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High Sobriety
- My Year Without Booze
- Narrated by: Vannessa Coffey
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
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High Sobriety
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Summary
I'm the binge-drinking health reporter. During the week, I write about Australia's booze-soaked culture. At the weekends, I write myself off.
Born and raised in Scotland, the home of whisky, Jill Stark had booze in the blood. Alcohol had dominated her social life ever since she had her first sip of lager, at 13. She thought nothing could curb her love of big nights. Then came the hangover that changed everything.
In the shadow of her 35th year, Jill made a decision: she would give up alcohol. But what would it mean to stop drinking in a world awash with booze?
This lively memoir charts Jill's tumultuous year on the wagon, as she copes with the stress of the newsroom sober, tackles the dating scene on soda water, learns to watch football minus beer, and deals with censure from friends and colleagues, who tell her that a year without booze is a year without mates.
In re-examining her habits, Jill also explores the global love affair with alcohol, meeting alcopop-swigging teens who drink to fit in, beer-swilling blokes in a sporting culture backed by booze, and marketing bigwigs blamed for turning binge drinking into a way of life.
And she retraces her drinking steps to Scotland, where getting p***d is seen as a birthright. Will Jill make it through the year without booze? And if she does, will she go back to old habits, or has she called last drinks? This is a funny, moving, and insightful exploration of why we drink, how we got here, and what happens when we turn off the tap.
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What listeners say about High Sobriety
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kim
- 26-05-16
Eye opening
I was interested in the experience of the writer giving alcohol up for a year. As I journeyed with her I found rather than hearing how dull her life was without drink, her experience opened her eyes to what is important in life. Drink can control our beliefs, and the thought of not being one of the gang is almost unthinkable but Jill shows life is different, in many ways better with a clear head and days not wasted recovering from a hangover. It offered choices not demands to change, very thought provoking, especially the medical side of drinking on not only the body but the mind. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joys
- 17-03-17
Excellent book.
This book was a real eye opener to how awful alcohol really is. I started to listen to it at the beginning of a three-month alcohol break as I was preparing for maximum health to be ready for a hip operation. I thought this break would be difficult - I was 'in my world' becoming a binge drinker i.e. knocking back about 16 units a week - all between Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I have totally knocked this on the head and this book has turned me against going back to it. I'm not missing it at all. I feel great, my eyes and skin are clearer and I'm getting loads of things done. So pleased I spotted this book during a browse.
The only negative I thought was the narration was a bit too speedy. I sometimes turned the speed down on my iPhone to 3/4 speed.
If you binge drink at any level - buy this if you want to cut down or stop.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rose
- 07-09-18
Not really me at all
Wel, the book is interesting. it does a lot of things around research which are scary and very informative as well as interesting. it quotes a lot of statistics about alcohol and what it can do to people, how much we absulutely depend on it and not just by its hold over us from a drinking point of view but how it fundamentally is the root of who and what we are or have become. However, that said I found its style boring. Too journalistic, too documentary and come April too boastful. I guess some people will like it, it depends on if that style suits you or not. it doesn’t suit me. I’ll keep the book, there are some good facts in it but definitely I will not finish it. Too corny as well though it is also fun in places.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Louisa
- 27-09-15
Loved it
didn't want this book to end. Really interesting and educational without being boring. Best self help book I've come across.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-04-20
she is great and she sure knows it....
interesting story/journey , didn't agree with some of her viewpoints. she seemed to form very low opinions of people she felt had more of a drink problem than her which was irritating to listen to at times ...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rebecca M Young
- 13-09-20
Absolutely fantastic
This book is honest, touching, informative, funny and inspirational. I was nodding my head the whole way through and like other reviewers, did not want it to end.
Highly recommend!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- 17-02-20
Great book but woeful narration
Such an amazing book, written so brilliantly, but the narration ruins it. Jokes fall flat and the random Scottish accent is beyond cringeworthy. Don’t listen to this. For the love of everything , read the book!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Annie
- 05-10-18
Spoiled by rushed narration
I enjoyed the book but why was it not read by someone with at least a little bit of Scottish accent. The narration was far too quick and I had to rewind it many times. That said i enjoyed the book.
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