Alcohol: Cradle to Grave

by Eric Newhouse

"Alcohol: Cradle to Grave "contains the newspaper series that brought Montana journalist Eric Newhouse to the attention of Pulitzer Prize jurors. A thorough and revealing account of how alcohol courses through the daily life and traditions of Great Falls, Montana, "Alcohol: Cradle to Grave "chronicles the everyday impact of America's most popular drug of choice. Newhouse methodically tallies the societal costs of alcohol abuse in one community. His calculations are staggering, including millions of dollars annually for law enforcement, health care, foster care, domestic violence programs, welfare, special education, and corrections.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology

250 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2001

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book difficult to read. It seems as though it was not edited thoroughly, and very little seemed to have changed between the original newspaper format to the book adaptation. The book club met with the author (via Skype) and he did say that about 75% of the book is the newspaper articles/stories, with about 25% added to the book version. While the statistics were interesting and informative and the personal stories were very intense and really exposed the truth (for some people) of how alcoholism can affect lives, the format (such as text indicating information that was originally a sidebar, or irregularities in spacing) and lack of in depth editing made it frustrating to read. There were also things the author did or experienced with some of the subjects over the course of the year that the articles were written that caused me to view him as NOT being an objective point of view.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough examination of the costs--monetary, societal, and personal-- of alcohol in a community through a journalist talking to clinical experts, community organizations, and everyday people with a story to tell. Newhouse profiled his town of Great Falls, MT, but it could really be Anytown, USA. He originally wrote it as a year-long series of articles for the local paper, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. The articles were written in the late 90's, but it honestly doesn't seem dated--the issues, sadly, sound about the same. Newhouse seems a little full of himself in a few sections (he told members of an Al-Anon group they owed him something for "wasting his time"), but overall he presents a compelling narrative.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dated and organizationally impoverished by editing which did not remove aspects of the article's original serial publication; but, the general facts here have not changed. It will make you think twice and thrice about a lot of drinking-related issues.

[Hannah Garden · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's a journalist, so you have to be nice, coz they are not too smrt with the pretty, but UGH, GRIM!! My GOD!! My James and I want to live in Montana and this book was NOT a great travel brochure.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read it because I worked with him. So glad I did.

[Hanje Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book about alcoholism and addiction. Excellent.