Thirst for Freedom

2012 Reprint of 1960 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Originally published in Canada as "Thirst For Freedom; The Inside Story of Drink and Sobriety," this book first appears at a time when the disease concept of alcoholism is still in a state of exploratory flux. For purposes of discussion, the author has divided his work into three main sections: an introduction, which attempts to survey the whole field of the addictions, using both a didactic and illustrative case history approach, along with interpolated comments concerning the practice of empathy, particularly in group situations; a second section, made up of eight chapters, deals with the drinking pattern and certain superficial pathological personality characteristics of the alcoholic, plus additional comments on creative sobriety through empathy; a third section, made up of eight chapters, discusses the psychological techniques, goals and ideals involved in maintaining sobriety. A six-page author-subject index is included. While this book does not seem to have been intended as a treatise on alcoholism for the professional, those who work directly with alcoholics or drug addicts will find contained in it numerous gems of clinical insight and understanding.