "Surrender".

If that isn't enough, the haunting way she describes the terror that alcohol brings to the body's organs will leave you feeling sick. However biter her medicine may be, her humor adds a spoon full of sugar (pun intended) to help.
Sober...and Staying That Way : The Missing Link in The Cure for Alcoholism

I read it cover to cover in one sitting and then passed it on to the person I had purchased it for. Then I bought another copy for someone else. I'm just trying to understand this desease and the size of this beast, and the horrible things it's done to people I care about. She got me a long ways toward that understanding. Fault it any way you want, by and large it was a good read, good life skills, good common sense. It was a good kick in the [rear] and I hope everyone I share it with gets as much out of it as I did. It may not be the only answer, but she moves you forward in the right direction, and hopefully healthier and better able to tackle this monster.

12% success rate? Defined by whom? No reliable statistics exist on this point. After her own alcoholism got beyond deniability, Powter dried out and got back on the self-promotion bandwagon, her grandiosity and dangerous ignorance unchanged.

Her advice on nutrition is just another rehash of the crazy, paranoid/conspiracy minded quackery of con artists like Adele Davis and Gary Null. Please check out Dr. Barrett's comments on these two at http://quackwatch.com

I Ms Powter's looney advice has an 80% success rate, where is her Nobel Prize? And for that matter, where is she? Did the secret cabal of 'powerful lobbyists' assassinate her?

Take a walk, eat real food sensibly, go to AA, take what you need, leave the rest. The "AA" described by quacks like Powter is a straw man. Real people can and do get and stay sober without lining the pockets of creeps like this woman.

...like me. I read this book back a few years ago when i was looking for ways to get and stay sober. I believed this book and spent a bunch of money on the nutritional supplements and went to an MD and a medical detox. Combined, I thought it would work. It didn't. Neither did the Reiki, the naltrexone, the hypnosis, or the affirmations, etc. Finally, three and a half years later, I have tried the only thing that actually works for someone like me who has the disease of alcoholism rather than just a condition of alcohol dependence, which may be what Susan had.

For those with alcohol dependence, but not the disease of alcoholism (there's a subtle difference in ways to tell which you have, but a huge difference in how to treat it), this method may well work. But, for those with true alcoholism, there really does need to be intervention from a higher power to overcome it. The reason AA has such a low success rate is because a person has to choose and adhere to the lifestyle, or the disease creeps back up. The very nature of the disease itself makes this choice very difficult to make and then adhere to. But, if the directions are followed, success is assured.

However, psychology and nutritional supplementation will not cure or even bring into remission, the disease of alcoholism. Nutritional supplementation can definitely help bring the body back into decent shape after abstinence, but cure alcoholism? I really doubt it. Believe me, an alcoholic will try everything under the sun to fix their problem to avoid doing the one true thing that will actually work, the 12 steps. And, if they make it through all those scenarios alive, hopefully then they'll make it to a 12-step program. Because if you have this disease, nothing else works. If you have what looks like alcoholism but isn't (and is merely alcohol dependence), then this program may well work. Just please, please, please don't fool yourself into thinking this will work if you have the real deal.

I just hope Susan is still sober, whether she's using the method in her book, or a 12-step program.

I know this may sound weird in light of the fact that Powter has been labeled fem-nazi and the like, but she has a new male convert in me due to the Sober and Staying That Way. It completely changed my view of her. I read the book non-stop from front to back. I immediately identified with the sugar/caffeine cravings whenever I tried to stop drinking. I knew/know from personal experience that eating/being healthy really helps me not drink. And I readily identified with her observations about current recovery programs. I was in some shock over the connections she makes between the government and big business, but that was naive on my part. This book really simulated a response from me on many levels. It may have saved my life and possibly my marriage.

I AM AN ADDICT.... AND I UNDERSTAND TRYING TO FIND THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF MY USING DRUGS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK WAS A COMMERCIAL FOR PASSAGES (WHEN I CALLED THEY TOLD ME TO COME UP WITH 68,000 DOLLARS). I CAN'T EVEN AFFORD ALL OF THE COUNSELORS AND HOLISTIC PRACTITIONERS THEY ADVISE I USE. HOW COULD I AFFORD TO GO FOR 30 DAYS TO A PROGRAM THAT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. WHEN I GOT TO THE CHAPTER OF THE BOOK THAT TOLD ME TO GET ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT DOCTORS, I WAS HEARTBROKEN. BECAUSE OF THE TITLE OF THE BOOK, I HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS IT, THIS WAS THE ONE THING THAT WOULD HELP ME GET OVER MY ADDICTION FINALLY. BUT AS EVERYTHING ELSE I'VE TRIED IT FAILED ALSO. I AM GOING TO TRY THE ACCUPUNCTURE AND MY MEDICAL DOCTOR IS WEANING ME OFF OF OXYCONTIN RIGHT NOW. BUT THAT IS MY PLAN. I PRAY AND PRAY AND PRAY THAT IT WORKS. MY FAITH IN GOD IS WHAT WILL PULL ME THROUGH THIS, I KNOW IT. THE ONE THING IN HIS BOOK I TOTALLY AGREE WITH IS THAT EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE.. GOOD OR BAD ALL WORKS TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD. EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE, EVEN BEING ADDICTED TO DRUGS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I AM LEARNING A LIFE LESSON. AND THAT IS A GIFT FROM THE LORD.

this book was unimpressive to me. just a waste of money as very little in it is of much use.

Great Book! A lot of really good information to help understand addictions, which in turn helps understand how to plot a course to overcome addictions. A lot of resources suggestions included.

It's not a disease but it can be cured? What's to cure then? only illnesses or diseases need cures. well normal conditions don't require a "cure." And if they are "cured" why can't they drink normally? If there is no disease, no alcoholism, why don't they serve wine at dinner? Once the "core issues" are cleared up and gone around day 15 of the $70,000 plus a month program they should be able to toast with a cocktail like normal folks can on occasion. I just don't see how a non-disease would require a cure and if there is no condition after 30 days why can't the residents drink normally like people who have never struggled with addiction? Isn't that what a "cure" is? A return to normal? If someone was completely cured of their peanut allergy wouldn't that mean they could eat a PBJ? If they can't drink safely doesn't that mean they are not cured of the disease they never had? And if they can't relapse why does Passages send residents home with sober companions and readmit them after they pick up a drink or drug again (what other places call a relapse)? Bit of a contradiction it seems.

The story that the son, Pax, wrote about his addiction and recovery was great. It rang brutally true. I was into the book and ready to see how they could translate their $50,000/month Malibu treatment plan to the masses. The answer? They can't. They recommend hiring a western medical doctor, a clinical pyschologist, a massage therapist, a nutrionist, an acupuncturist, a hypnotist, and a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine as the minimum "holistic treatment team". They recommend going to clinical pyschologist at least 3 times/week. During a question/answer part of the book, it was asked "What if I can't afford all of this?" The answer? Ask to be treated for free. Tell them that they'd be part of a "Passages model team".

Okay...

My HMO pays for 10 counseling sessions per year with a social worker. And the copay for that is $40 per visit. Somehow I don't think I'm going to be able to assemble this psychological dream team without a load of cash and a lot of free time.

Oh, and what should you do if your dream team doesn't live in your small town? MOVE to a big city (just for a month).

I'm not a big fan of AA and their dogmatic religiosity, but at least they're free and close by!

This phenomenally well-researched book will be so helpful to anyone trying to get on top of a drinking problem because it offers a number of avenues for help. That is, it shows that there are a lot of roads to recovery, which is great because when it comes to dealing with excessive alcohol use, a one-size-fits-all solution is too narrow to accommodate everyone's needs.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks this book delivers -- and provides the backup to make its points. The latest edition shows that Sober for Good has received the Outstanding Contributions to Advancing the Understanding of Addictions Award from the American Psychological Association; the Research Society on Alcoholism Journalism Award; the Distinguished Friend to Behavior Therapy Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; and a National Health Information Award. In other words, because author Fletcher has really done her homework, millions with an alcohol addiction will be able to get help that previously eluded them.

the elevator is broken.
the escalator is out of order

PLEASE USE THE STEPS!

they're numbered for a reason.

This is an excellent book with a lot of helpful information. The experiences it shares are excellent. It is also extremely well written!

This book was suggested reading by a drug and alcohol counselor, who seems to have an utmost curiosity in all things sober. I can't thank him enough. I knew there was something more needed in my life than the 12 step approach, and here it is. From page 24, Vincent A., "What helped me stop was the mutual support and practical advice rather than the 12 steps." This book is giving me added hope, greater awareness, and helpful, positive reading to the women I sponsor, (mentor). Thank you, Anne and I hope you continue to write. Brooke

Surely Anne M. Fletcher means well. Just as surely, she is living proof that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Ms. Fletcher's "Sober for Good" would be merely annoying if the subject matter wasn't so vitally important. But addiction is a life and death issue, and to publish a volume of work this injudicious is reprehensible. As someone who has intimate experience with addiction in more ways than I ever wanted, someone who has become more thoroughly educated on the subject than I ever dreamed would be necessary, it is imperative that I use this opportunity to caution anyone and everyone who reads this book. This book is dangerously misleading! Do not use this book as a guide. There are dozens if not hundreds of books out there that will provide you with well-researched, reliable, rational assistance in your search to find the answers to addiction. "Sober for Good" is NOT one of them. "Beyond the Influence," by Katherine Ketcham and William Asbury; "Dying for a Drink," by Anderson Spickard, Jr. and Barbara Thompson; even "Broken," by William Cope Moyers, are all superior sources for those who are hungry for information on this heartbreaking subject. I cannot stress this enough: Anne M. Fletcher's book is seriously flawed, alarmingly inaccurate, and potentially as deadly to the uninformed reader as the disease of addiction itself. The only value I can find in the work is as an antithesis to the solid body of hard-earned knowledge that does exist.

Good personal stories included in this book.
However he gives little voice to recovery programs other than 12 step programs like AA.

I heard about this book on the unhooked.com website. This a must read for an intelligent person who is serious about never drinking again. Just enough scientific research intermixed with personal stories - most high bottom drinkers will find themselves in this book. Those who trashed this book seemed to be filled with anger (a very predictible alcoholic response.) A few desired detailed research statistics on alcoholism. I don't need exhaustive studies to tell me if I have a problem or not but if need be, you can find all that online. What's important to remember is: This is just ONE of the many valuable tools available for becoming sober for life. If you are wise enough to take from this book what will help you and not expect it to be your "Big Book" then you will definitely benefit from the read.

Recently selected as the recipient of the 2005 RSA Journalism Award, this book is a must-read for anyone secretly fearing that s/he might be an alcoholic. Whether you're wandering around your seemingly perfect life in your big house at midnight, drunk again while your children sleep in their darkened bedrooms, or waking up at dawn in yet another stranger's bed in a bad part of the city, you probably think that you're the only person in the world who feels the way you feel. A Thinking Person's Guide to Sobriety clarifies what alcoholism is and how it manifests in a person's life. You may just find yourself somewhere between its covers.

I'm in my 50's, spent 20+ years working in middle management in Fortune 500 companies, rarely even got hangovers, but was worried that I was drinking too much. I found this book an excellent wake-up call for those of us whose drinking, over the years (or decades) has been escalating to the point where we begin to wonder if our relationship with booze is getting the better of us. Its the fact that the auther was both a successful profession, and not perceieved by anyone else as having a serious problem that is what struck home the most for me. Like the author, I have several times quit drinking for a week or a month just to show myself I can. The mere fact that I felt I needed to do this was proof that I was at least sub-consciously aware that I was developing a dependence. Over the years, I began drinking more frequently and in greater quantity (although always 'safely' - either at home or when someone else was driving). While this book might be considered 'fluff' by real hard-core abusers, I think its value is in helping those who are beginning to question their lifestypes to really understand where they might be heading.

By the time I found Berts book I was already aware of my dependency on alcohol. I work in a responsible medical environment, but never allowed alcohol to affect my work. I didn't drink during the day, suffer shaking hands or sleep rough after collapsing. I was however drinking enough to seriously affect my health (and I should know) almost every night. I had got to the edge of the abyss and Berts book saved the rest of my life. It is an easy to read book that will touch a nerve with anyone who has a drink problem. It has made me feel strong enough to live a life free from alcohol.

This book is nearly thirty years old. Surely there is a better, more contemporary explanation of alcoholism. The author's thesis is that alcoholism is an entirely physiological phenomenon, caused by the inability of the alcoholic's liver to adequately process acetaldehyde, an intermediate by-product of alcohol metabolism. In the past thirty years, has medical science agreed on this thesis, or has it been rejected? One won't find the answer reading this book.

Certainly, AA has not accepted the two recommendations made by the authors: (1) that AA reduce its emphasis on a moral inventory that includes the alcoholic's behavior while drinking and (2) that AA stop recommending the use of sugar and sweets. AA continues to promote a moral inventory -- and the use of sweets (not to mention coffee and smoking) is widespread in AA. Anyone reading this book before going to AA will be very surprised and perhaps put off.

Also, the author's thesis does not really explain the more recent observations that alcoholics appear to be more susceptible than other people to other addictions, not only to drugs, but also to behavioral addictions like gambling, sex, food, and shopping. Authors like Patrick Carnes (on sex addiction) and Kay Sheppard (on food addiction) note this connection.

We need a better book to provide the background to people who are encountering alcoholism in themselves or their loved ones. This book is a classic, but it's best left as a historical artifact, not as the last word on the subject.

The author clearly defines the progression of the disease. He describes the scientific physiolgical effects of alcoholism on an alcoholic. Milam describes in scientific detail the neurological impact of alcoholism on the frontal lobe. Race/culture rates are described. If people don't understand that alcoholism is a disease I say, read "Under The Influence". There is no question after reading this book that it IS a disease. The moral/willpower issue should long have been disolved. This book is a myth buster for alcoholism. This is truly an enlightning must read for everybody.

I find this book fascinating. Having worked in the treatment field for a long time and having worked at Lakeside-Milam (which Milam started) I feel comfortable recommending and discussing this material.

I've met Dr. Milam and used to listen to him lecture. Interesting guy, soft-spoken, and full of knowledge. He is a true pioneer.

I've also been fortunate enough to work at Schick Shadel Hospital. If you like the work of Dr. Milam, I would invite you to check out the work from Dr. James W. Smith. Dr. Smith has been practicing addiction medicine since 1960. He is Board Certified in Family Practice and certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

Dr. Milam was a pioneer, Dr. Smith is a legend. Knowing both approaches I'm excited to move forward in my body of knowledge.

I feel empowered with information. I can seriously say that for the first time, I am empty of judgement. On the cover it says "A life-saving approach to alcoholism" and that's the point I'd stress.

I train counselors and counsel families of alcoholics, and when a family member is having a very difficult time (even though she is trying hard) to understand that this is a disease----I refer her to this book. This helps her to see so well, that his rage is because alcohol excites the rage-centers of the brain. And because she now understands this, she knows, then, that the crazymaking coming out his mouth is the disease talking. Does not mean that she is not in pain from his behavior---but this book does help to take the edge off it. And this book helps her to spot the alcoholism in her children, too, because she now knows how very genetic this disease is.
I see that one of the inside-cover endorsements for this book is by Toby Rice Drews---the author of the "Getting Them Sober, you CAN help" book. Her book is my 'sister book' to Milam's book! Together, these two books are lifesavers in my home. My counseling clients tell me that when they read "Getting Them Sober", their family lives change for the better within three days! I feel that these two books are 'sister' books because Milam (in "Under the Influence") explains the entire physiological body/brain effects from alcoholism----and Drews (in "Getting Them Sober, you CAN help") explains in detail, exactly how to make changes in one's relationship with the alcoholic (whether or not you live with him)------ so that the alcoholic has an 80% better chance to get sober. (The cover-endorsements for the book are by 'dear Abby', Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and Melody Beattie, author of 'Codependent No More', who says that "Getting Them Sober is the BEST book for the family of the still-drinking alcoholic".) Getting Them Sober: You Can Help! (Getting Them Sober)

I like this publication and find it very helpful. I caution people trying to use this as a primary source for recovery as I have no experience with using the book as such.

Love Joe McQ...May he rest in peace...

This is a great book on recovery. The author's insight into the steps is very helpful. Great seller/price. The book was shipped quickly and arrived exactly as described.

Indispensable.

Joe McQ kicks some serious balls when dealing with the deadly disease of
Alcoholism.

Straight talking, funny, insightful, experienced, and to the point without
being preachy - the way only a real drunk can talk to drunks.

If you are confused about the steps, this book will explain them for you.

Joe, and his buddy Charlie, are modern day patron Saints of AA. Read Joe's
book, and grow.

- -
Okay
Father Luke

An excellent supplement for a beginner to use with the Big Book. It may not be approved literature but it is AA principles 100%

This is the best book I've read on the 12 Steps. It is such a refreshing perspective and a welcome addition to the Recovery Library of Bill W and Hazelton literature, which, for me, had become too familiar, unfortunately. This book is filled with insight, perspective, metaphors, hope and humor.