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Sign up. Fighting Words Roddy Doyle introduces head-turning young Irish writing. Book reviews. Lincoln Highway: those hoping for the classic road trip novel will be disappointed. All Strangers Here: diplomatic masters of language. New poetry. Poem of the week: Kist. Poem of the week: Mother. So, on the side of continued alcohol use is the fact that it is pleasurable, that it reduces stress, and that it is an evolutionarily beneficial way for us to enhance our skills in lateral thinking and social cooperation.
On the side of abstinence is all of the associated health problems, risk of dependency, and economic costs of intoxication and excessive drinking. Both sides seem to have a strong case. Jul 18, Alexandra rated it really liked it. A fabulously well done and interesting research novel that underscores the idea that all things ought to be studied and understood within both historical and social contexts.
This book was illum A fabulously well done and interesting research novel that underscores the idea that all things ought to be studied and understood within both historical and social contexts. This book was illuminating, fun, and critically done. It helped me understand and gain perspective on why some of my social interactions grow awkward or even resentful when I started declining alcohol in situations where I previously had not.
All in all, the author is a little TOO over the moon about drinking and other hallucinogenic substances for me, but his work is solid and well fleshed out and this book is a really, really educational read that posits great theories, supports them with excellence, and manages to discuss all sides of a thorny issue with aplomb and respect.
Jul 04, James Lang rated it it was amazing. They also like to get drunk and eat Twinkies. Not typically all at the same time, but that's a matter of personal preference. I couldn't get enough of it. Slingerland writes with sharp wit and a curious brain, ranging over many fields and texts.
You're as likely to find diagrams of molecules "People like to masturbate. You're as likely to find diagrams of molecules as you are to find lines from Chinese poets and descriptions of essays from anthropology journals.
The point of it all is that intoxication has played a starring role in advancing human culture, community, and creativity, and that we should celebrate--mindfully and in moderation--the positive role that Dionysus can play in our lives even today.
View 1 comment. Nov 08, James Foster rated it it was amazing. Drunk points out that there is plenty of evidence of large scale gatherings long before the agricultural revolution. Some artifacts from this era show what surely looks like a drunken frat party. And archeological evidence has found what surely looks like beer vats.
Maybe people got together because it was fun to get drunk. That made it FUN to build big monuments. The other typical origin story is that way back before here were humans which is obviously before agriculture , our ancestors ate some bad fruit. But, as the book points out, being drunk has all kinds of bad side effects. Hangover, anyone? Sure, we have genes to break alcohol down. But they are only partially effective, so the bad stuff happens anyway.
Why is drinking still fun? The book reminds us that there are in fact good things about drinking. In particular, drinking together builds and strengthens social bonds. And of course, the more I drink the better you look, not to mention that it makes me so much sexier and sophisticated at least in my own mind. Speaking from personal experience, the most productive moments at professional conferences are often those when we drink with our friends and colleagues.
The book does confront the dark side of drinking. For some people, alcohol causes horrific problems. Families and societies, can be, and are, destroyed by alcohol. The health and economic cost of drink is substantial. Think of liver damage and people staying home to nurse a hangover. Slingerland points out that the problems are not so much alcohol as two recent plagues: distilling and isolation. Humans have only known how to distill spirits for a few hundred years, a very short time. Our social systems, not to mention our bodies, are not built to endure that kind of punch.
Someone would always take THAT uncle home when he started getting a little too belligerent. But people drink alone a great deal these days, both at home and in bars. There goes the most important regulator of the bad side of drinking.
But Slingerland is also not shy about reminding us WHY we like to drink. It feels good. That simple truth gets lost in all the historic and biological scholarship. These days it seems that we hear a lot about the bad stuff and almost nothing about the good stuff.
Thanks, booze. We need this book. All of us. Who has not enjoyed a moment of pleasure next to company, music, love, and a drink, whether this is a sip of beer or a glass of wine? I mean, we do not need to become Charles Bukowski to enjoy alcohol, but at least a pint of a spirit to get our vibe up, we've all done that. And, interestingly, alcohol use and many other types of pre-frontal cortex inhibitors too have been used throughout all of human history. The point of the book is simple, dressed as the greek god We need this book.
The point of the book is simple, dressed as the greek gods Apollo and Dionysus: we have evolutionary reasons to ingest certain substances for creativity to be enhanced and I'm not even mentioning social bonding, and prevention of war , however, becoming an alcoholic is not a good thing. Jesus Christ multiplied wine. Why did he do that? That was in fact, his first miracle ever. There are ancient texts from China, Egypt and many other cultures including Gilgamesh that mention alcohol as an elemental part of the order of civilization.
There's also strong evidence for ancient use of alcohol that predates the rise of agriculture. So, enjoy a few drinks, and as homo sapiens, we need to control the use of it, as any other thing we've done.
Awesome book, there's no way in hell I'll be looking at the same the same way at drinks this time. Nov 11, Janet Wertman rated it it was ok Shelves: non-fiction. I really wanted to like this. And there were spots where I really did - the author had several lines that had me laughing out loud, gave several stats that were fascinating and that I repeated to my husband. But the entire book can be boiled down to the single point that humans' continued intoxication is not an evolutionary mistake but instead contributes to creativity and social cohesion.
The other odd pages all repeat this basic fact, over and over and over again Jun 04, Thomas Kingston rated it it was amazing. Slingerland, who I'd previously only come across for his work in Chinese Philosophy has done something very different and has set out to tackle the role of alcohol and a few other intoxicants in human life.
This might sound like a very broad topic, and it is. Covering topics from the ritual aspects of religious experience to the role it plays in so Slingerland, who I'd previously only come across for his work in Chinese Philosophy has done something very different and has set out to tackle the role of alcohol and a few other intoxicants in human life. Covering topics from the ritual aspects of religious experience to the role it plays in social binding and even the evolutionary encounters we had with fermented fruits on the forest floor this is a wild ride through human history and beyond.
The author's research has been nothing short of incredible with the newest scientific and anthropological developments rubbing shoulders with quotes from Chinese poetry and personal experiences of LSD. That said in a way this is almost the only weak spot, at times you come across a page that is "as Mr XYZ says As Dr ABC says" but on the whole this is more than balanced out by the excellent quality of these quotes.
Very worthwhile read that I'm sure I'll return to. Does leave you feeling a bit thirsty though Jul 08, Lynn rated it liked it.
I agreed with all of the book except for his main point and primary purpose of writing, which says a lot. He argues that drinking has been a part of human history since before there was history and that it has helped us overcome the vicious side of our primate linage by helping quiet the demands of our prefrontal cortex to unlock creativity, cultural sharing and community. He also explores how social drinking in moderation can increase our happiness and advocates for a style of drinking like that in Italy home and meal based while warning against the dangers of distilled liquor and drinking alone, both of which seem to increase problem drinking and alcoholism while not providing any of the positive effects of alcohol.
All this is quite interesting and helpful. I also liked how his background in religious history helped him see both drinking and religion as evolutionary advantageous.
However, he is also a big fan of ecstasy in human life and believes drugs like alcohol and hallucinogens are a short cut to achieving it. He had meaningful acid trips in college and believes getting totally hammered once in a while is a good idea and worth the negative side effects. I figured out in college that getting drunk was a really bad idea and didn't work for me, and I have have seen tooo many people ruined by drugs including a younger brother I buried last year to view them as positively as he does.
As I read the parts of the book that praise overindulgence I kept thinking of that brother and of Brock Turner, the college student whose life was probably ruined when he raped an unconscious girl when they were both totally drunk at a college party and no, I am not ignoring the terrible damage to the girl.
I think the price of excessive drinking exceeds the benefits. Read the article instead. Aug 09, Stven rated it it was ok. The author has only one point to make, and he makes it over and over and over for the entire course of the book.
Intoxicants can improve human fellowship and creativity. That's it. Maybe there's someone out there whose life is improved by having this point hammered in for pages.
Maybe there's someone who only starts to believe it after the th citation of another anthropologist, another psychologist, another technician, another historian, another poet. But maybe not. You've heard the expre The author has only one point to make, and he makes it over and over and over for the entire course of the book.
You've heard the expression "piled higher and deeper. Jul 30, Claudia rated it liked it Shelves: a , anf-challenge , sociology. Poet Charles Baudelaire is quoted to have said "With wine, poetry, or virtue as you choose.
But get drunk. Of course, since we are rather hedonistic, we like that pleasurable feeling bestowed by the piece of fruit so we search for more as well as finding a way to have the intoxicating sensations at all times.
So wine and beer and m Poet Charles Baudelaire is quoted to have said "With wine, poetry, or virtue as you choose. So wine and beer and mead were born. As well as other intoxicants like mescaline, kava, pulque, chicha and of course, alcohol. Slingerland gives not only a historic look at our fascination with alcohol and other intoxicants but talks about the physiological, anthropological and sociological impacts that intoxicant imbibing makes on our bodies and minds.
How drinking with fellows, co-workers and friends grease relationships within our community. Even to this day, the non-drinker - for whatever reason be it religion, health, or just choice - is often looked down upon or pushed out of the social circle.
Although he does go into the benefits of sharing a drink with friends and co-workers - the loosening of guarded personal walls enabling collaboration and creativity when working 'outside the box' - he also goes into the negatives. Not merely the health or economic costs but personal effects on the people surrounding the one who partakes in intoxicants.
It's an interesting set of viewpoints. I was originally thinking this would be more of the history of alcohol - wine, beer and distillates - but it provides a look into our brains and how our prefrontal cortex can be affected by intoxicating substances he doesn't limit it to just alcohol but how drinking in moderation actually has benefits that are cast aside when viewed by the rather bias government and medical community.
Slingerland also has a wry sense of humor that peeks out in some turns of phrase which makes what could be a rather 'dry' work into a amusing and fascinating view into the allure of intoxicants. Oct 03, Edward Evjen rated it did not like it. In the same way books on humor writing try to stuff jokes in to be on theme, this book stuffs pandering nonsense from the first sentence to the last. This bullshit never saw an editor.
Comedy poorly done is insulting. The first paragraph is words including the Michael Dietler quotation.
I find it incredibly lazy to start a book with another man's words. Doubly-so when the best opening sentence Slingerland could come up with is the earth-shattering, "People love to drink. P In the same way books on humor writing try to stuff jokes in to be on theme, this book stuffs pandering nonsense from the first sentence to the last.
Current estimates place the number of active consumers at over 2. Images of imbibing and partying dominate the early archaeological record as much as they do twenty-first-century Instagram.
A 20,year-old carving from southwestern France, for instance, shows a woman, possibly a fertility goddess, holding a horn to her mouth. One might imagine that she is using it as a musical instrument, blowing into it to produce sound, except for the fact that the part near her mouth is the wide end.
Exegesis: 1 The phrase, "And this is not a recent development: humans have been getting drunk for a really long time. If Slingerland is intent on wasting my time with laborious prose could he at least do it well? Is a long time one thousand years and a really long time ten thousand years? I'm confused. If I held Slingerland's neck as tight as he holds my hand, he'd be dead. Does that still count as blowing? Was it a surprise to Slingerland that people don't bash trumpets into music stands to produce music?
Drinking something? After two minutes of unprofessional editing. Humans love to drink alcohol. Images of drunk partying dominate the archaeological record in step with Facebook timelines. A 20,year-old carving from southwestern France, shows a woman--possibly a fertility goddess--holding a horn to her mouth.
Wide end first. Why record drinking water? This was something special. All information. No insults. This style carries on until, as one might imagine, the book can be folded and put gently down on the coffee table, as if to stop reading. Nov 09, Jake Goretzki rated it really liked it Shelves: An entertaining defence of the 'beer before bread' theory of human civilisation and the role of alcohol as a brilliant agent that enables the selfish chimp to function in society, be creative and collaborate.
It's pretty convincingly argued, yet mindful of the unusual hazards offered by the modern era: spirits a relatively recent and way too powerful innovation and solitary drinking historically, drinking was communal - so having booze on hand at home and alone is a worry. Avoid spirits; avo An entertaining defence of the 'beer before bread' theory of human civilisation and the role of alcohol as a brilliant agent that enables the selfish chimp to function in society, be creative and collaborate.
Avoid spirits; avoid drinking alone. Alongside that, there's sound, contemporary caution about alcohol's tendency to exclude women, non-drinkers, teetotallers, etc - and, of course, all of the obvious risks to health we know. I do like the writer's pushback against the Lancet's now-famous 'no amount of alcohol is advisable' advice it's bloody stupid, and the same argument could be made for cheese, pastry or pretty much any other pleasurable vice.
Enjoyable, provocative and thoroughly sensible work. Oct 12, Nick Lucarelli rated it really liked it. A broad reaching purview of the biological, pharmacological, socio-cultural, religious, environmental and countless other aspects and influences of alcohol on the development of the human race. The author's thesis is that alcohol consumption is more than a hijacking of our reptilian hedonistic reward systems a-la masturbation or eating junk food - he posits that alcohol's temporary inhibition of the prefrontal cortex, anxiolytic properties and endorphin release, coupled with its widespread avail A broad reaching purview of the biological, pharmacological, socio-cultural, religious, environmental and countless other aspects and influences of alcohol on the development of the human race.
An interesting theory that attributes most of alcohol's negative physical and social effects to drinking distilled spirits and doing so in isolation, for which I have docked a star due to it being too simplistic an explanation for alcohol's vices perhaps I am biased by what I see at work.
Sep 13, Patricia Veinott rated it really liked it. This book is entertaining. The premise is interesting and novel: that alcohol could have been adaptive in human history. The problem is that humans are clever, and as we've learned to refine sugar and hydrogenate fats, we've learned to distill alcohol, which packs too much punch. It's an evolutionary mismatch, but now the genie is out of the whiskey bottle. It's a fun anthropological survey and full of anecdotes.
I think he glosses over the societal costs of alcohol abuse a bit too flippantly, b This book is entertaining. I think he glosses over the societal costs of alcohol abuse a bit too flippantly, but it is a interesting little read about human's favorite drug.
Oct 12, Duke Jeopardy rated it really liked it. Entertaining but sober pun intended investigation into why exactly humans continue to get drunk 10, years after discovering alcohol. The reasoning here goes that given all of the obvious detrimental health and societal effects of alcohol, there must be an evolutionary reason why we continue to drink.
In short, the benefits of drinking must largely outweigh the negatives of drinking for it to persist as it has over the years and across cultures particularly because the cultivation of alcohol Entertaining but sober pun intended investigation into why exactly humans continue to get drunk 10, years after discovering alcohol. In short, the benefits of drinking must largely outweigh the negatives of drinking for it to persist as it has over the years and across cultures particularly because the cultivation of alcoholic beverages required a lot of coordination and at the cost of using up food resources.
In each chapter, Dr. Slingerland great name for someone writing about drinks btw breaks down some of the specific beneficial effects of alcohol which primarily stem from our unique status as a creative animal that depends on an enormous amount of cooperation between individuals. Slingerland devotes entire chapters to examine alcohol's role through the years in terms of building community and building trust within communities as well as exploring how alcohol's depressant effect on the pre-frontal cortex can improve lateral thinking and creativity.
It's not like I really needed an academic tract to justify drinking. But it's nice to have one in my back pocket. Sep 12, Corey Moore rated it it was amazing.
One of the most insightful, interesting, and entertaining books I have read in awhile! A must read. Jul 10, Xavier rated it it was amazing Shelves: social-sciences , evolution , philosophy.
Both a sustained argument for the long-standing and continued importance of alcohol to human societies and a meditation on humans as a social animal, this book is engaging, well argued, and very much worth a read. Aug 05, Nathan Black rated it it was amazing. Slingerland does an excellent job of creating a scholarly work on alcohol that reveals both its virtues and its demons. Not only that but, according to his family, Hemingway himself never wrote under the influence, working in the mornings every day and only drinking himself into a hole in the ground after lunch.
Avoiding the usual suspects your Burroughs and Bukowskis, your Fitzgeralds, Thompsons and Kerouacs , here are ten legendary authors who brought forth their finest work, like Athena from the brow of Zeus She began drinking in college in the forties, claiming initially that it was an important stepping stone for an artist, allowing one to "see the truth, the simplicity, and the primitive emotions once more.
By the fifties, when Highsmith was writing The Talented Mr. Ripley, she was decamping to bed with a bottle of gin in the middle of the afternoon and then going on to wine and cocktails.
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