Alcoholism Books

This book was excellent. Bob tells a story of drug and alchol abuse that started as a young adolescent. This abuse progressively took over his life and eventually lead to terrible car accident. As a result of this accident he became paralyzed from the chest down. Bob struggled for may years with the fact he would never walk again and the drug and alcohal abuse continued. The abuse and depression where so bad that he actually attempting suicide several times. These attempts were cries for help. Finally Bob got the help he needed and has turned his life around. He is now one of the top wheelchair athletes in the country, winning the NYC marathon several times. This book is an easy read for young adults and sends a powerful message.

This book--if you can find a copy--gets to the point quickly and clearly. Helps you judge IF you or someone else is alcoholic and what to do about it and why. Definitely a good read--especially if you are just starting your research.

Just finished my course and have found it an "easy read". I have referred to it to give information to others that would have taken me time to research. This is the first time I could say I enjoyed studying

This updated edition describes all the common addictive substances that are abused in the US. Alcohol and narcotics. There's nothing here in any depth about the biochemistry of addiction. Rather, the typical perspective of a reader might be that of a social worker.

In dispassionate and non-moralising terms, the various drugs are explained. Along with models of addiction that can (or might) be applied to most of the drugs. The symptoms of addiction are made clear. So that you can recognise these in your clients, perhaps. The consequences of addiction are also gone into. The human cost, both to the addict and to those around him.

While many of the drugs are illegal in the US, the book tends to avoid discussion about legalisation. Whether or not you think some drugs might be legalised is largely outside the book's scope.

Crowley is not really the author of this book but the editor. _Drunkard's Progress_ is Crowley's collection of a genre of prose, the "confessions" of the alcoholic. Crowley's contextualizing essay does a nice job connecting the told-story, or the ritual of recounting alcoholic experiences with the first groups, like the Washington group, who employed this as a tactic toward achieving sobriety. Crowley also makes connections with the similar ritual within modern day recovery groups. As a contemporary literature scholar, I found Crowley's previous text, _The White Logic: Alcohol and Gender in Modernist Fiction_ to be more interesting, largely becuase it offers a literary interpretation and criticism of a variety of novels rather than being a collection of brief narratives like this book. However, for the reader and scholar interested in the foundation of the drunk-narrative-as-ritual-therapy model, Crowley's collection will be interesting reading.

This dictionary is very helpful, it is just limited to a few choice of words. But it is definitely complete. I like and also how simple it is to use.

I thought this book was a good book since I am a sophmore in high school. I am doing a speech on binge drinking and how to deal with it. I believe kids my age should read this book because it might help them get through any drinking problems they might have. Kids in especially grades 9-10 are under a lot of peer pressure to drink. I know. I did drink for quite awhile until I ended up in the hospital. After that I wanted to get some help and this book describes some of the help I got. I am now alcohol free and never want to do it again.

When I began my research into A.A. history, I traveled to A.A. World Headquarters in New York. There I met archivist Frank Mauser and his predecessor Nell Wing. Nell was Bill Wilson's secretary, Lois Wilson's long-time companion and assistant, and A.A.'s first archivist. I was greeted in New York by Frank and Nell, and several times thereafter I dined with Nell and also spent time with her in her apartment. It was quite plain to me that this lady had been a substantial part of the later development of A.A. In fact, when I visited her apartment, she was in the process of writing this important book. And she reviewed a mountain of historical materials she was studying for reference. Nell was a Buddhist. She was a non-alcoholic. And she was a gracious hostess to me and just about anyone who was interested in our early history.The First Nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference, 2d ed. She helped me with my visits to Stepping Stones for documents.Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes She helped me in obtaining Anne Smith's Journal. Anne Smith's Journal, 1933-1939: A.A.'s Principles of SuccessAnd she was a pillar in the community of industrious history researchers and writers. Making Known the Biblical History and Roots of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Sixteen-Year Research, Writing, Publishing, and Fact Dissemination Project, Third EditionIt's a good book by an eye witness. Despite her intimate friendship with Bill and Lois, and her access to many A.A. archival materials, Nell was humble enough to recognize the need to continue searching out our history.The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous. I doubt if she failed to help all of us in the earlier A.A. history-writing community of the 1990's.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It focusses on three women--all alcoholics who are trying to get their lives together. I found most of the characters to be sympathetic and real. Best of all, this book combines both hilarious and heartbreaking scenes. I'm not certain I believe the ending, but I definitely enjoyed the journey. One other caveat--for the most part, these women seemed to give up drinking fairly easily. I'm not certain that an alcoholic could give up years of addictive behavior so easily.

This book, written by an ex-heroin addict, does two things. On the one hand it gives the reader a harrowingly vivid insight into what it feels like to be a heroin addict. On the other hand it puts forward a sustained critique of modern British drugs laws and policies. It succeeds more convincingly on the first count, although many of the political points the author makes are hard to disagree with.

The main value of the book is simply that there are no other good ones like it. Granted that heroin addiction forms the backdrop for a whole genre of 'Trainspotting'-inspired literature and film, but the sensationalism of these productions is far removed from the sober and considered portrait of addiction Stewart paints.

Stewart's treatment of the subject is comprehensive and her style of writing persuasive and charismatic. The autobiographical sections which discuss her involvement in the Liverpool drugs scene in the 1970's are the most fascinating, the account of her gradual slide into addiction reminiscent of 'Go Ask Alice'. Unlike Alice, however, Stewart's story has a redemptive ending.

Required reading for would-be Kurt Cobains and policy-makers alike.