I find Drinking Up the Revolution by James Wilt to be difficult for me to rate. Much of the information is excellent yet the structure just didn't appeal to me.

For one thing, while he repeats what he isn't going to advocate for fairly often, the reader is left in the blind for far too long about what he is advocating for. It becomes frustrating reading all of the justification when you have no idea what is being justified. He does finally let us in on his ideas, which are broad almost to the point of deciding what action an individual can take becomes impossible. That, for me, is the structural issue that frustrated to the point of distraction.

The bulk of the book is an excellent history and explanation of "big alcohol." Wilt makes a lot of very good points and even when discussing things the reader might already know he makes connections that aren't readily apparent. As an informative book it is wonderful.

His manifesto at the end is broad, justifiably so, since so many things have to be done concurrently. Coalitions need to be built and initial small steps taken. The first is raising an awareness that alcohol needs to be regulated differently, from a less profit-only capitalism. One of the reasons he offers, perhaps the biggest reason other than the harm the current system is causing, concerns the decriminalization and regulation of other drugs. Alcohol then is set up as an example of how not to regulate a drug; and needs to be corrected prior to other drugs possibly following the same route.

Wilt's desire to pound the reader over the head with some of the political theory from which he is operating gets annoying as well. If we can only count on those who support the same political ideology in order to make these changes, we are likely doomed. I am afraid that many readers, even those in agreement on the need to alter the way alcohol is regulated, will be turned off because they don't want to hear Wilt's ideology behind his suggestions.

Definitely a recommended read but I am not sure it will spur that many people into activism, though it might make them more receptive to a less bulldozing approach.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )