Drink

The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol

By: Ann Dowsett Johnston

Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, award-winning journalist Anne Dowsett Johnston combines in-depth research with her own personal story of recovery, and delivers a groundbreaking examination of a shocking yet little recognized epidemic threatening society today: the precipitous rise in risky drinking among women and girls.

With the feminist revolution, women have closed the gender gap in their professional and educational lives. They have also achieved equality with men in more troubling areas as well. In the U.S. alone, the rates of alcohol abuse among women have skyrocketed in the past decade. DUIs, 'drunkorexia' (choosing to limit eating to consume greater quantities of alcohol), and health problems connected to drinking are all rising - a problem exacerbated by the alcohol industry itself.

Battling for women's dollars and leisure time, corporations have developed marketing strategies and products targeted exclusively to women. Equally alarming is a recent CDC report showing a sharp rise in binge drinking, putting women and girls at further risk.

As she brilliantly weaves in-depth research, interviews with leading researchers, and the moving story of her own struggle with alcohol abuse, Johnston illuminates this startling epidemic, dissecting the psychological, social, and industry factors that have contributed to its rise, and exploring its long-lasting impact on our society and individual lives.

©2013 Ann Dowsett Johnston (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Engaging

I enjoyed listening to Drink and thought the coverage of this incredibly important and scary phenomenon was thoughtful and thorough. The time leaps, when the author using her personal experience to contextualize the topic, threw me at times. I couldn't keep her journey completely straight. But this was minor. The narratives were well placed and drew the listener in. Glad I listened!

A dynamic blend of information & author's story.

Would you consider the audio edition of Drink to be better than the print version?

This might have been a better book to read --lots to chew on, put down and come back to.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the way the author told her story and also included relevant statistics about how drinking affects and is perceived in society/culture. She dawned light on myths and a belief system that just trips over itself again and again.

Did Carrington MacDuffie do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

MacDuffle told the story well--her voice matched the severity of drinking when that was portrayed, but sometimes it seemed forced with the male characters or emotional dialogue.

If you could give Drink a new subtitle, what would it be?

Drink: An Intellectual's Story of Facing Her Demons and Tracking Those That Exist in American Culture

Any additional comments?

Great read & information regarding addiction, recovery, and the role our society plays in it. The author bravely faces her addiction and is honest about recovery's challenges.

Worth the read

I enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of personal story and information without being too much of either.

eye-opener ♡

it was so great to hear from a strong successful woman about her addiction. I feel it certainly helps remove a bit of the stigma of alcohol addiction and addiction in general. Great read!

Great storytelling

Great storytelling, extremely insightful, and a must read if you’re struggling or love someone that is struggling.

Fantastic

I wish I’d read this sooner. Very good - excellent focus on women & women w mothers w addiction issues.

Much needed woman's recovery story

It began a little slowly for me, but after the first couple of chapters, I was more into it. Very good story. I thought I would be bored with all the medical facts, but the interviews with various people in the field were some of the best gems. I have listened to the last chapter more than once. Encouraging.

This Is A Book Everyone in America Should Read

I have never been an alcoholic, but I could have been! As a 70 year old woman, I look back at the fallacies on which I based my life, in the false era of "women could do everything". We can't. In my case, I was a widow by the time I was 29 . I had given birth to a son that year. It was overwhelming....but I kept going. I almost lost my son, in the haze. He ran away from home when he was 17. I had been an "unpresent" parent when he needed the most guidance. I am thankful to say that he is more successful than I was and has stayed away from some of the pitfalls I created for myself.

This autobiography, of a very successful woman, is a revelatory tale to which the public, government and health officials should applaud. CDC quote, "Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years". Ann brings out the point that alcohol advertising is targeting young women...very young women unable to make very wise decisions. Sometimes their lives spin out of control quickly, sometimes there are periods of controlled consumption an sometimes the control is completely lost; blackouts and a death spiral ensue.

The ramifications are huge when you realize that women sometimes raise their children officially drunk.

The propensity for alcohol(and other drug abuse combined with ethanol) may be genetic, but I disagree that alcoholism is a disease(The Biology of Desire by Marc Lewis). Sometimes it skips a generation or so.

Mankind, without the help of the true and living God of the Bible, seeks all kinds of ways to try to achieve artificial standards or to be a person they are not!!

Waking Up Some People

I am a clinical therapist. I work with substance abuse, particularly alcohol. I grew up in an addicted family. I’ve lost many people to drugs and alcohol. And I teach the principles of recovery every day in my work. This story exactly supports what I believe and what I teach.

Thank you Ann for your courage, your candor and your honesty. Mostly, thank you for sharing. Stay Well. 🙏

Excellent message

What made the experience of listening to Drink the most enjoyable?

This was a fabulous book recommended by The Huffington Post as a great read of 2016. I loved it... and it empowered me to quit drinking. I am grateful I stumbled upon it!