Category: (Book)
3 new, starting at $12.64
5 used, starting at $9.49
A spirited look at the history of alcohol from the dawn of
civilization to the twenty first century
For better or worse, alcohol has helped shape our civilization.
Throughout history, it has been consumed not just to quench our
thirsts or nourish our bodies but also for cultural reasons. It has
been associated since antiquity with celebration, creativity,
friendship, and danger, for every drinking culture has acknowledged
it possesses a dark side.
In Drink, Iain Gately traces the course of humanity’s
10,000 year old love affair with the substance which has been
dubbed “the cause of—and solution to—all of life’s
problems.” Along the way he scrutinises the drinking habits of
presidents, prophets, and barbarian hordes, and features drinkers
as diverse as Homer, Hemmingway, Shakespeare, Al Capone, Benjamin
Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Covering matters as varied as
bacchanals in Imperial Rome, the gin craze in 17th century London,
the rise and fall of the temperance movement, and drunk driving,
Drink details the benefits and burdens alcohol has conveyed
to the societies in which it is consumed. Gately’s lively and
provocative style brings to life the controversies, past and
present, that have raged over alcohol, and uses the authentic
voices of drinkers and their detractors to explode myths and reveal
truths about this most equivocal of fluids.
Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the
birth and growth of the United States, taking in the war of
Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and
the failed experiment of National Prohibition. Finally, it provides
a history of the world’s best loved drinks. Enthusiasts of craft
brews and fine wines will discover the origins of their favorite
tipples, and what they have in common with Greek philosophers and
medieval princes every time they raise a glass.
A rollicking tour through humanity’s love affair with alcohol,
Drink is an intoxicating history of civilization
Damn good book.Reviewed by Jake W. Henry, 2009-12-01
This is a well researched and engaging book. I carried it around
with me while i was reading it, and had many conversations with
people who noticed it.
I would have liked more about microbreweries, but thats another
book in itself i suppose.
Entertaing & InformativeReviewed by B. Spitnale, 2009-09-28
If you drink, ever wonder why? How did humans figure out how to create alcohol? Why don't people enjoy drinking grape juice as much as wine? How did it become a social thing? All these questions, and many more, are pondered and answered in this informative and interesting book. A good sociological examination as to why people drink, how they drink, why they drink what they do and why it's been viewed favorably by some cultures in history and unfavorably by others. As someone who is always fascinated by learning how humans tick and how we've changed through history - I found this book both relaxing (a good non controversial read) and thought provoking.
Isn't there a book like this already?Reviewed by Book Lover, 2009-02-19
Hmmmm this sounds very similar to a book I have - Alcoholica Esoterica by Ian Lendler. That one was incredibly funny and had lots of interesting facts I enjoyed telling my friends! I ended up giving out endless copies as Christmas gifts as I enjoyed it so much. This book is the same sort thing churned out slightly differently...and not half as interesting. However I do recommend Alcoholica Esoterica and give that 5 stars!
From Sumeria to Napa ValleyReviewed by William S. Grass, 2008-09-23
Gately brings us a lively, humorous chronicle of the culture of
booze from ancient Mesopotamia to our own day. The Dorothy Parker
ditty on page 378 is alone worth the price of admission.
Subtract a total of one star for the following editorial
oversights:
On page 44 we are told Pliny the Younger was a contemporary of
Marcus Aurelius.
On page 134 we are told Gabriel Metsu's Old Drinker is holding the
pipe in his left hand and the tankard in his right.
On page 145 we are told that the Carolina colonies made progress in
the second half of the sixteenth century.
On page 249 we are told that Saint Paul at his redemption was en
route for Tarsus.
Not a review, but a question.....Reviewed by Anne Salazar, 2008-09-15
Years ago, when I was actually studying to become an alcoholism counselor, I read something from long-ago America, during some sort of political election..... One of the politicians was asked what he thought about alcohol and he proceeded to give an oratory as only a politician could: He said something along the lines of "If you are speaking of the gentle liquid that soothes a man's throat and makes of him a poet....etc. then I am all for alcohol! But, if you are speaking of the devil's brew that turns a man into a wife-beater and irresponsible employee....etc. then I am against the use of alcohol!" Has anyone ever read the entire "sermon", and is it included in this book? I have been trying to find it for years.......
