Rating:  Summary: You don't have to be alcoholic to identify with her. Review: A superbly written jolt between the eyes. She explores her life with more honesty than most of us ever will. You don't have to lift a glass of wine to identify with her struggles and her insecurities. For many of us, they're a part of every day life. A warning: don't read this book unless you're prepared to awake some of your own hidden demons.
Rating:  Summary: Reading this book changed my life. It was wonderful Review: When I bought this book I knew I had a drinking problem. I was able to identify with many of the thoughts and feelings of the author. With the information I recieved in the book I was able to face my alcoholism and do something about it. I have been sober for five months and regularly attend AA meetings. I would like to thank Caroline Knapp for writing this book.
Rating:  Summary: A little on the dull side Review: I enjoyed the first few chapters, and then it just got monotonous. Same old stuff, I thought I was different. Perhaps it is because I am also a sober alcoholic - once you get past the details, the stories are all pretty much the same. I have been helped over the years by so many recovering alcoholics who have shared their stories, experience and hope with me - for free. I guess I have a bias against those who are making money/receiving fame from it. I would suggest that anyone who wants to really learn about alcoholism read "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women have Recovered From Alcoholism", and those who have family members who are alcoholic may benefit from literature from the Alanon Family Groups.
Rating:  Summary: a must read for women alcoholics Review: I enthusiastically recomend this book for women who are in recovery or know a female alcoholic. Each page was a new discovery. I have attended many meetings over the years but have never felt like someone else did all of the things I did. I had such a relief knowing that I was not the only one who behaved this way. I have bought several copies of this book and given them to my friends in AA and Alon. Highly recomended.
Rating:  Summary: an excellent primary for the newly committed non-drinker Review: Caroline Knapp has written a brilliant book based on her own experience in quitting drinking. She is poised but at the same time personal and honest. She "tells it like it is" in wonderful words. It really is a beautiful tribute to a horrible addiction. She makes it all seem so real and so OK.
Rating:  Summary: I found Carolyn's book enlightening, engrossing and poignant Review: From the first page I found Drinking, A Love Story riveting. I appreciated the authors honesty and intelligence, her insights and vulnerability. The book caused me to re-evaluate my drinking habits and more than once had me sit up in my chair in recognition of myself in some insight of the authors. Her observtions on women and addiction in the form of anorexia rang so true with me it hurt. Throughout the book I cared about this person and was sad to finish it because I felt I was ending not just the book, but losing a new friendship.
Rating:  Summary: I found this book interesting and educational. Review: I liked this book a lot. It dealt with the issue of alcholism an how it is in many everyday situations. Caroline started drinking at an early age and it was not that out of the ordinary. I liked reading about her experiences and how she was able to overcome them. I recommend this book to anyone. It offers a lot of information about what an alcholics life is like before, after and during recovery.
Rating:  Summary: An Excellent description of alcoholism for everyone Review: As a non-alcoholic, this book has helped me more than anything else to finally comprehend what life is like for an alcoholic. From the first page, when Knapp describes in stark detail her utter love and devotion to a bottle of wine, I was riveted. I never understood that you could love a bottle of booze like you could love a person (or, in her case at times, more so). Her struggle is so deep, that when she finally decides to get help, the reader just wants to stand up and cheer. I have never seen alcoholism described in such stark, emotional terms. She should be commended.
Rating:  Summary: Shows the power of alchohol addiction like no other Review: Caroline Knapp is like many of us young women who have been brought up with alchohol present at every occasion. In her book, she describes her life as a full functioning alchoholic. When I looked at my own drinking habits, it made me realize how easy it is to lose control of your life without even knowing it's happening. This is an interesting book for anyone, but especially for young people who have been taught that drinking is the only way to have fun. Later in life, will we still use alchohol for our other needs and stresses? I Think sometimes having it around a lot, it becomes too familiar, and it loses it's identity as a powerful addictive drug. It shows you that some of us will control it, and some of us won't. I've never spoken of it to anyone, but some of Caroline's drinking habits and quirks were mirroring my own. After I read this book, it changed my view of alchohol as an innocent pleasure. I see it now as the addictive drug that it really is.
Rating:  Summary: insightful, non-judgmental portrait of a life of drinking Review: Many books approach alchoholism,addiction and problem drinking as one and the same; the only solution is a 12-step program and these issues are usually discussed within a narrow context. "Drinking: A Love Story" not only approaches its subject with insight, humor and profound understanding, but also conveys that there is no black and white...that alchoholism is elusive, difficult to recognize and accept, and has many graduations. This is a beautifully written memoir. The author's relationship with her parents and family is both achingly painful and at the same time life-affirming. A particularly moving moment in the author's life after her mother's death is one of the most memorable passages in this compassionate -- and instructive -- book.
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