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Rating: 
Summary: Readable for everyone
Review: Dr. Roper has not only thoroughly covered the subject, as the expert that he is, but he has made it effortlessly readable for everyone. Reading and learning about alcoholism and addiction has never been easier. With no text book jargon to wade through, this is an insiders view for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a look
Review: If you poke around in the introduction, you'll find that this book, all 464 pages, actually started out as a case study. More accurately, Roper is used to writing case studies about his mostly alcoholic an addicted clients, and his academic background shows through, which can make for heavy going.What it shows, however, is what it's like to be a high bottom drunk - someone who hasn't lost all before they begin recovery. All the muddled thinking is there - all the rationalizations - all the self-pity along the choppy road to success. What it lacks is the tension and plotting I, at least, have come to expect from a book labeled 'novel.' Instead we have the rambling story of Steve, our drunk, coupled with Roper's rather heavy prose. Steve's difficulty with some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and love of other AA groups will be recognizable to anyone who has attending such meetings - and this too is worth knowing. But, and this is important, High Bottom Drunk gives an accurate and complete picture of what actually goes on in the head of a young man struggling with sobriety. As a woman, I found this fascinating and sometimes discouraging, but worth wading through. I also suspect any non-addict trying to understand an addict would benefit from reading this - if not every word, than scanning. Of course, anyone who is going through the same struggle will be relieved to find they are not alone - and that's worthwhile too.
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