Rating: 
Summary: frighteningly realistic
Review: this book truly captured my drinking years for me and helped me to remember the horror and insanity of that time. almost as hypnotic as the mental aspect of alcoholism itself. whenever i am tempted to think things were not so bad, i hope i remember to pick this book up and reread it. helped to recall some things i thought were long buried. if you have no idea what this disease does to people, this book is about the most vivid i have ever read, especially about the alcoholic woman.
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Summary: A frightening and diaphoretic mirror...cheaper than therapy.
Review: Knapp's account of her struggle with alcoholism and its ancillary yet debilitating baggage transcends bad habits. Under the microscope of her own honesty and expressive talent, she decribes in startlingly understandable language how she immersed herself in her problem, steadfastly ignored its warnings, and finally clawed her way out. Chronicling her "functioning alcoholic" life, she elicits so many examples that prove the touchstones of the readers' self-reflection. Without any hint of indictment, this book begs the reader to simply put it down and think. A must read for anyone with the faintest hint of of self-suspicion.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and informative book
Review: I read this book in an effort to understand someone else's drinking behaviour and found I could understand the author's feelings and found the way she described her addiction quite informative. I lent this to a young girl whose father's alcoholism forced her to leave home and go into fostercare, she said she read it 4 times as she found it so enlightening in assisting her understand her father's behaviour though naturally she is still unable to live with that. It also increased my awareness about how drinking may get out of hand with many people, increasing in importance to a level that may be both unsafe and unhealthy.
Rating: 
Summary: Whiny drivel to the Nth power.
Review: This book utterly lacks any note of credibility. It reads like someone's loony fantasy notion of how 'cool' and 'special' it would be to be seen as a 'recovering alcoholic' -- someone who thus receives full lifetime membership in the "I'm damaged goods, therefore I am" club. It's also another symptom of the cancer on the publishing industry: books about nothing more than the author's dreary, vapid life. When are writers going to start writing about subjects worth knowing about and stop taking self-serving advantage of the public's appetite for these cheesy McBooks?
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Summary: The book that defined my life
Review: As a young woman of 30 who just quit drinking after 5-10 years of denial. I have never felt more positive or confident that I can overcome my love of alcohol, Caroline Knapp wrote with a sense of intimacy and warmth it felt like I knew her from the time I picked up her book. I would recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: Every aspect of this book touched a nerve: Caroline's struggles with her family, food, men, and ultimately, alcohol. "There are needs that don't respond well to the concept of moderation" is one of my favorite quotes from the book, and it says it all.I particularly drew strength from her examination of her romantic relationships, and her battle to extricate herself from her romance with Julian. Reading this book was a turning point in my decision to end a similarly co-dependent romance.
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Summary: This book made me do something about my drinking...
Review: I am 26 and have just come to realise that I have a drinking problem. I have read Caroline Knapp's book four times, each time telling myself that I wasnt as bad as her, and therefore didnt have a problem. I AM an alcoholic. I do need help. Perhaps if it wasnt for Caroline explaining to me how a young, successful woman can be a this way, perhaps I would never have done anything about it.
Rating:
Summary: Monotonous, Whining review of a downhill slumping life
Review: It might give us a peek into the life of an alcoholic, but there are much better books that do so. Knapp goes over, and over, and over, and over what went wrong without elaborating. She glosses over important facts like her subsequent anorexia. Knapp writes really well when it comes to her fictional Life of Alice K. or anything she contributes to magazines and the Boston Phoenix, but, hey, if you want to learn about alcoholism, find a better book. Any one of them would do. Reading this book (I had to for a Psychology Class) was utter torture. Don't put yourself through it.
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Summary: I finally understand
Review: Reading this book helped me to understand my mother's drinking problem. It put everything into focus and make me re-think my views of alcoholics. Knapp does not condone what she did, rather she explains_WHY_, which is something that I never did understand before I read this. An incredibly brave person sat down and put this together - if only everyone had the courage to do so.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Nudged a Raw Nerve!
Review: I saw Caroline on TV last year and just got around to reading the book. While it was one of the most depressing books I've ever read, there were many things in it that struck alittle close to home. This book is not exclusively for people with drinking problems -- oh, no! What makes it so good and yet so painful is how Caroline touches very sensitive areas if anyone has ever felt lonely, unable to communicate, has parental relationship problems, or has grown up with the "perfect sister/brother". As I read this book I remember shouting out on several occasions "That's just how I FEEL!", and it made me do some thinking. I would have liked more on how her siblings helped her through rehab. However it's still an excellent book -- I'd highly recommend it!
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