New york Post: Our bossy society is completely losing sight of the value of risky behavior
“When told that Gen. Ulysses Grant drank too much, President Abraham Lincoln is said to have inquired as to Grant’s choice of booze, so he could send some to his other generals. The anecdote captures the central argument of “Drunk,” Edward Slingerland’s new book on alcohol, policy and culture — and it offers lessons for all sorts of other regulatory efforts.”
Glenn H. Reynolds, “Our bossy society is completely losing sight of the value of risky behavior,” New York Post, July 1, 2021
linkiesta: Spirito Cupo
“La tesi di Slingerland è che una leggera ebbrezza si sia rivelata decisiva nel rendere i rapporti umani più fluidi, favorendo la conversazione pacifica, migliorando l’umore, la coesistenza e portando ad aumentare la creatività.”
Dario Ronzoni, “Spirito Cupo,” Linkiesta, June 24, 2021
UBC Trek: The taste for intoxicants
“We’re all familiar with the dark side of alcohol and yet, for all its negative effects, one thing has held true for thousands of years: humanity’s love for intoxicants.”
“The Taste for Intoxicants,” UBC Trek, June 22, 2021
New York Times: A rowdy banquet of a book
“Slingerland takes up the cause with all the chivalry of a knight-errant, and his infectious passion makes this book a romp as well as a refreshingly erudite rejoinder to the prevailing wisdom.”
Zoë Lescaze, “A History of Getting Hammered, and Why Some of Us Should Keep Doing It,” New York Times, June 19, 2021.
New scientist: Could alcohol-induced creativity be key to civilisation?
“A childlike state of mind in an adult is key to cultural innovation, argues [Slingerland]. Intoxicants provide an efficient route to that state by temporarily taking the prefrontal cortex offline, he says.”
Vijaysree Venkatraman, “Drunk review: Could alcohol-induced creativity be key to civilisation?,” New Scientist, June 2, 2021
Washington Post: Sip this book responsibly, and at your own risk.
“While Slingerland argues for the benefits of intoxication — you might not want to give this book to someone in recovery — along the way he also writes about agriculture, creativity, geography and aesthetics. “Drunk” celebrates tipsiness rather than sordid excess.”
Bethanne Patrick, “10 books to read in June,” Washington Post, June 1, 2021
Smithsonian: immensely readable exploration of drunkenness
“Blending history, anthropology, neuroscience, genetics, archaeology and a range of other disciplines, Drunk outlines the manifold merits of intoxication, from fostering creativity to relieving stress to building social bonds.”
Meilan Solly, “The Fight to Legalize Gay Marriage, the Woman Who Couldn’t Be Silenced and Other New Books to Read,” Smithsonian, June 1, 2021
The Atlantic: Humans aren’t merely built to get buzzed—getting buzzed helped humans build civilization.
“A little alcohol can boost creativity and strengthen social ties. But there’s nothing moderate, or convivial, about the way many Americans drink today.”
Kate Julian, “America Has a Drinking Problem,” The Atlantic, June 1, 2021
Inside Hook: A new book dissects the entertainingly evolutionary roots of intoxication
“So for better or worse, chemical intoxicants can help you regain a child’s mind, creativity and flexibility.”
Kirk Miller, “How Civilization Was Built on Getting ‘Drunk’,” Inside Hook, May 28, 2021
Wall Street Journal: a thoughtful and spirited defense of intoxication
“You might suspect that Mr. Slingerland, an expert in Chinese philosophy with eclectic academic interests, is seeing his subject through beer goggles. But his approach is stone-cold sober, “defending the power of Dionysus . . . in a way that bows to Apollo,” as he puts it.”
Julian Baggini, “‘Drunk’ Review: Two Cheers for Happy Hour,” Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2021.