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Book Cover
Book
Author Braun, Stephen.

Title Buzz : the science and lore of alcohol and caffeine / Stephen Braun
Published New York : Oxford University Press, 1996

Copies

Location Call no. Vol. Availability
 MELB  615.7828 Bra/Bts  AVAILABLE
Description x, 214 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Contents 1. Alcohol 101 8 -- 2. Down the Hatch 20 -- 3. Your Brain on Alcohol 38 -- 4. Sex, Snores, and Stomach Aches 61 -- 5. Demon Rum 88 -- 6. The Eyelids of Bodhidharma 107 -- 7. A Quicker Genius 123 -- 8. The Body, Wired 137 -- 9. Hooked 162 -- 10. Better Living Through Chemistry 182
Summary Now, in Buzz, Stephen Braun removes the cloak surrounding alcohol and caffeine. In an entertaining blend of modern science and ancient lore, Braun takes readers on a remarkable tour of two substances as familiar as a cup of coffee or a can of beer and yet as mysterious and unpredictable as the spirits these beverages were once thought to contain. Much of what Buzz reveals contradicts conventional wisdom. Braun shows, for instance, that alcohol is no simple depressant but is, instead, a "pharmacy in a bottle" mimicking the actions of drugs such as cocaine, Valium, opium, and ether. Drawing on the latest findings of neuroscience, Braun explains how molecules of alcohol interact with the brain to produce the wide-ranging effects for which it is well-known. In clear, non-technical language, Braun explores how alcohol affects sex, the immune system, sleep, and memory. Also probed are the many reasons that alcohol can be so addictive to a minority of users. Caffeine - the most widely-used drug on earth - is equally interesting. Here in Buzz is the first clear and detailed explanation of how caffeine actually revs up the brain and body. This ubiquitous molecule - found in tea, coffee, most soft drinks, chocolate, and hundreds of non-prescription drugs - achieves its many effects in a manner wholly different than is popularly believed. Among other topics, Braun explores the role of caffeine in creativity, sex, athletic performance, dieting, and PMS. He also delves into why caffeine can be so habit-forming and whether caffeine can really be considered "addictive." This illuminating and often amusing book is laced throughout with the voices of individuals as famous as Theodore Roosevelt (who coined the phrase "Good to the last drop") and as ordinary as Kaldi, an Arabian goat herder credited with discovering coffee's power to stimulate. Shakespeare, Mikhail Gorbachev, Balzac, Buddhist monks, David Letterman, and John Steinbeck make cameo appearances
Analysis Alcoholism Prevention
Humans Brain Biochemistry
Alcoholism Prevention
Humans Brain Biochemistry
Notes Bibliography: p197-205. _ Includes index
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages [197]-205) and index
Subject Alcohol -- Popular works.
Alcohol.
Caffeine -- Popular works.
Caffeine.
Alcohol Drinking.
Alcohols.
Caffeine.
Genre/Form Popular Work.
LC no. 95047790
ISBN 0195092899 (alk. paper)