Hungover: The Morning After and One Man's Quest for the Cure

by Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall

“Bishop-Stall insists that hangovers… [are] worthy of a cure. After years of dogged research around the globe, he finds one — just in time for the holidays.” — Washington Post

“[An] irreverent, well-oiled memoir…Bishop-Stall packs his book with humorous and enlightening asides about alcohol.” — The Wall Street Journal 

One intrepid reporter's quest to learn everything there is to know about hangovers, trying all of the cures he can find and explaining how (and if) they work, all so rest of us don't have to.

We've all been there. One minute you're fast asleep, and in the next you're tumbling from dreams of deserts and demons, into semi-consciousness, mouth full of sand, head throbbing. You're hungover. Courageous journalist Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall has gone to the front lines of humanity's age-old fight against hangovers to settle once and for all the best way to get rid of the aftereffects of a night of indulgence (short of not drinking in the first place).

Hangovers have plagued human beings for about as long as civilization has existed (and arguably longer), so there has been plenty of time for cures to be concocted. But even in 2018, little is actually known about hangovers, and less still about how to cure them. Cutting through the rumor and the myth, Hungover  explores everything from polar bear swims, to saline IV drips, to the age-old hair of the dog, to let us all know which ones actually work. And along the way, Bishop-Stall regales readers with stories from humanity's long and fraught relationship with booze, and shares the advice of everyone from Kingsley Amis to a man in a pub.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Memoir, History, Food and Drink, Food, Sociology

416 pages, Paperback

Published November 20, 2018

About the author

Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall left Vancouver at seventeen to hitchhike to Costa Rica. After teaching English, painting houses, and picking olives in Mexico, Italy, and Spain, he worked as an actor and journalist and currently teaches writing at the University of Toronto. His book Down to This chronicles his year living with the homeless in the continents largest shantytown. He lives in Toronto."

Reviews

[Christine]

I'm leaving this un-starred because the writing is good, but I just don't care. I really don't.

[Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a promotional copy given out to reviewers, but I was not the original intended recipient (by way of a disclaimer).

This book is a mix of a shared journey, as well as a description of the actual cure. Bishop-Stall does not do the "hide the secret at the end" bit, which was refreshing. That's good for a TV miniseries, but not so much when you are learning about a topic.

Along the way, Bishop-Stall tries existing hangover cures and preventatives in the form of drinks/powders/pills. He also chooses to make some stops at spas along the way. The pace moves nicely, and Bishop-Stall is rather forthcoming about the amount of drinking this "experiment" entailed. As he said towards the end (both of the book and his experiment), he got to the point where he was able to drink to excess, to a point that would cause anyone else hangovers, but used his cure to avoid them - for months of days in a row.

I confess I was worried that this was going to be the story of a near-teatotaller who was curing a two-glass "hangover." That would have been dull and safe. The author drinks pretty serious - I think a lot of doctors would say dangerous - amounts of alcohol over the course of several months. Like the movie Super-Size Me, this book is both interesting and a bit nausea-inducing.

Couple interesting facts/factoids I learned (if the author is to be believed):

Drinking a glass of water while drinking does in fact work. Not to prevent hangovers, but to lessen them. The author notes that he felt waterlogged, which I understand.

According to a therapist/masseuse, you really do release toxins, and they can make you sick after a massage. After a deep tissue massage, the author was ill for at least a day (I want to say longer, but do not have the book in front of me). When he went to a second spa, and told the therapist what happened, she explained that the body stores these toxins in tissue, and that deep massaging can release them all at once. For those people who don't exactly "treat their bodies like a temple," this can mean feeling ill after a deep massage, and further stresses what every good masseuse says right after you're done: "Please go drink a ton of water."

Also something I hadn't thought of. Why is Red Bull so popular (the author claims it was also a curative when first thought of)? Because you can mix it with booze. Bishop-Stall basically says that the person that can come up with something that tastes OK and can be mixed with booze will get that next cash cow.

The author, finally, actually includes the cure as he found it, and does not beat around the bush with "maybe use this, or use this, or maybe this works." So, for those of you who actually wish to drink to intoxication, but do not want the ill effects the next morning, pick this up, I guess.

The book was as interesting for this reader as it was *because* the author was so forthright about his experiment, and because he did not hide other drug use (a trip to Amsterdam is in there) and other screw-ups (like swimming across a freezing lake to get to a beer fest).

[Chris Rodell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for compelling quest books, stories of men and women striding confidently around the globe in search of fame, riches or adventure. That Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall conducts his in a mostly inebriated stumble only makes it more endearing. I put "Hungover" up there with Tony Horwitz and his fine book, "Confederates in the Attic."

A relentlessly convivial and engaging Torontoan, SBS takes us on a glorious pub crawl through the fun of getting drunk with friends or strangers in saloons, fields, etc. He follows these drunken yin episodes with earnest yang attempts to evade the skull-pounding queasiness society seems to view as the necessary punishment heaped upon anyone it deems as enjoying their humanity just a tad too much.

Have a home remedy? It’s likely he’s tried it and shares his findings as part of his scholarly — burp — research.

Hungover is already the No. 1 bestseller in the Amazon substance abuse category, an indication to me that those who are categorizing books for amazon sould use a belt or two. Because this is a substance appreciation book.

He takes what could be an enjoyable lark of a book and mortars it with enough useful facts and actual hangover cures to have done the world — the fun part of it - a real service.

[Zur · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't remember when I read book so unnecessary and boring. This is a journey through author's alcoholism covered by excuse of writing a book. Waste of time.

[Gerry O'Malley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like any respectable hangover, this book is a disorganized mess. There are times when Bishop-Stall hits just the right note of hilarious “where the hell are my pants” notes of confusion and pain as he describes his “research” into the cure for as hangover. Most of the book, however, is a boring snooze-fest of descriptions of travel adventures with some drinking and tom foolery thrown in. There are entire chapters that serve no purpose and weigh down the book like an anchor (the chapters on recreating the movie The End of the World by drinking 12 pints in 12 different pubs was terminally boring and totally confusing and the chapter on the Las Vegas wedding was a long description of just that - a wedding in Vegas with the obligatory bachelor party thrown in - remind you of a movie?). When the author sticks to interviews with scientists and charlatans and voodoo priestesses trying to find the holy grail of hangover cures, the book is wonderfully entertaining, although I question the accuracy of some of the “science.” Bishop-Stall has an inquisitive mind and asks a lot of good questions of some pretty smart (and some not-so-smart) people. When the book sticks to the booze and the science of alcohol and the various biochemical effects expected from various antidotes, its very interesting and thought-provoking. When Bishop-Stall starts blathering on about trips to Scotland and Scandinavia and Vegas my interest waned pretty quickly. There’s just no direction to any of it - the book is a collection of meandering stories about drinking way too much with an occasional attempt to find some herb or potion or vitamin to treat the morning after. If the author had set out with some game plan or organized direction for his search, perhaps the book wouldn’t have been such a bore.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bishop-Stall is so self-aware, clever, and irreverent that his writing comes off effortlessly entertaining regardless of the subject material. In this case I was interested in his findings (which reminds me I need to stop at GNC tomorrow), but I get the feeling he could have been writing about any old mundane thing (like my job) and I'd have still been tuned in. An added plus is the subject matter is so universal - who hasn't had a hangover - that the book is kind of a perfect "I don't know what I want to read next" book.

[chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

politically clueless wannabe-gonzo white straight male writers are not for me. he brings in lots of interesting historical, cultural, and scientific tidbits, but the attempt to add supposedly-interesting personal narrative just killed it for me. too many agonizing tales of fear-of-introspection and self-loathing (in Las Vegas and elsewhere), plus one unscientific and poorly researched "cure", do not a good read make. i can't believe i slogged all the way thru. (ok, i gave up on a few chapters.) at least i pirated the pdf ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[K.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I finished this book. It can best be summarized as disjointed ramblings of a 45 year old, hungover white man with Peter Pan syndrome. His hangover “cure” starts on page 340. Don’t bother with the rest.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can understand the desire to erase a hangover. This globe-trotting years-long search for a cure relates a lot of the history and science of this millennia-long human yearning. I thought, simplistically, that a hangover is like a laceration and will take what it takes to recover from. There is a much more complex relationship between alcohol and the human body and individual humans at various points of drinking and recovering can have symptoms countered. Much is made of IV treatments which, of course, are not practical. The author favors targeted pills taken at the tail end of a drinking session instead of the more common restorative liquids. Discussed with such experts as NOLA's Dr. Mignonne Mary of Remedy Room, the author makes a convincing argument for NAC (which I learned of during the COVID pandemic), and gets convinced of strategic use of magnesium:

VITAMINS B, B, AND B. Although I might be tempted, for the sake of efficiency, to just use a B complex or multivitamin, I don't. Vitamins are powerful and potentially intrusive. And don't get me started on B. (On a sort of side note, I have found that taking the stomach medication Zantac before my first drink prevents symptoms of alcohol flushing.)

MILK THISTLE. I have come to believe that this is what ultimately saved Tom and me from the full effects of drinking twelve pints in twelve pubs-or whatever the final count may have been. Made into healing elixirs and salves for two thousand years by druids, swamis, Wiccans and naturopaths, it may still be the most powerful hangover remedy available in England, and certainly at Boots.

N-ACETYLCYSTEINE (NAC). I've probably said enough about this, at least for the time being. I think it is definitely the key ingredient. And I've found that I need to take a higher dose than recommended in order to get the desired result, usually at least 1000 milligrams. My bottle says the dosage is 500 milligrams a day. Maybe I'm reckless to take this much NAC.The official health recommendations warn that NAC should be taken with meals, can cause nausea, vomiting or allergic reaction. They also say don't take it if I'm pregnant, breast feeding or have cystinuria. Or if I'm antibiotics or nitroglycerin. So far, so good!

FRANKINCENSE (BOSWELLIA). Although this is the second- most important ingredient, I sometimes trade it out for another anti-inflammatory analgesic, such as CBD oil or perhaps even Chinese snake oil. My preference is for something natural that won't tax the liver. And it needs to be potent.

I've found that I want the maximum recommended dose for all of these things-other than the NAC, which I take as above. And I don't skimp on the analgesic; preventing inflammation is vital. All these ingredients work out to between six and ten pills or capsules, depending on the doses and whether I combine any of the B vitamins. I'm not one of those people who balks at swallowing pills. I prefer it to when my organs go rigid, bowels spasm...

[J Wratten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, would definitely recommend giving it a read

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel it's appropriate that I've finished this on NYE, even though I plan on staying in (with a bottle of sparkling wine). All my favorite nonfiction elements are here -- memoir, factoids, and some science. The author meets some really interesting people, and has some truly cringey experiences which make this book a fun read.

[Rosemary Littletoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wszyscy to znamy - impreza, drinki, dobra zabawa. A następnego ranka ból głowy, mdłości i stara podeszwa zamiast języka. Nawet jeżeli pijecie tylko z okazji sylwestra i urodzin, z pewnością kiedyś doświadczyliście kaca. I z pewnością usłyszeliście wtedy milion dobrych rad - od klina, przez surowe jajko po "profesjonalne" tabletki z apteki. Czy coś z tego zadziałało? Prawdopodobnie nie. I z tym właśnie postanowił coś zrobić Pan Bishop-Stall. Postanowił uratować nas wszystkich znajdując działający lek na kaca. Czy się udało? Być może. Jednak droga do rzeczonego lekarstwa była długa i wyboista.

Lubię alkohol. Nie mam zamiaru zaprzeczać. Jestem pełnoletnia, zdrowa, nie mam pod opieką dzieci, nic więc nie stoi na przeszkodzie by po ciężkim (a zwłaszcza upalnym) dniu sięgnąć do lodówki po puszkę piwa. Nie widzę również przeciwwskazań do sączenia złocistego napoju podczas oglądania meczu, popijania wina do obiadu czy świętowania rozmaitych okazji szklaneczką whisky. I nie ukrywam, z kacem znamy się całkiem dobrze od czasów nawet nie studenckich, ale licealnych. Dodam też, że dowiedziałam się o tej książce lecząc lekkiego kaca po świętowaniu dnia kobiet z moja kochaną mamą w jednym z krakowskich pubów (mamuś, pozdrawiam!). Czy macie jeszcze jakieś wątpliwości, że ta książka była mi przeznaczona?

Kilka lat temu na jednym z kanałów dla mężczyzn (prawdopodobnie był to TVN Turbo) leciał program zatytułowany "Na Rauszu przez Świat". Przesypmatyczny Zane Lamprey podróżował do świecie próbując tradycyjnych trunków poszczególnych krajów w najbardziej kultowych miejscach (był także w Polsce, skosztował wódki Wyborowej a potem poszedł się integrować z Polakami przy Żywcu w nieistniejącym już dziś krakowskim Pięknym Psie na ulicy Jana). Oczywiście każdy odcinek kończył się potężnym kacem - Zane'owi z pewnością przydałby się wówczas lek, którego poszukuje Pan Bishop-Stall. Przypomniał mi się ten program, bo autor książki próbuje rozmaitych kuracji w równie szalony sposób, co Zane nawet najdziwaczniejszych trunków (nigdy nie zapomnę japońskiej wódki z węża ani baru - niestety nie pamiętam kraju - gdzie ze ścian wystawały tyłki dzikich zwierząt a trunki nalewało się podnosząc ich ogony i podstawiając szklaneczkę).

"Sposoby na łagodzenie skutków - owszem. Balsamy, uśmierzacze, pobudzacze, kliny, porady i tysiąc zdrowasiek, ale prawdziwe działające lekarstwo? Gdyby było znane, piłbym już drugą butelkę i pisał zupełnie inną książkę."

Jednak ta książka to nie tylko kolejne eksperymenty z kroplówkami, jedzeniem sierści psa czy połykaniem kiszonych węgorzy. Autor we wspaniale wyważony sposób przeplata swoją opowieść ciekawostkami z historii trudnej relacji człowieka z alkoholem i zagłębia się daleko w przeszłość szukając jej przyczyny. Właściwie na przestrzeni książki mamy przedstawioną całą historię alkoholu i zmieniających się zwyczajów jego picia. Nie wiem czy nie jest to nawet ciekawsze niż samo poszukiwanie skutecznego leku. Znajdziemy tu również doskonałe przygotowanie merytoryczne - gdy autor mówi, że skuteczny może być wyciąg z opuncji, nie zostawia tej tezy z wyjaśnieniem "bo tak i już", ale tłumaczy jakie zawiera on związki chemiczne i jaki jest ich wpływ na ludzkie ciało. W tej kwestii wykonał naprawdę dobrą robotę.

Styl książki jest lekki a tekst pełen żartobliwych uwag i sarkastycznych docinków. Niektóre wyczyny autora na drodze ku odnalezieniu leku mogłyby spokojnie znaleźć się w kultowym już filmie "Kac Vegas" i wywoływać śmiech w salach kinowych. Jednak nie wszystko tutaj jest takie różowe. W trakcie prowadzonych badań nad kacem związek autora się rozpada a on sam traci pracę, obie te rzeczy wyraźnie odbijają się na tekście. Przyznam, że ciężko czytało mi się fragmenty, gdy Pan Bishop-Stall opowiadał o upijaniu się w poczuciu beznadziei i braku chęci do życia. Tym bardziej, że ja nie pisałam się na melodramat, a filozoficzne rozważania autora nieco mi się dłużyły. Na szczęście ten fragment nie jest długi, a reszta książki w pewnym stopniu go wynagradza.

"Czuję się niczym w jakimś surrealistycznym programie z cyklu "Ukryta Kamera": oto lekarz Azjata sugeruje białemu badaczowi kaca, że jakimś sposobem ten ostatni nabawił się azjatyckiej nietolerancji alkoholowej, wrodzonej choroby powodującej natychmiastowe objawy kaca. Ten odcinek powinien nosić tytuł "Stajesz się Japończykiem" albo "Wódkodzilla"."

Na koniec chcę zaznaczyć, choć może się to wydawać rzeczą oczywistą, że jest to książka o piciu i jego skutkach. Nie ma na celu przekonania czytelnika, że upijanie się jest ok i zachęcanie do tego - to pozycja popularnonaukowa, jej zadaniem jest tylko i wyłącznie poszerzenie naszej wiedzy. Być może jednak nie jest odpowiednia dla młodzieży. Co zaś do jej celu - czy znaleźliśmy lek na kaca? Zdradzę Wam, że owszem. Ale nie powiem nic więcej. Ja z metody autora jednak nie skorzystam - przez lata mojej przygody z szeroko pojętym imprezowaniem wypracowałam własną metodę, znacznie prostszą i stuprocentowo skuteczną - jeśli tylko o niej pamiętam w wieczór imprezy...

Podsumowując, jest to ciekawa pozycja, która nie tylko bawi, ale i uczy. Wbrew pozorom raczej przestrzega przed nierozważnym piciem niż je usprawiedliwia. Napisana językiem zrozumiałym dla każdego, z wplecionymi zabawnymi anegdotami i mnóstwem szalonych eksperymentów, a do tego mówiąca na temat znany nam wszystkim. Nie określę jej jako książkę idealną - bo te (nieliczne ale jednak) dołujące rozważania załamanego człowieka niewiele wnosiły do sprawy - niemniej dowiedziałam się wielu ciekawych rzeczy i nie raz na mojej twarzy wykwitał szeroki uśmiech. Polecam wszystkim fanom literatury popularnonaukowej, a także jako ciekawostkę wszystkim, którzy chcą poszerzyć swoją wiedzę lub horyzonty czytelnicze.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much "Hey look! I'm writing a book about hangovers and destroying my life!" as a book that informs you of hangovers and their remedy. I found most of the stories interesting but not compelling and found myself thinking this guy is a Peter Pan and needs to get to the point. Once at the point, he immediately says he's adding in 2-3 more ingredients and still working on it. Whatevs

[Clayton Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is admirable how far Shaughnessy goes in his quest for a cure to a hangover, being this is an aliment that people all over the world willingly inflict upon themselves. I think its this dedication, as well as the general scientific knowledge presented on being drunk and what causes our bodies to be in a state of hungover, that keeps the book interesting enough to finish. I do feel though that there is a major problem with the book, this mainly being its title. The author spends much of the book talking about drinking, himself drinking and interludes regarding others drinking throughout history (this another issue I have with the book as it adds an unwanted length to it), being drunk, what local hangover remedies he knows of- but doesn't really bring light to if those particular regional remedies actually prevent hangovers. Examples of this include his reenactment of the 12 pint tour de drink that takes place in the comedy movie "The World End" there in England. As well as the eventful wedding party outing that takes place in Tucson, AZ. Lot's of pages on drunk hijinks and fuzzy morning afters, with little acknowledgement if the local hangover cure that he's trying out worked or not. Shaughnessy can drink a lot and over the period of time it takes to write the book seems to go on some life changes. They are interesting to put into the story, but I don't think really add any relevance to what was sold to the reader as a book on the quest for a hangover cure. A title like "Drunk and Hungover" seems more fitting in this case for a memoirs on drinking, being hungover, drinking again, and hungover once again but enjoying the ride. I will say the book does leave you with some interesting takeaways on hangovers. Like scientific reasoning behind anxiety caused by hangovers and a perspective that hangovers, because they bring caution into your drinking habits, are actually a good thing to have. I won't note that it does leaves you with an overall hangover cure for those who want to try. The cure is more then just a simple greasy breakfast but will take a little scientific engineering to produce. In the end its an enjoyable book for the curious, the frequent drinker and the frequent hangover occupant alike. Just know that along the way you will grow tired of the author's the frequent high brow interludes that nobody asks for, asshole tendencies, and juvenile glorification of drinking- much like you might grow tired of your asshole friend who's on a drunk tirade there at the bar. You like the guy, but it's the end of the night, you are over it. You are ready to go home and go to bed.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for books like this one. The author, often under the influence of a significant amount of alcohol, comes up with what seems like a good at the time, but the rest of us all know it’s just trouble waiting to happen. A couple of my favourites are “Round Ireland with a Fridge” and “Into the Heart of Borneo”. Even though the author sobers up and recognizes that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all, he (it always seems to be a guy) still goes through with it. They make the best of it, and that makes it so readable. Bishop-Stall is searching for the perfect cure for a hangover. Of course the only way to get a hangover is by drinking too much. Bishop-Stall is a multi-tasker. He tries to combine his hangover research with other journalism assignments. A prime example is his trip to Las Vegas. He’s there to try out a hangover clinic but he’s also part of a group of journalists who will be driving race cars, flying fighter planes, and jumping off a very tall building. Bishop-Stall does it all while very hung-over. Predictably, things don’t turn out so well. Through the course of the book he travels to various cities, meets a number of interesting people, drinks way too much, and tries numerous concoctions in his search for the cure. If you’re still not sure if you’ll like this book, read the author bio on the inside of the back cover.

[Sophie Karn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who is usually quite picky with the non-fiction that they read, I found this to be entertaining whilst informative at the same time.

I have lost count as the amount of times I have been hungover cuddling the toilet bowl for comfort and wondering when will this feeling of dread and sickness go away. Over the years I've been drinking, I have normally found that a footlong subway and a Diet Coke helps me.

I felt like I was going on a journey with the author as he was exploring the ways in which different countires have their own methods of curing hangovers. The author took us to Vegas to have an IV Drip, to trying to re-create The Golden Mile from the movie "The Worlds End" in England, discovering the sweet but mysterious Irn Bru in Scotland and many more bizarre ways.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. I only gave it 4 stars as it's one that I wouldn't read fully again, but I would dip into it now and again for references for places if needs must. But I was very happy that it mentioned my home town as not alot of places recognise that! O.K, it can have an extra half star for that. 4.5/5 is my final review.

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can you read a book about hangovers without seeming like a total lush? I find science and especially semi-taboo popular science fascinating and so this book was just the ticket. While the author starts on a scientific quest, ultimately it turns into somewhat of an ethical and existential one. While the book struggles to be as based in peer-reviewed science as I'd usually prefer, the author highlights the reasons for a paucity of data - namely that a lot of people think it's probably a good idea that drinking too much has a built in form of negative reinforcement otherwise who knows what the world would come to? Even the author himself as he narrows in on the key elements that make for a good hangover cure highlights the downsides and the impact on his personal life. He also discusses the difficulties even though relatively effective treatments appear to be available for their lack of market success. Overall an interesting book - bonus? His own study resulted in an actual DIY hangover cure you can find within these pages.

[Richard Archambault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had some late nights that have led to bad hangovers. It might be a sign of my "advancing years", ha, but last year I had a hangover that, in a sense, I'm still not over: I doubt I will ever indulge to that extent again. So, reading this book, I could viscerally feel what the author was describing. I've been there; oh yes, I've been there.

I enjoyed Hungover quite a bit. The author was funny all while being informative. What crazy adventures he had. I found myself going from jealousy of some of his outings, to cringing just imaging the after-effects of his antics. And because of the physical remembrances of my own horrible mornings-after, I definitely did *not* want a drink while reading this book. I poured myself a glass of wine one evening while reading, and I ended up looking at it with revulsion!

[David Downer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coincidentally, I started this book on New Year's Eve day; no, no hangover to speak of. This book is in my wheelhouse: nice mix of science, adventurous questing, and interesting trivial tidbits. SBS keeps things rolling along as he gambols about exploring the nature of hangovers and the supposed cures. The journey or process takes on a greater meaning than the goal. It left me wanting to explore movies, art and literature I haven't seen or read before. It also left me with those bits of trivia that stay with you for years (ex. the Italian word for flask is fiasco). This was an entertaining romp although I felt queasy just reading about the quantities of alcohol consumed by SBS in his "research".

[Tom M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something of a mess of a book, really. Given how much of a mess the author describes himself to be, this shouldn't be surprising.

To sum up, the author goes all over the world getting very, very drunk, then being very, very hungover. Attempts at hangover cures are tested, with the author coming up with his own combination of drugs by the end.

I found his story to be frustrating and annoying at times -- reading about yet another hangover and the things he's doing while incredibly hung over (for other writing assignments) got tiresome quickly. However, his ability to write a danged fine sentence every now and then earned him the third star for my review.

[Bryan Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been popping up in bookstores a lot recently, and the author and I, at different times have written for the same magazine, though he did on a much larger scale.

There is the makings of a hangover cure in this book, but it's also a really interesting history and study of the cultural significance of the hangover.

However, throughout the entire book, I had a tough time with what seemed like problem drinking. Then again, Bishop-Stall wrote a book, wrote a ton, managed a nightclub, and fathered a child. I might just need to start drinking more if I'm going to accomplish any of those.

[Max Brodsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. At times it felt along the lines of people explain things to me. It reminded me of friends who watch drug films and then decided, sure I'll do that AND write about it. The challenge of writing about altered states is, your writing about altered states and without the deep empathy or experience of being with the person, it's hard to feel they are as profound. Bishop-Stall writes with enough energy to have a compelling journalist and the vignettes carry the weight of the book nicely. Did I leave it learning something new, maybe. But I did enjoy it while I was reading it, much like a lonh night drinking and the next day tends to follow.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bishop-Stall's rich, layered examination of hangovers rewards the reader with far more than just the search for a cure. Yes, this is a quest, but along the way the author pulls together numerous historical, scientific, and literary references that together, elevate the narrative well above gonzo journalism. His lyrical prose consistently delights, to the point where instead of the reader wagging his finger at the author's debaucherous exploits, we cheer Bishop-Stall's underdog-everyman persona, as he fights the good fight from the frontlines. Exhaustively researched and masterfully constructed, Hung Over will appeal to anyone who enjoys high quality immersive non-fiction.

[Justin Bitner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, though maybe a bit misleading in the title. While there is plenty of information about various hangover cures that have been attempted throughout history, this is more a retelling of a handful of notable drinking nights for the author filled with various characters and activities.

I would have liked a little more detailed on the effectiveness of the different hangover cures that were tried, though there are a couple things I may seek out to see just how well they work.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style. It’s a fun mix of facts, stories, and the writer’s experiences as he gathers all this information and tries it out. More entertaining than informative, but the author does eventually offer his current cure recipe.

Lost some stars because it was really hard to see this man “research” his way into alcohol abuse. He seemed really self-aware about it at the point of writing, at least. Hope he’s doing okay.

[Stephen Altena · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s about hangovers, but it’s really about the author’s own relationship with booze. He takes us on a number of adventures, in the name of research. He is his own test subject. It’s humorous; he doesn’t hold back on his drunken exploits, but he is also very honest about the physical and emotional pain of the morning after the night before.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this guy has had more hangovers in his life than he wants us to think. Like he acts like all the drinking and hanging over he does here was all for research. Yeah, no, this dude’s a pro. “I got a hangover on purpose so I could write about it” really equals “This drunk fest will definitely be a tax write-off”

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely better than I thought it would be. The chapter about bar hopping in England was a low point, but otherwise I enjoyed following along with his story and learning about his discoveries. 3.5/5

[Sidra Cutts-Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting mix of history, literature or media references, and personal ancedotes all related to hangovers (or the drinking that precedes them). His writing style/voice is great and keeps you amused the full book.

[Michael Harring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written, but the fun and deceptively silly premise gives way to a much darker tale of uncontrollable alcoholism. No matter how self aware the author is of his issues, you can’t help but feel that he still underestimates the extent of his problem