John Barleycorn (Modern Library Classics)

The accounts of turn-of-the-century bar culture on the Bay Area waterfront certainly are entertaining. And, London importantly calls attention to the social components in problems of alcoholism. However, I ended up a bit skeptical of his incessant claims that his heavy drinking were somehow different than his peers' experiences. This sounds like the old "fundamental...more

The accounts of turn-of-the-century bar culture on the Bay Area waterfront certainly are entertaining. And, London importantly calls attention to the social components in problems of alcoholism. However, I ended up a bit skeptical of his incessant claims that his heavy drinking were somehow different than his peers' experiences. This sounds like the old "fundamental attribution error" from Psych 101: everyone ELSE has a drinking problem, but I'M really in control. I found that constant assertion distracting, especially knowing that the reality almost certainly lay somewhere in the middle.   hide