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Thirst: Twelve Drinks That Changed My Life
Not yet published
Expected 7 May 26Brought to you by Penguin.
John Robins is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, Taskmaster champion, and an award-winning broadcaster. He is also an alcoholic.
But what does that mean? What is an alcoholic?
In Thirst, John tells the story of his life through the lens of alcohol, the drinks that made him, and those that broke him. From his earliest drinking experiences – pretending to be drunk after a sip of champagne aged five, spraying aftershave into his mouth at the school play afterparty, and university nights spent downing red wine alone in his room – to his last drink in 2022 and the journey into sobriety that followed, John explores our relationship with alcohol through reflections on decades of his own drinking.
From hazy memory to sudden clarity he sheds light on subjects from mental health to friendship, from creativity to the lies we tell ourselves, and answers questions such are alcoholics born or made? How can we make sense of youthful missteps? And can Buddhism provide relief when dealing with hemorrhoids?
Filled with insights and epiphanies from the world of addiction and recovery, Thirst blends John's trademark raw honesty and hilarious digressions with the collective wisdom of alcoholics and those around them to offer a compelling, powerful and morbidly funny narrative for anyone who has ever asked 'why do we drink?', 'why do I drink?' or 'do I drink too much?'.
John Robins 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
John Robins is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, Taskmaster champion, and an award-winning broadcaster. He is also an alcoholic.
But what does that mean? What is an alcoholic?
In Thirst, John tells the story of his life through the lens of alcohol, the drinks that made him, and those that broke him. From his earliest drinking experiences – pretending to be drunk after a sip of champagne aged five, spraying aftershave into his mouth at the school play afterparty, and university nights spent downing red wine alone in his room – to his last drink in 2022 and the journey into sobriety that followed, John explores our relationship with alcohol through reflections on decades of his own drinking.
From hazy memory to sudden clarity he sheds light on subjects from mental health to friendship, from creativity to the lies we tell ourselves, and answers questions such are alcoholics born or made? How can we make sense of youthful missteps? And can Buddhism provide relief when dealing with hemorrhoids?
Filled with insights and epiphanies from the world of addiction and recovery, Thirst blends John's trademark raw honesty and hilarious digressions with the collective wisdom of alcoholics and those around them to offer a compelling, powerful and morbidly funny narrative for anyone who has ever asked 'why do we drink?', 'why do I drink?' or 'do I drink too much?'.
John Robins 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Audible Audio
Expected publication May 7, 2026
18 people want to read
About the author
John Robins
3 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There are several authors in the GoodReads database with this name. This profile will contain more than one author. Those listed below have multiple books listed on GoodReads.
John Robins (2 spaces): Dartmoor books
John Robins (3 spaces): comedy, podcast
John Robins (2 spaces): Dartmoor books
John Robins (3 spaces): comedy, podcast
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