I know there is a section to post book reviews, but with the revamp of this site, it's a bit hidden. Plus, I did a quick search and didn't see this one mentioned. So I wanted to recommend a book that I think may be particularly helpful to anyone who is still lurking, or trying to decide if quitting AL is the answer. It's called Seven Days Sober: A Guide to Discovering What You Really Think About Your Drinking, by Meredith Bell. It's a small book. I read it from cover-to-cover in about an hour this morning, and I found some of the information new (and I've read a lot of books about recovery), and her approach to be non-threatening.
She simply asks that you stop drinking for 7 days, and then decide if you want to continue the sober life. She talks about how scary the word "forever" can be to those of us just starting out. I also find it very intriguing that she lives in wine country, and made her living marketing wine. She talks at length about how accepted drinking is in her social and work environment. Hangovers at work are not only tolerated, but the norm. So she definitely had the deck stacked against her from the beginning, yet she made it.
Anyway, her message isn't new, but it's just different enough to merit a shout out. One particular section really caught my attention. She talks about the environmental impact of vineyards. It was unexpected and eye-opening. She doesn't go into great detail, but mentions the fact that prime farmland that used to grow an abundance of food is now a monoculture dedicated to grapes. She also touches on the unsustainable farming practices. Even during my worst drinking days, I was still an environmentalist, so this was just one more compelling reason to stop supporting the wine industry.
She offers some slogans that she admits are hokey but this one made me laugh: "Try being sober for a few days, and if you don't like it, we will gladly refund your misery." I'm sure some of you have heard it before, but it was new to me.
Anyway, if you are still trying to decide if you have a problem with AL or not (and I assume if you are lurking on MWO, you are already concerned), give this book a try. It's super cheap on Amazon, so the only thing you will be out if you don't like it is $2.99.
Have a peaceful day everyone.
xx, Moss
She simply asks that you stop drinking for 7 days, and then decide if you want to continue the sober life. She talks about how scary the word "forever" can be to those of us just starting out. I also find it very intriguing that she lives in wine country, and made her living marketing wine. She talks at length about how accepted drinking is in her social and work environment. Hangovers at work are not only tolerated, but the norm. So she definitely had the deck stacked against her from the beginning, yet she made it.
Anyway, her message isn't new, but it's just different enough to merit a shout out. One particular section really caught my attention. She talks about the environmental impact of vineyards. It was unexpected and eye-opening. She doesn't go into great detail, but mentions the fact that prime farmland that used to grow an abundance of food is now a monoculture dedicated to grapes. She also touches on the unsustainable farming practices. Even during my worst drinking days, I was still an environmentalist, so this was just one more compelling reason to stop supporting the wine industry.
She offers some slogans that she admits are hokey but this one made me laugh: "Try being sober for a few days, and if you don't like it, we will gladly refund your misery." I'm sure some of you have heard it before, but it was new to me.
Anyway, if you are still trying to decide if you have a problem with AL or not (and I assume if you are lurking on MWO, you are already concerned), give this book a try. It's super cheap on Amazon, so the only thing you will be out if you don't like it is $2.99.
Have a peaceful day everyone.
xx, Moss
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