Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol

Though I found parts of the authors experience incredibly powerful and insightful and the information shared in the first half of the book engaging and eye opening, the latter half of the book falls apart with a lot of “do this because it worked for me” sort of recommendations such as drinking hot lemon water, doing yoga, and many references to traveling to Italy (which we can all definitely afford and do at a moments notice). I think overall this book provides great insight to the history and insidious nature of alcohol culture but the #girlboss theme throughout the book mixed with some critique on the editing/writing style left me skimming the last half. It felt like someone edited in “social justice disclaimers” and notes after the book was written including the last chapter on how much of an activist the author is (but then also makes the claim that Gandhi was “addicted to his cause?). The author also leans hard into shock value from sharing explicit details of her story to randomly talking about her sex life or other trauma with little warning or care. There is a sharp turn at the half way mark that goes from powerfully connecting her experience with research and history to feeling like you’re watching a morning routine video on YouTube sponsored by her recovery program. Recommend for those interested in the topic of living alcohol free but know what you’re in for.

Content Warnings

caseythereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

- I am of two minds about QUIT LIKE A WOMAN. First, I put it off for a long time because I found the title so off-putting. It's so Girl Power, and it shows in a lot of the book. It's a lot of "I just discovered the patriarchy and am gonna yell about it."
- I also found it rather baffling that she spends the first third of the book claiming that people don't know alcohol is bad for them and trying to make it a shocking reveal that alcohol companies are marketing their products in a way meant to disguise that. Am I off base here, I don't know, but I certainly don't know anyone who believes drinking every day is actively healthy.
- There's also a lot of white lady privilege on display. While she occasionally mentions how oppressive cultural systems work extra hard to keep queer people, people of color, etc. down, in the next breath she's telling you that she simply replaced drinking alcohol with traveling to Rome.
- On the other hand, she is completely, absolutely, paradigm-shiftingly right about a lot of things. Alcohol is so ingrained in our culture (and specifically, mommy and woman culture) that we can hardly conceive of moving through life without it. And we panic a little at the idea of easing off the gas even a little, because that might mean we're alcoholics, and our culture throws those people in the trash.
- Related, I think the most useful idea in this book is the idea that it's bizarre to divide people into alcoholics and normal drinkers. Like, it's super weird to ostracize people who "can't handle" a substance our bodies aren't actually built to process. Shutting people out like that only makes everyone's lives harder and more confusing.

Content Warnings

tanzipanzi's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.25

Interesting perspective on alcohol addiction and the recovery process for women and oppressed groups. Fascinating analysis and full of personal anecdotes and practical advice and solutions. Critically looks at the ubiquity of alcohol and how it is harming us all.

Content Warnings

emfass's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.25

I read this book for Bad Bitch Book Club, and will preface my review by saying I do not have any experience with substance abuse/addiction, either personally or in my immediate family.

As many others have written in their reviews, Whitaker's privileges in the way she was able to get sober (and in general, live her life) come through loud and clear, and it's not a great look. She throws in some intersectionality with racism in the final chapters, which makes it seem like an afterthought. She also seems to compare her fight against addiction/alcoholism with the Stonewall riots in her conclusion, which...just...no.

I found some of her language and instructions to be berating instead of an invitation. In discussions with the BBBC group, I also learned that some of the science she backs her claims with doesn't necessarily hold up. (e.g. Anything can be poisonous, including water, if you take a big enough dose.)

I do think Whitaker made a very interesting and compelling case for the whys and hows of addiction and recovery. I was especially intrigued by the concept of why a recovery program (Alcoholics Anonymous) that asks an addict to submit and break themselves down might not be helpful or effective for oppressed identities where society already does that to them regularly. I also know that AA has been helpful for many people, and Whitaker doesn't leave much room for the option. Lastly, I firmly believe that a necessary component of surviving anything--including, y'know, life in general--is finding authentic connection to yourself and to others, and I appreciated how much time she took to discuss this and how one might go about it.

Content Warnings

readalongwithnat's review

Go to review page

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Wow. I can definitely see myself revisiting this book in this future. It both made me want to stop drinking and made me reflect on my own ED recovery.

Content Warnings

jordonep's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

More...