Sober On A Drunk Planet: Giving Up Alcohol

Quit lit #1

by Sean Alexander

The Unexpected Shortcut to Finding Happiness, Health and Financial Freedom

What are the most mind-blowing transformations from giving up alcohol that everyone should know about? And why everyone can benefit from sobriety - whether you're a binge drinker, social drinker or everyday drinker.
Sean Alexander cuts through the drunken haze in the international bestseller Sober On A Drunk Planet - Giving Up Alcohol to provide hard-hitting facts, which elegantly combines laugh-out-loud moments, sobering science and powerful insights into sobriety, as a qualified therapist, strength coach and former drunk.

Whether you're sober curious, looking to stay sober or want to stop drinking alcohol for good, this uncommon guide explores eight critical areas of life that will drastically improve when you give up alcohol. You will be shocked at discovering how drunk society really is, why alcohol has been holding you back, and the life-changing transformations that occur when you go alcohol-free.

Alexander provides a refreshing slap of sobriety versus drink culture that provides a highly motivating and thought-provoking guide that will empower you to start living an extraordinary life, booze-free.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Alcohol, Addiction, Unfinished, Mental Health

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2022

About the author

Sean Alexander is the Amazon international best-selling author of Sober On A Drunk Planet - Giving Up Alcohol. He is a qualified Counsellor, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Yoga Instructor and Financial Advisor.

Having previously been locked up in a psychiatric ward for addiction, he has rebuilt his life through his sobriety and now helps build strong bodies and minds through his professional and personal experience.

He spends his spare time walking his puppy, practising Muay Thai, playing golf, going to the gym and enjoys doing all the things he couldn't do when he was hungover!

If you want help with giving up alcohol and other drugs, sign up for the FREE Ebook offer and FREE community support by visiting - https://www.soberonadrunkplanet.com

Reviews

[Jemma-Leigh Lyon · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author focuses far too much on weight and calories so massive trigger warning to anyone that struggles with weight/eating disorders. It’s blatantly obvious this book is written by a cis het white man for example when he describes the dangers of sex and alcohol as being sleeping with someone ugly that you wouldn’t have picked sober instead of the far more dangerous reality of sexual violence which alcohol is a massive part of. The book contains non stop bragging about his rich life style from cover to cover. It’s a very simple glaze over not drinking and doesn’t go into much depth in my opinion, there are far better books available for anyone that is considering going sober or is already sober.

[Stevo B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid I didn't get on with this book at all. I found the content somewhat pedestrian and lacking in detail, and there was nothing new to learn. I found the repeated 'humble bragging' about the author previously having a rich lifestyle (Nice house, car etc) tiresome. And just how many times do you have to mention that you are now a 'strength & conditioning coach' for heaven's sake? I also found the repeated use of the phrase 'sober on a drunk planet', when just 'sober' is adequate', totally grating. I get that it's the title of the book, but it suggested to me that the author is trying to establish a brand over and above all else.

For anyone genuinely looking for inspiration to quit drinking, there are far better options available, in my view. However I'm giving this book 2 stars as it's clearly helping some people, and because anyone contributing to helping people fight addiction is positive thing and deserves that credit at least.

[betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty repetitive and self serving but a quick and easy to read intro for the sober curious

[Travis English · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read in less than 2 hours. Amateurish book. Quite shit. Wish I could have my $5 back.

Imagine if you were a brit, about 2 or 3 years sober, and you decided to write a book, announcing the good news to the world that life is better without alcohol. You put together a bunch of facts, citing them over the the NHS's website. You self publish through amazon, and hit the marketing.

I'm flabbergasted that this shows up in the top 5 recovery books on amazon. The marketing effectiveness is impressive.

I suppose someone might pick this up and read it and decide to get sober. OK. I hope so. But, seriously, this book is crap.

[Dawn Brommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born into a family that struggles with abusing alcohol. Generations of struggles from grandpas to great uncles to parents and husbands. Alcohol used to revolve around every activity that we ever participated in! Work events, traveling, meals, events, picnics - alcohol was everywhere and hard to stay away from.

I haven’t had more than a few glasses of red wine all year and I feel great! I go to church at 8am on Sunday’s, I walk my dogs everyday for miles and take care of my home and family activities. I have a lot of energy. Living a sober life on a drunk planet is challenging but once you get used to saying NO and feeling good, you don’t care what other people do! Live and let live! This book is an excellent resource for people leaving the “drunk” planet and looking to build and live their best life sober, aware and with high quality relationships!

[Andrew Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Living for the weekend is a tragic waste. The larger majority of your life is the rest of the time. You owe it to yourself to enjoy that too.”

I really enjoyed this book. I started it today without intentions of reading it all today, but I ended up flying through it.

I set a New Years Resolution to not drink this year, and I’m a little over 10 weeks sober today because I had started a little early. After 10 weeks, I’m really starting to enjoy the sober lifestyle free from crippling hangovers and fake friends. It’s made me consider just stopping all together and this book has inspired me to do so even more.

There are parts in here that are a little repetitive at times, but the overall message and points made are great. He elaborated on a lot of things I have already thought about, so it reassured me that I’m not alone in feeling certain types of ways about it.

If you’re considering giving up alcohol, even temporarily, I’d say this is worth the read. You might be surprised how much better life is without it!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up and have read it clearly overtime. I feel the lessons from the book can be applied whether you want to give up drugs, drinking or whatever has become a particular negative focus Or if you merely wish to acknowledge and reduce its participation in your life.
I don’t believe everyone and everything is black-and-white. There are many who cannot function and need to be black-and-white. The book highlights so many good points of how we allow bad habits to take over our life and when we step back and look at the bigger picture, we can make changes , improve ourselves, our lives, relationships etc. can we enjoy some of the things mentioned and function or will we become our old selves?

[Etney Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book as a person that recently stopped drinking.. I was definitely able to relate to a lot of things that Sean mentioned in the book and have already begun to see some of the benefits listed in my own life! This book is more about the overall benefits of sobriety rather than someone’s personal experience, but it is a good read and would be especially good for someone who is on the fence or sober curious!

[Taryn Valentino · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the points the author makes are pretty repetitive and intuitive, but he adds some color with data, personal experiences, and applications. Made me really reflect on my relationship with alcohol and whether drinking is worth it (spoiler: it’s not). Definitely want to find a more impactful book on this topic, ideally one by a Christian author, but a start!

[Una Bērziņa - Pudule · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good, quick read

There’s nothing revolutionary about the book. It’s mostly the good old truths we all mostly know, but have forgotten because we live in a world where a sober life isn’t the most easily accessible.
It was ok, recommend it if you’re looking for a bit of a reset button for yourself!

[Anika Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

food for thought

Really resonat ed. Very help ful. Gave me a lot to think about. Encourag ing but never pr ea chy.

[Tiina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oversimplified and repetitive. Maybe it would have gotten better, I just could not finish it.

Perhaps to readers with party-all-night related problems who suffer and cannot stop it provides some value.

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with good messages/advice. Loses two stars due to the IN TEXT CITATIONS honestly it felt as if I was proofreading an academic essay……………

[Don Mcrae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique book on the perils of alcohol (for some) and the benefits of sobriety.

[Sam Fenstermaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple read but I think it was a good one. The other books I’ve read on this topic have had a little bit more relateable examples, but this book was good in terms of hammering down the basics.

[Tyler · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was….so bad? Former alcoholic turned physical trainer spends (what feels like) the entire book talking about how much weight you can lose when you stop drinking, and essentially reinforces the idea that it’s “bad” to be in a bigger body. If you’re looking to cut back/quit drinking, please DO NOT reach for this one

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you’ve never read anything at all before about sobriety or sober curious lifestyle and the benefits then you might find this interesting. Overal the research is light, the same repetitive, extremely personal stories are told. This person clearly had a seriously drinking problem and had an extreme lifestyle change. It makes this less relatable and frankly boring. This book is too long for the amount of new and fact-based information it provides vs opinion and personal stories. It could be 50 pages long. If you are starting from standing and have an extreme drinking habit you might find this informative. Otherwise I would suggest dozens of other books if you want information.
The author leans in heavily on weight and being ugly and fat when drinking. What a horrible message! Do not read this if you have any body and eating issues. There’s also data that supports if you give up alcohol you can be gravitated to sugar, so you may not loose weight at all.
He put a lot of emphasis on takeaway food being bad which is a very antiquated and myopic way of thinking.

[nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read.

The most relatable and easy to understand, motivational book I have had the pleasure of reading today.... (In just one sitting too)

It’s just so good to read a witty and such an impactful, factual book. Now anytime I feel the temptation to drink, I will open this book and re-read those pages to bring my focus back to what is most important to me. My sobriety.

I have found so many quotes and facts that resonate so personally which makes it even more enjoyable to read.

Highly recommended this book to everyone on this journey. Its so relatable especially for your sobriety journey - whatever stage you are at.

Brilliantly written 👏👏👏

Thank you Author 😊

[Sam van Ginkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short read, just over 3h on Audible. I feel like this book wasn't written for me—that doesn't need to be a problem, but I think in this case it was a weakness. The book would be best-suited to folks who have a pretty serious drinking problem. The baseline he works against in the book is something like being drunk/hungover at least 3 days a week, spending hundreds of dollars each night out, vomiting, embarrassing oneself, etc. Therefore the argument is something like "drinking a lot is really costly, therefore one should quit drinking entirely".

The more subtle argument that I felt that it failed to make was "you should go from drinking occasionally/moderately to not drinking at all". Being someone who went from drinking occasionally to not at all, I don't think I would have been hard to persuade, but I don't feel like Alexander really tried.

As far as tone goes, he went for an emphatic voice, sort of like he was salesman for sobriety. While I believe he feels this way, writing in this style always feels a bit disingenuous to me. The book is filled with lofty promises of endless energy, disappearing anxiety, loads of confidence, career success, fitness, etc. I agree that alcohol can be an impediment to these things, but in my experience quitting drinking doesn't create super-humans. Likewise, I felt like he underplayed some of the challenges associated with total abstinence.

In all, I am glad he is promoting sobriety, and I think some number of readers will go on to improve their lives as a result of reading the book. But unless you're getting hammered at least once a week, I think you're unlikely to be its intended audience.

[Jonathan Schildbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit different than the usual 'quit lit' in that there is not a whole lot of the personal here beyond some vague mentions of Alexander's friends and parents helping him when he made a mess of things, and general descriptions of nights out drinking, drugging and then eating terrible food. It's written in a whole lot of very short paragraphs, technically single-spaced but with blank lines between them, and in a relatively large font. So a quick read. I find it a little odd that the subtitle refers to giving up alcohol as a 'shortcut' to anything, as most people with a real addiction problem generally wouldn't think of quitting as a simple task that will magically get everything on track for them. I did appreciate that Alexander laid out the ways society normalizes drunkenness, while also shaming people who take drunkenness too far, and that his arguments for quitting are largely practical. But this feels a bit too much like a pros and cons list where the right choice is supposed to be obvious, as opposed to a more in-depth look at a complex problem. In short, while there is some useful information in here, it definitely comes across as having been written by a life coach as opposed to an addiction expert.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sober On A Drunk Planet aims to help those with serious drinking problems and alcoholism, but misses the mark for more casual drinkers looking to improve their health. While the weight loss benefits chapter provides some motivation, the rest of the advice and stories assume an audience caught in the depths of addiction. As someone wanting to cut back on drinking for wellness reasons, I simply couldn't relate to the struggles depicted or find much practical guidance. The author focuses on 12-step programs and dealing with cravings, which just wasn't relevant or helpful in my case. I powered through to the end only because I'm doing the 75 Hard challenge - otherwise, I would have stopped reading halfway through. For binge and problem drinkers this book may provide camaraderie and support, but for more moderate drinkers hoping to improve their health, it doesn't offer much beyond the single chapter on losing weight when alcohol is removed. A disappointing read given my reasons for giving up alcohol. 2 stars.

[Justin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of mixed reviews on this book. A lot of people saying it’s more about his life, “cis hetero man’s point of view”, rich guy problems, etc. etc. Listen, you get what you want out of life and the way you look at things.

As someone who did go to rehab as a teenager, and someone who is exploring their relationship with alcohol in their 30’s, I found this book very eye opening.

The things I loved the most about this book was the relatability. A lot of these getting sober books are too in your face about religion, finding God, yada yada. I’m a person that needs to be able to relate back to my life in a way, and this book gives you actual stories you can relate to.

Before I knew it, I had challenged myself to a 30 day challenge of no drinking before finishing the book. Then, at the end, I discovered he has a 31 day challenge to help you get through it, so I’m doing another 30 day stretch.

I enjoyed the parts of this book where it talks about how much money you can waste, puts a reality check on unnecessary spending, the empty calories, etc.

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for more relatability to the real world. Making poor choices of who you sleep with on a drunk night, the anxiety, health concerns, etc. it gives you enough that you can relate to and feel like “someone ACTUALLY gets me and I relate to this”.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just did not vibe with this book. Seems poorly researched and lacked depth, I am new to quit lit but there wasn’t much that I haven’t come across already. Quite a few sources are cited as though they are academic studies but are actually newspaper articles reporting on studies.

The author is understandably writing from his particular perspective, but presents his experience as though this universal (e.g. his 18-30’s style holidays, followed by a ‘Spring break’ trip to Cancun is conclusive evidence that “it doesn’t matter where you go, the booze-fuelled holiday culture is a global thing!”). There are quite a lot of assumptions, such as that pretty much everyone who does manual labour heads straight to the pub at 3pm to spend all of their wages on booze and drugs.

In the body of this 200ish word book he refers to a ‘drunk planet’ THIRTY THREE times.

I can see how this book might help some people. It is an accessible quick read and some might find it relatable but it wasn’t for me.

[Aime Grzesik · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has really annoyed me. Classic example of the insufferable guy who won’t shut up about himself now he’s quit drinking/smoking/found the gym/jesus. Trigger warning for anyway with a history of disordered eating. He lost me at calories out and calories in. That’s outdated diet language that’s been debunked and this is supposed to be about alcohol addition. I suggest all women take a wide birth and read Holly Whitakers quite like a woman instead. I can sort of see how this might help some as a quick accessible read but the writing style is so basic so many explanation marks! And UNNECESSARY CAPITALISATION for information that is so basic and so not profound or new in anyway and the size of the font (not for disability reasons) reveals the lack of substance. Eye rolled my way through. I had to google if it was self published. I bought this second hand for a few quid and still pissed off i wasted my money.

[Stephanie Ponce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was pretty inspirational and helped solidify the reasons why I quit drinking, but after that it became super repetitive. Also, it is VERY clearly written by a rich, straight, white male and is thus hard to relate to. A good portion of the book talks about corporate jobs and this “party guy” lifestyle that I don’t actually feel that many people experience. In addition, one of the most important reasons he points out for quitting drinking is weight loss/calories/working out when really it should be just health in general. Kind of triggering for someone with an eating disorder and also, I don’t think overindulging on food is the typical female experience. In my experience, girls don’t eat enough or at all while drinking, but he didn’t touch on the female experience at all. If you’re a rich white guy wanting to quit drinking, this book would be way more helpful and relatable. 3 stars because it did raise a lot of good points to me and was overall reassuring.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gripped me right from the first page. It is very informative on the damage alcohol does to your body, mind and soul (and bank balance!). The author writes in an easy to read narrative and keeps facts blunt and to the point. What I loved about the book was the fact that it focussed on how much more you CAN and WILL achieve whilst being sober. It doesn’t dwell too much on the negative impacts of alcohol (as we all know about them) but rather focuses on how much MORE you can achieve without it. It is very empowering, positive and inspirational. There are certain parts of the book where although the author is talking about alcohol related issues and how to overcome them, the information and knowledge he shares can relate to many aspects of your life. This is a book for anyone and everyone.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good pump you up book for those considering sobriety. At times was pretty repetitive, but still plenty of good nuggets and my pages are filled with underlining! Easy read, read it in two sittings. I think for some this book will hit, and others might need something a little more serious. Like I said, it’s a great read to get you excited and motivated to quit, but don’t forget, for some there is still so much work to be done after quitting. For some, sadly they never heal enough to reap the benefits of a beautiful sober life 🙏 If you’re reading this review and planning to quit alcohol, know that you are capable of getting out into the world and starting a new. You can grow emotionally, mentally, make new friends and date. Please don’t stay small in your sobriety.


~Rest in peace Virginia Albeck~

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sean may very well have taken his alcohol and drug use to the extreme, but he comes across as relatively short term party drinker that gained some weight, got a bit sad a few times, hit a relative low based upon his social status and was bailed out by his family.. weight loss, image, weight loss, image are the highlight for the first half of the book.. This is not for the struggling alcoholic. This, at most, is a well written high school level essay on the topic of the effects of alcohol. It reads as if Sean google searched a topic and referenced the first link, throughout the book. Kudos for providing references.. I admit, I couldn’t finish past page 100..With such a powerful title, and surprisingly great reviews, I was hopeful for more. This guy struck gold with Amazon marketing… Maybe Amazon will honor a return. Not shelf worthy.

[Jacqui- the teen junk isn't mine! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read

I am a health promoter and have drunk regularly since teens...not wild nights but regular wine after work, meeting with friends, year on year noticing my intake was increasing. I knew about dangers but didnt tie them to my habit as i dont experience depression or anxiety which made reading some sections a bit tricky to relate to. I meet lots of people with mh issues who drink regularly as I did who dont assocoate mood with alcohol...I will direct them to this book as its not as preachy or repetative as other books.
I am currently sober and never considered the time I've reclaimed and a circuit class on sunday at 9am was a first! My only hurdle will be a beer after conquering the fells during an 8hr hike in the hills. Tea doesnt cut it....Ive tried!

[Janine Roussouw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Alexander shares his honest, raw journey with alcohol and drugs. An eye-opener about how drugs and alcohol abuse can destroy your life. The book is easily readable, witty and very authentic.
Sean shows how after being in rehab, putting in the work and living a sober lifestyle, he is living a fully present, productive life.

Whether you are sober-curious, thinking of giving up alcohol, or really struggling with alcohol addiction, then this is the book for you. At the end of the book there is an invitation to join the Sober on a Drunk Planet online community. The group is a wonderful support system for people who want to give up alcohol and live a sober lifestyle. I recommend getting this book. It could just save your life.