Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink--And How They Can Regain Control

What's the first thing many women do when they go home? Make a dash for the white wine in the refrigerator. In Her Best-Kept Secret, journalist Gabrielle Glaser uncovers this hidden-in-plain-sight drinking epidemic--but doesn't cause you to recoil in alarm. She is the first to document that American women are drinking more often than ever and in ever-larger quantities. And she is the first to show that contrary to the impression fostered by reality shows and Gossip Girl, young women alone are not driving these statistics--their moms and grandmothers are, too. But Glaser doesn't wag a finger. Instead, in a funny and tender voice, Glaser looks at the roots of the problem, explores the strange history of women and alcohol in America, drills into the emerging and counterintuitive science about that relationship, and asks: Are women really getting the help they need? Is it possible to come back from beyond the sipping point and develop a healthy relationship with the bottle? Glaser reveals that, for many women, joining Alcoholics Anonymous is not the answer--it is part of the problem. She shows that as scientists and health professionals learn more about women's particular reactions to alcohol, they are coming up with new and more effective approaches to excessive drinking. In that sense, Glaser offers modern solutions to a very modern problem.

About the Author :
Gabrielle Glaser is the author of two nonfiction books and a journalist whose work on mental health, medicine, and culture has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, New York Times, Daily Beast, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, and many other publications. She has appeared on many national radio and television programs, including NPR's Fresh Air, All Things Considered, WNYC's On the Media, and The Brian Lehrer Show, NBC's Nightly News, and ABC's World NewsTonight. Marguerite Gavin is a seasoned theater veteran, a five-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award, and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones and Publishers Weekly awards. She has been an actor, director, and audiobook narrator for her entire professional career. With over four hundred titles to her credit, her narration spans nearly every genre, from nonfiction to mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and children's fiction. AudioFile magazine says, "Marguerite Gavin...has a sonorous voice, rich and full of emotion."

Review :
"Her Best-Kept Secret reveals the existence of an epidemic with profound implications for women and their loved ones. This compassionate yet authoritative book explains why millions of ordinary women are turning to alcohol to handle the strains of daily life--and what they can do about it." -- "Hilda Hutcherson, MD, bestselling author of What Your Mother Never Told You About S-e-x" "[A] well-reported, well-written book...Glaser will also raise eyebrows." -- "Booklist" "An important addition to feminist literature that calls upon women to reject a spurious equality 'whose consequences in broken families, broken hearts, and broken futures, are all too real' and face up to the problem of alcohol dependency before it takes over their lives." -- "Kirkus Reviews" "Glaser approaches [her topic] with investigative rigor and thoughtful analysis." -- "Boston Globe" "Glaser has written an engaging account of women and drink, citing fascinating studies about modern stressors...and evidence that some problem drinkers can learn moderation...Bound to stir controversy." -- "People" "Insightful and provocative." -- "Publishers Weekly" "That so many American women stand at the edge of a liquid cliff is a surprising and scary problem that Gabrielle Glaser illuminates powerfully. For those who have a loved one standing there, you will find hope here." -- "Sheryl WuDunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning coauthor of Half the Sky"