Alcohol Studies Research Guide

Upon finishing the first draft of this biography of Stuart Shorter, an ex-junkie ex-homeless friend, author Alexander Masters was told by Stuart himself that it should be more interesting, "like what Tom Clancy writes." In the end, he assembled a heartbreaking and deeply personal account of an extraordinary life without giving in to sentimentality. Unfortunately, the award-winning finished product was never seen by Stuart, who stepped in front of a train before it was completed. Masters takes an unconventional look at an unconventional life, starting from Stuart’s death and leading to the traumatic events that drove him to drug use and homelessness.

A New Yorker fan's treasury of food cartoons by the popular magazine illustrator features 122 favourite selections that include depictions of Ernest Hemingway's ridicule of Oscar Wilde's wine spritzer while Truman Capote takes notes, and an angel's barroom request to have whatever the demons beside him are drinking.

Standage avoids a dry look at history by viewing it through a new lens: drinks. The technology editor of the Economist pairs various eras with a signature beverage and notes the effect of each. This highly engaging look at beer, wine, hard spirits, tea, coffee, and cola takes a sweeping yet succinct look at the past. Standage is able to cover a lot of ground by focusing more on the relationship between drink and society than history in general, keeping the book entertaining.

Award-winning scientist Stephen Braun inspects the relationship between coffee and booze and the people that love them. As funny as it is informative, this collection of stories, trivia, and history chronicles the effect that caffeine and alcohol have on the human body without getting bogged down in scientific detail.

Drawing parallels between the current drug war and the “Gin Craze” in 18th Century Britain, Warner outlines the history of the popular spirit. This engrossing account of “the original urban drug” follows the drink from its introduction to the eight failed reforms that Parliament attempted to institute. The light, conversational tone that Warner employs keeps the story moving, and would be a great read for anyone with an interest in the relationship between politics, drugs, and society.