The Thinking Person's Guide to Sobriety

By Bert Pluymen
ISBN 1-880092-40-9

Reviewed by Don B.


I was immediately drawn to this book while browsing through the recovery section of a bookstore by its title -- after all, I consider myself to be a "thinking person." I just had to read it -- and glad I did. It's now a permanent part of my recovery library.

The book is largely anecdotal (primarily the author's own story, plus many others -- which can become tedious) combined with interesting scientific facts and studies. Although each recovery involves AA, it's not excessively pro-AA. The author is very open-minded when it comes to alternative support groups -- mainly Women For Sobriety and SOS. He provides his e-mail address and we have communicated frequently, ever since I read his book, about SOS. If there was a meeting in Austin, I'm sure he'd be there.

The author is a self-described "high bottom" alcoholic, recognizing his alcohol addiction before getting into serious legal, financial, or career problems. He prefers the term "alcohol addiction" to "alcoholism" and stays away from "disease theory" -- although he does bring up hereditary, ethnic, economic, and environmental contributions towards addiction.

Overall, I consider this to be one of the best recovery books I've read -- and shared with others at our SOS meeting. While not revealing anything that was new to me, it is well-written and an enjoyable read. Also of interest, is a separate section dealing with women and alcohol that is especially good.

(January 1998)

Sober ... and Staying That Way

By Susan Powter
ISBN 0-684-81595-8

Reviewed by Don B.


The blonde with the buzz-cut tackles alcoholism. After a nationally syndicated radio program, TV infomercials, and books on diet, nutrition and exercise, Susan Powter now gives us the cure for alcoholism. Just what we've all been waiting for - it's a wonder no one else has discovered it.

First she takes us on a 'tour' of her battle with alcohol - going to Alanon meetings at age 11, hereditary links (mother & brother both alcoholics), and her eventual attendance at AA meetings - how can one be "anonymous" with her looks and fame? She also takes great exception with AA's 'powerlessness', the 7- 12% success rate in AA, and that the only "cure" is "disease talk", taking one's inventory, etc.

Next, she launches into her rather nebulous conspiracy theory - how the government, hospital industry, liquor lobby, advertising industry, and current recovery thinking (read AA here) are making sure that we don't get the necessary information to keep us sober. Great reading for people who see conspiracies everywhere!

We finally get to the "cure" - claiming an 80% success rate, but citing only Ms. Powter and her brother as being cured. The cure is based on equal parts of Jack Trimpey, proper nutrition, and exercise. It's very big on "the Beast" and your "addictive voice" straight out of "The Small Book". The rest is all nutrition (with a bit of exercise thrown in) - staying away from refined sugar, white flour, caffeine (more conspiracies here) and eating properly, to support the 'biochemical environment' for sobriety.

Overall, not a bad book, but not a great one either. I had leafed through it and rejected it when it first came out, feeling it wasn't worth the price. When it next appeared a few months later on the half-price shelf, I gave in. Suggest getting it from the library, borrowing it from a friend, or buy (if you must) at half-price or less. Perhaps the best part of the book - she includes some nutritional recipes that might be worth a try. (January 1998).

How Alcoholics Anonymous Failed Me

By Marianne Gilliam

Reviewed by Don B.


Despite the title, this is not one of your typical "AA-bashing" books. What we have instead, is one woman's personal story of multiple addictions - food (bulimia), cocaine, and alcohol - and recovery.

When she encountered difficulties with the 12-step programs (AA, NA, OA) she struck out on her own path to sobriety. Mrs. Gilliam does point out problems with 12-step programs and discusses them clearly and rationally. For her, the programs are fear-based (fear of drinking/using again, fear of this "cunning, baffling disease", fear of not working the steps properly) rather than love-based. Not surprisingly, she likens 12-step programs to Christianity and the parent-child relationship - looking for something (someone or some power) outside ourselves for help and guidance, rather than looking within.

This is also evident in the sponsor-sponsoree relationship where the sponsoree is always in a subservient position, never reaching equality with one's sponsor. Instead of dealing with her emotions and cravings, her sponsor dealt her orders and slogans - go to more meetings, do a fourth step, "Let Go and Let God".

She also realized that when taking a "moral inventory", the only items on that inventory had to be shortcomings, character flaws, and moral defects - no room for any positives. It all added up to a program that left her fearful, dominated by others, powerless, and seeking outside validation.

When 12-step meetings stopped working for her, Mrs. Gilliam embarked on her own program for self- empowerment through meditation, inner spirituality, responsibility for oneself, and love. It seems to have worked for her, and she is smart enough to point out this fact, not claiming it's the only way or that everyone should do exactly as she has.

Parts of this book are a bit too "new-Age-ish" for this 50+ male, with numerous quotes and references to Shakti Gawain and Deepak Chopra, but nicely balanced with others by Charlotte Kasl and Stanton Peele. I'm sure that women would get even more out of this book than I did.

One parting thought that has stuck with me - Mrs. Gilliam refers to herself now as "recovered," rather than "in recovery" (with its implied lifelong meetings and steps). I like the term and may start considering myself recovered from now on.

Comment by Marty N.:

This book is worthy of notice because the author shares AA's core view that addiction is a spiritual defect, and that the way out lies through a spiritual conversion experience. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, Gilliam could not find in the AA environment the spiritual fulfillment she sought. This may suggest that AA -- perhaps particularly in the Atlanta area where Gilliam lives -- has become so wooden in its dogma and arrogant in its power, like a church that got too rich, that there is no genuine spirituality left in it. Or perhaps the whole theological dispute is a smokescreen for the decision Gilliam recounts, now that she is "recovered," to try drinking in moderation. Time will tell.