Unbottled Potential: Break Up with Alcohol and Break Through to Your Best Life

by Amanda Kuda

A life-changing guide for going alcohol-free, manifesting success, and planting the seeds for an extraordinary life.

As sober personal development coach Amanda Kuda can attest, you don’t need to have a drinking problem for alcohol to be holding you back. Like a lot of successful young professionals, her life was a carousel of opportunities to drink that ultimately left her feeling unfulfilled in her spirit, relationships, and career. She didn’t hit “rock bottom” or need a recovery program, but she did need a change. It was only when Kuda tried Dry January that she realized sobriety was the linchpin for a better life. In a culture that treats alcohol as a cure-all to subdue anxiety, grieve, and celebrate, she found that cutting it out helped her—and later, her clients—feel truly well and finally reach her full potential.
    Whether you are looking to break up with the bottle or just find a less volatile relationship with alcohol, this meditation manifesto will set a solid foundation for you

renegotiate how you feel about drinkingconnect to your inner childset new boundariesfinally achieve your relationship and career goals
    With an approach rooted in psychology and spiritual study, Unbottled Potential will challenge you to open your mind to the extraordinary possibilities of an alcohol-free life.

Genres: Audiobook, Self Help

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[M]

a superficial and lackluster book that was written to serve as an advertisement for her coaching business.

a lot of 'personal development' and 'coaching' and 'manifesting' with very little substance. every few pages, she reminds the reader that she's a hireable coach and to go on her website for more information. it's essentially a long advertisement for her coaching business.

between that and her insistence that she is 'not like those OTHER people' with substance use issues, she's different because she Has A Social Life And Good Job, this was a flop.

[Hadley Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda's book is an important contribution to the alcohol-free/sobriety community. As a predominantly social drinker who struggled with the idea of quitting because my problem wasn't "that bad," her words are just the permission and encouragement that I could have used early in my journey when I struggled to relate to the other books available. Her approach is realistic, gentle, and encouraging. I highly recommend this book to anyone even considering reevaluating their relationship with alcohol!

[Bethany Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely and inspiring book

[Allison Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completing a fitness challenge of drinking zero calories drinks which meant no alcohol for me for 28 days. So I decided to read this book during that journey to help me through it all. I really enjoyed this book. It helped me re-evaluate my relationship with alcohol.
If you are sober-curious, I recommend this book!!!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

solidly 2.5/5. somewhat sobriety, somewhat self help. more working through the social/emotional of not drinking (lots of talk of high/low vibes) and very little touched on the health issues. definitely a book for like, social drinkers? I don't know.

[Isabel Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading ‘Unbottled Potential’ and I 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 njoyed reading it!

Super interesting book. Makes me think about how/why I started drinking the way I did & how things are now. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧?

Amanda makes it clear in this book, that the decision to have a sober lifestyle 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 only an option for people with addiction problems. It is 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 that ányone can make!

This really resonated with me.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙝𝙤𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚? 𝙄𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙝𝙤𝙡 𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚? 𝙒𝙊𝙐𝙇𝘿 𝙈𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 𝘽𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘼𝙇𝘾𝙊𝙃𝙊𝙇?

These are the questions that really help you decide whether a 𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 might suit you better!

I can highly recommend reading this book, regardless of where you are in your journey (I’m 2 years booze-free and got a lot out of it). It is filled with practical tips and interesting topics and reads easily!

[monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this book lacked depth. There are interesting topics and some thought-provoking ideas - but it was repetitive and didn't dig below surface level, for that reason I didn't love it.

I feel like there was potential for this book to be really insightful and helpful, but meaningful information was skipped and glossed over (such as studies and research) and in it's place we were left reading watered-down accounts of therapy clients and personal anecdotes from Kuda.

Unfortunately, I think this also meant the book explored a very narrow avenue of experiences (only ones in which the author has encountered herself), rather than exploring a full representation of experiences through well-rounded research.

I wish I'd enjoyed it more but for me it was 2/5

[Jessica DellAquila · Rating 1 out of 5]

The mental gymnastics this woman does to convince the reader that she doesn’t have a problem while simultaneously detailing how difficult it was for her to moderate, how horrible her hangovers were, and how her entire life previously revolved around alcohol… it’s astounding. I also do not care for AA’s approach, but ma’am, you were a heavy drinker who could not control her alcohol intake (no judgement from me, I was too before I quit!). The euphemisms she uses to describe alcohol use disorder (“social drinker,” “elective sobriety,” etc) and the cognitive dissonance on display in just the first two chapters made me DNF. There are MUCH MUCH better quit lit options that are empowering and tailored to women (Annie Grace, Holly Whitaker, Catherine Gray to name a few).

[Natasha Antonioni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sober curious? Great read!!

This book was a well timed tipping point in my quest to ‘possibly’ take a break from the booze. I’m feeling all IN at the moment and maybe even enjoying a bit of a pink cloud - a euphoric moment when you stop drinking. Amanda offers useful tools and tips to get you over the hump and at this moment it feels so good to be free for me, I’m not even feeling like I’m missing out but more that I have been. Waking up fresh daily, appreciating the small stuff and feeling like all my goals are in reach is enough to keep me going right now. Thank you Amanda!

[Starpulp · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really great takeaways in this book, not just on drinking, but personality and psychology as well. Some parts are a bit “workbook-y” which doesn’t really resonate with me personally, but let’s be honest, I probably should be doing the homework… Definitely recommend as a resource to anyone that’s looking to understand themselves better to achieve goals whether your sober, sober curious or neither.

[Rebeckuh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really transcending book on sobriety, more so spirituality and shadow work than the science behind alcohol and drinking, just depends what you’re looking for, but often spirituality is more beneficial than fear-mongering for pursuing sobriety. I listened to the audiobook and it was a really amazing experience,
Amanda was so raw and real, highly HIGHLY recommend if you are even *thinking* about sobriety.

[Steve Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for the sober curious. The author does a great job at walking you through what your life could be like abstaining from alcohol. There are a lot of journal prompts as well if you are one for working through a book. I personally don’t journal but cruised through this book wanting to know more about how being sober curious leads you being your true self.

[Emily Mellow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to be so harsh, but if this was the first "sober" book I read, I would still be drinking.

There are many wonderful, informative, and inspiring books out there (see Annie Grace!) that will be great for anyone interested in drinking less or nothing.

This one is full of new millennium spiritual trash, and I can't get on board.

[Emily Seltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who’s looking to evaluate their relationship with drinking, this book gives you some really good tools and insights. The author is adamant that you quit drinking and TBH there are good reasons to give it up. In fact, there are no good reasons to drink. So, if you wanna start feel bad when you pick up a glass of wine, this book may be for you.

[Nina Riddell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book but I probably read it a little bit late in my journey so felt like I didn’t get a lot from it.
Really enjoyed reading something that I related to in regards to not being an alcoholic but also not being good with alcohol. It’s a big grey area so it was nice to not feel so alone by that as it’s confusing when you don’t have an addiction but know it’s not benefiting you

[Evelien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Unlike many sobriety books that concentrate mainly on what you’re giving up, this one shifts the focus toward what you can gain. It’s about unlocking your true potential once alcohol is no longer holding you back. That perspective felt inspiring and motivating less about restriction, and more about possibility and growth.

[Stephanie Thoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuda shares her personal experiences and actionable insights that can help you successfully embark upon living your most authentic personal, professional and social potential by intentionally omitting alcohol from your life. Inspiring, decisive and reflective- I recommend it!

[Heather Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I needed and more! As someone who has already chosen to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, it was the perfect mix of spirituality/enlightenment and information/tips for sober curious readers. 1000% a book that I will read again and again.

[Dr. Brooke Scheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda is a beacon of light in the sobriety space. This book is perfect for women who are looking to improve their wellness, career, and overall lifestyle but are being held back by alcohol. I recommend this book to all of my friends and clients who are feeling "stuck".

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chalk Full of Advice

A great book that takes you step by step through experiencing an alcohol free life. Not pushy, very thoughtful, thought provoking and you can hear her love, joy, and care through her writing.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library & while I skipped around a fair bit, as not all of this super applied, I still decently enjoyed this book. If nothing else I related to how it talked abt like. Feel your feelings babey!! Don’t just distract yourself!! I will be using some of the tips in this book :]

[vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're sober-curious or alcohol-free, this is an excellent book. I listened to it on Audible.

[Jennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm doing Dry January and I like reading quit lit to shore up my resolve whenever I'm taking a break. Unbottled Potential didn't connect in the way I was hoping, because it's pitched from a life coach perspective rather than hard data or personal narrative. As such, the writing has this TikTok energy that really turns me off. For example, the author suggests that we should quit drinking alcohol because it's "low vibrational."

That said, I appreciate that she makes a lot of great points about the fact that drinking can still be a huge problem in your life even if you're not a "problem drinker." And that we should be thinking deeply about our lost potential when we consider the impact of substances on our overall health and wellness. It's not the worst place to start for women who want to examine their relationship to alcohol, but I would recommend Quit Like a Woman over this one.

[Katie Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relateable as someone who spent 2023 experiencing the first of the sober curious movement and continuing a NA lifestyle. Books like this help to discover the new normal to life without alcohol by finding joy in other “life things” ❤️

[Taylor Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little to spiritually for me or more if you had a real problem with alcohol.