CULTURE OF RECOVERY C [Hardcover]

Elayne Rapping (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1996

A thoughtful exploration of the recovery movement and its impact on contemporary life—from talk shows and self-help books to Clinton's presidential campaign.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her examination of the self-help phenomenon, Rapping, professor of communications at Adelphi University (Media-tions: Forays into the Culture and Gender Wars), attended numerous recovery meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and its imitators, interviewed female participants and watched hours of TV talk shows where women described experiences of abuse or other severe problems with men. She also analyzed self-help books, which are aimed primarily at women. Although the author disagrees with the recovery movement's emphasis on the individual woman's responsibility for solving her problems, thereby ignoring the role of societal oppression of women as a contributing factor, she argues that, despite this "weakness," feminism is at the core of the recovery movement because women are now at least able to identify their pain. Unfortunately Rapping's commitment to this theory undermines her otherwise interesting critique of the self-help movement.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

'Media critic and columnist Rapping (communications, Adelphi Univ.) brings her thoughtful insight to the topic of the recovery movement and its impact on contemporary life. The author discusses several interesting issues, among them the history of second-wave feminism, the groups involved in the recovery movement, and self-help books. While not preachy or judgmental, the writing is effective and interesting. The author has attended many recovery group meetings, and here she discusses her observations in detail. The topic of television talk shows and their relation to the recovery movement is also covered. This is highly readable social commentary. The book definitely deserves a place on most public library shelves.
Priscilla Davis Dann, Gates Mills P.L., Cleveland
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 214 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; 1 edition (January 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807027162
• ISBN-13: 978-0807027165
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,222,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What an eye opener!, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Culture of Recovery: Making Sense of the Self-help Movement in Women's Lives (Paperback)

Elayne Rapping saw the light during the sixties, thanks to the feminist movement and consciousness raising groups of that time. Back then, the general unhappiness that women felt was named and attributed to existing cultural values, and social/political causes. This discovery spawned a lot of activism in the areas of feminism. But today, the very same malaise felt by women (the same malaise that is soothed by one addictive behavior or another) is being identified as a "disease symptom" over which we are powerless?!!! This belief system results in no activism whatsoever. What gives?? Elayne tackles this very important question in a book that will remain one of the most important ones in my "12-Step Movement as Peculiar Historical Phenomenon" collection.