'It was dark when I came to. What woke me was the cold and the water on my legs. I was doing spoons with Scotty, me behind him. We were on a beach. We didn't speak for the first minute, we were so disorientated. I had to genuinely think very hard about where I was. Then I remembered I was in Australia.' It's the late eighties and 24-year-old Kerry has been drifting aimlessly through life in Edinburgh. Rarely having plans of any kind, she gets drunk and things happen: sex, drugs, parties, relationships, and, when she's really pushed, work. Setting off on a hastily arranged visit to Australia, Kerry packs only three items of clothing, a pair of flip-flops, two hundred pounds and her young persons' work visa. Soon broke, hungry and homeless, she joins ART, a likeable but mismatched band of travellers who sell dodgy oil paintings door-to-door in the suburbs. Young, beautiful and free, they drink wildly and live for the moment. Embarking on a riotous road trip together, their lives become deeply entangled, and the drinking spirals out of control. Eventually, Kerry is forced to admit that her journey to Australia isn't quite what it seems ...

'It was dark when I came to. What woke me was the cold and the water on my legs. I was doing spoons with Scotty, me behind him. We were on a beach. We didn't speak for the first minute, we were so disorientated. I had to genuinely think very hard about where I was. Then I remembered I was in Australia.' It's the late eighties and 24-year-old Kerry has been drifting aimlessly through life in Edinburgh. Rarely having plans of any kind, she gets drunk and things happen: sex, drugs, parties, relationships, and, when she's really pushed, work. Setting off on a hastily arranged visit to Australia, Kerry packs only three items of clothing, a pair of flip-flops, two hundred pounds and her young persons' work visa. Soon broke, hungry and homeless, she joins ART, a likeable but mismatched band of travellers who sell dodgy oil paintings door-to-door in the suburbs. Young, beautiful and free, they drink wildly and live for the moment. Embarking on a riotous road trip together, their lives become deeply entangled, and the drinking spirals out of control. Eventually, Kerry is forced to admit that her journey to Australia isn't quite what it seems ...

This Naked Mind has ignited a movement across the country, helping thousands of people forever change their relationship with alcohol. Many people question whether drinking has become too big a part of their lives, and worry that it may even be affecting their health. But, they resist change because they fear losing the pleasure and stress-relief associated with alcohol, and assume giving it up will involve deprivation and misery. This Naked Mind offers a new, positive solution. Here, Annie Grace clearly presents the psychological and neurological components of alcohol use based on the latest science, and reveals the cultural, social, and industry factors that support alcohol dependence in all of us. Packed with surprising insight into the reasons we drink, this book will open your eyes to the startling role of alcohol in our culture, and how the stigma of alcoholism and recovery keeps people from getting the help they need. With Annie’s own extraordinary and candid personal story at its heart, this book is a must-read for anyone who drinks. This Naked Mind will give you freedom from alcohol. It removes the psychological dependence so that you will not crave alcohol, allowing you to easily drink less (or stop drinking). With clarity, humor, and a unique blend of science and storytelling, This Naked Mind will open the door to the life you have been waiting for. “You have given me my live back.” —Katy F., Albuquerque, New Mexico “This is an inspiring and groundbreaking must-read. I am forever inspired and changed.” —Kate S., Los Angeles, California “The most selfless and amazing book that I have ever read.” —Bernie M., Dublin, Ireland

Alcohol Explained is the definitive, ground-breaking guide to alcohol and alcohol addiction. It explains how alcohol affects human beings on a chemical, physiological and psychological level, from our first drinks right up to chronic alcoholism. Despite being entirely scientific and factual in nature the book is presented in an accessible and easily understandable format.For those with an alcohol problem it will explain why they have a problem and what they can do about it. For those who are unsure whether they have a problem or not it provides them with firm guidance. For those who have someone close to them who has an alcohol problem it will help them to understand what that person is going through, how they ended up where they are, and what they can do to help them. However this is not just a book for people with links to problem drinking, it is compulsive reading for anyone who has ever, or will ever, drink an alcoholic drink. How many people have inadvertently drunk too much on occasion? Virtually every drinker on the planet has done that! But how many people have actually stopped to think why? There is in fact a logical, scientific explanation for this phenomenon, it is fully and simply explained in this book.Even for those who have never imbibed alcohol this book provides a fascinating insight into addiction generally and, more specifically, into a substance that has pervaded our society to such a great extent that it is now an integral part of our culture.

Named one of 2021’s Best Beach Reads by Bustle ∙ Country Living ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ Augusta Chronicle ∙ E! Online ∙ PureWow ∙ SheReads ∙ and more! Breakups, like book clubs, come in many shapes and sizes and can take us on unexpected journeys as four women discover in this funny and heartwarming exploration of friendship from the USA Today bestselling author of Ten Beach Road and My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding. On paper, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara have little in common – they’re very different people leading very different lives. And yet at book club meetings in an historic carriage house turned bookstore, they bond over a shared love of reading (and more than a little wine) as well as the growing realization that their lives are not turning out like they expected. Former tennis star Jazmine is a top sports agent balancing a career and single motherhood. Judith is an empty nester questioning her marriage and the supporting role she chose. Erin’s high school sweetheart and fiancé develops a bad case of cold feet, and Sara’s husband takes a job out of town saddling Sara with a difficult mother-in-law who believes her son could have done better – not exactly the roommate most women dream of. With the help of books, laughter, and the joy of ever evolving friendships, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara find the courage to navigate new and surprising chapters of their lives as they seek their own versions of happily-ever-after.

Now complete with daily prompts to reflect on each day of a month-long, alcohol-free plan, the author of This Naked Mind helps readers challenge their thinking, find clarity, and form new habits. Changing your habits can be hard without the right tools. This is especially true for alcohol because habits are, by definition, subconscious thought processes. Through her methodical research of the latest neuroscience and her own journey, Annie Grace has cracked the code on habit change by addressing the specific ways habits form. This unique and unprecedented method has now helped thousands redefine their relationship to drinking painlessly and without misery. In The Alcohol Experiment, Annie offers a judgment-free action plan for anyone who's ever wondered what life without alcohol is like. The rules are simple: Abstain from drinking for 30 days and just see how you feel. Annie arms her readers with the science-backed information to address the cultural and emotional conditioning we experience around alcohol. The result is a mindful approach that puts you back in control and permanently stops cravings. With a chapter and journal prompt devoted to each day of the experiment, Annie presents wisdom, tested strategies, and thought-provoking information to supplement the plan and support your step-by-step success as you learn what feels good for you. It's your body, your mind, and your choice.

Thousands of people have forever regained control of their drinking through This Naked Mind. Now, they're telling their stories.This Naked Life offers forty-eight raw and real stories of people who have found freedom from alcohol. In these pages, discover how Bryan went from hopeless certainty that drinking would eventually kill him to absolute peace over the course of a single day.See how reading one book gave Jennifer total freedom after twenty years of binge drinking.Witness Becca thrive in ways she had never thought possible, all because she learned it was okay to question her relationship with alcohol before she hit rock bottom.Find out how Kari broke a family legacy of deadly alcohol abuse that stretched back generations.Alternately poignant and humorous, This Naked Life will surprise, challenge, and inspire you. These stories, written by relatable humans from all walks of life, pull no punches and prove that, no matter where you are in your journey with alcohol, you are not alone. Witness the power of transformed minds today in This Naked Life, the collection Annie Grace calls "the most important book I never wrote."From This Naked Life"I'm finally able to move forward into the future with confidence and poise, interacting with others on my own terms instead of through the haze of alcohol." -Nancy"It feels good to be alive-truly alive!" -Ryan"Past me-the me who drank-wouldn't recognize present me. But over those intervening years, I was able to design my lifestyle, to purposefully choose who I want to be without alcohol. . . . And in place of alcohol, I found a life I'm in love with that's only getting better. I love who I am today." -Mike J.