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Rating: 
Summary: The title is deceptive
Review: I bought this book assuming it would give help in dealing with the alcoholic but was very disappointed. If you are doing research this book may be fine, but it is not for self-help.
Rating: 
Summary: It was impressive
Review: I liked how the author approached Alcoholism as a choice and not a disease. He approached the matter with the idea that alcoholics have responsiblities. They are responsible for their own actions. It shed new light for me on alcoholism.
Rating:
Summary: It was impressive
Review: I liked how the author approached Alcoholism as a choice and not a disease. He approached the matter with the idea that alcoholics have responsiblities. They are responsible for their own actions. It shed new light for me on alcoholism.
Rating:
Summary: An alcoholic speaks
Review: To say alcoholism is not a disease is an insult to us alcoholics out there. I just finished treatment for alcoholism a week ago and got a new perspective on my condition and got to hear stories from other alcoholics like me. Alcoholism is a disease. It is an incurable disease which comes from a gene in your system. This gene takes away the choice to drink in a normal manner. Any alcoholic would tell you that they would give anything to get rid of this disease and be able to drink normally in social situations but they cannot. Many have went through treatment, thought they were cured, and started drinking again under the assumption that they could now drink normally with no consequences. They reason they failed was because this gene which causes their disease has taken away their choice. Alcoholism is both a mental disease and a physical disease. An alcoholic that drinks on a very regular basis develops a physical need for that drink as well as a mental need. Physically, they will need to drink to get rid of the shakes, the loss of appetite, the inability to sleep, and other such physical symptoms caused by their alcoholism. They do not wish to drink but in many cases the only other option nwould be to suffer from painful withdrawal. Mentally, they need to drink to feel normal. Without that drink, they would become overwhelmed with anxiety and irritability. They make up reasons why they need to drink, and they make up excuses to convince themselves that they are not alcoholic. This is not because of irresponsibility, this is because of mental illness caused by their alcoholism. Consider people with other mental illnesses. Would you consider someone who is clinically depressed irresponsible because they can't just get over it and feel happy? Would you consider someone with schizophrenia irresponsible because they can't go out and find a job? Probably not. The person who wrote this book insults alcoholics by divididng them into the categories of Drunk and Proud, Lush, and Wino. This proves that he has no compassion for those alcoholics across the world who go through a great amount of suffering because of a disease they never wished to have. According to his definition, I myself would be a Wino. The traditional image of a Wino is some bum on the street with a bottle in a paper bag sleeping on a park bench. Well, it so happens that I am an intelligent hardworking individual with four years of college and a promising future. I am not saying this to be self-righteous, I am saying it because labeling me with a word with such a negative connotation is suggesting that I am in some way a detriment to society. As an alcoholic who has went through quite a bit of suffering because of this disease, I find it to be a shame that such a book was written that portrays those who have no control over such a terrible disease in such a bad light.
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