A Press Release and Some Book Reviews for Jim Anders' ALL DRINKING ASIDE

We are blessed to learn something about and see a couple of reviews today for Jim Anders' book All Drinking Aside.



http://www.amazon.com/All-Drinking-Aside-Deconstruction-Reconstruction/dp/149239730X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383714712&sr=8-1&keywords=all+drinking+aside


Press Release -

Atlantic City, NJ/August, 2014 --- Jim Anders is pleased to announce the publication of his first full-length book, All Drinking Aside ($18.95/Amazon.com, $8.95 Kindle). Denial, anger, fear, depression, self-pity, doubt: a toxic cocktail of emotions inflamed by alcohol, narcotics and prescription drugs. Where does one begin? Where will it all end?

In this 286-page, 90-piece orchestration of autobiographical flashbacks, the author describes his descent into alcoholism while three fictional alter egos (unnoticed by him) discuss his prospects for recovery. This intense, introspective and illuminating fiction looks at alcoholism and addiction from the inside out and back again. In three parts, the Destruction, the Deconstruction and the Reconstruction, the alcoholic beast is revealed.

The vicious cycles of alcoholic addiction: hospitals, detoxes, rehabs and relapse. Repeat, repeat, repeat. A textbook case of chronic chemical dependency, All Drinking Aside will provoke, deceive, disturb and annoy you while it entertains and informs. All Drinking Aside is Everybody's Autobiography if you're an alcoholic and Someone You Know if you are not.


Book Reviews
 
Source:  Amazon
Reviewer:  Cynthia Altomore
Review Date:  November 5, 2013



As a Registered Nurse, I have worked in the fields of psychiatry and addictions for 28 years. I am also a grateful member of the recovering community. The author's portrayal of his struggle to free himself from his obsession to repeatedly seek oblivion is imaginative and certainly thought provoking. The question is always "why". Why do some people have no control over their self destructive drinking? Why do some people feel the need to continually anesthetize themselves, long after the pleasure in the activity has dissipated? Why do some people have to lose everything in order to merely contemplate change? The war between Jim's three alter egos is a creative and captivating means of expressing the ongoing internal conflict that must happen in order for that contemplative process to proceed. All Drinking Aside is one man's struggle to rejoin the living. If you do not suffer from any type of chemical dependency, I'll just bet you are related to or friends with someone who is trapped in this affliction. This book is a must read!
 

Source:   Amazon
Reviewer:  Eloise
Review Date:  March 2, 2014



Written as an autobiographical fiction, the author discusses his long struggle with alcohol addiction, his gradual acknowledgment and understanding of the disease, and his eventual journey into recovery. This book read for me as a meditation of sorts, due, I think, to the various powerful and dynamic literary devices the author uses. Interspersed within each section of the narrative (there are 90 sections) are pithy metaphors, quotes and proverbs, bits of poetry, morning & evening meditations, questions for the day, etc. These techniques are used to reflect on the author's life events, his feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, his relationships with others, how he finally comes to acknowledge his addiction, and on the lessons and truths garnered from his life in recovery. The best of these literary devices is, for me, the clever and brilliant inclusion of three fictional alter egos who stand by listening to his story as it unfolds (unbeknownst to him) and discuss with each other their opinions of him and their differing views on how he is relating his story. This stepping back from the narrative not only offers periodic distance from its intensity, but reveals differing perspectives that lend insight into the various facets of addiction and recovery as well as insight into the perspective others might take as they look in on someone addicted to alcohol. This intelligently written book should be of great interest to anyone at any stage of addiction--or simply, to anyone, since it brings forth useful insights and truths necessary to living a healthy life. And so, I do highly recommend this book to anyone!

Author Bio


Jim Anders is a former advertising copywriter and graduate of Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is Jim’s first full-length published work. His drinking career ended nearly a decade before this autobiographical fiction. He currently resides in Atlantic City, New Jersey and is diligently at work on his second book.  

Author Links:


Book:

http://www.amazon.com/All-Drinking-Aside-Deconstruction-Reconstruction/dp/149239730X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383714712&sr=8-1&keywords=all+drinking+aside
 
 

2 comments:

  1. I commend anyone who has the strength and courage to end his/her addiction. I worked in a drug and alcohol clinic for three years and I have a Master's in Behavioral Health. In my addiction course, one of our assignments was to attend an AA meeting. I saw how thankful and grateful the recovering alcoholics were. Being addicted to anything is obviously a living hell that's hard to walk out of.

    Jim, you should be proud of yourself. I can't wait to start your book. I am so glad we became friends through our writer's groups.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole, thank you for your warm and intelligent response. Your encouragement bolsters my Recovery Advocacy work in www.ncaddnj.org. Hope, help, healing. You have helped me so. Another reason to extend my grateful thanks. Let me also extend a Happy Holiday to you and yours. Thanks again!
      Jim

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