Review
“Valuable for reference libraries, this work contains biographical sketches of 373 men and women attempting to comprehend and come to grips with the human and social problems associated with alcohol misuse. Lender admits to a somewhat arbitrary selection of 373 persons for inclusion, but his choices are wise and his information clearly and well presented. The author is informed of new research and recent interpretations. Each entry includes basic biographical and career information, followed by two paragraphs of explanation and a brief interpretation of the person's significance. Each entry includes up to 12 references, half by the entrant and half about the entrant, usually standard sources. ... [On] the whole there is much accurate and useful information presented, and the volume is quite helpful for researchers seriously studying the history of American social reform. Larger academic libraries.”–Choice
“To take the book in hand and to read randomly is to know instant enthusiasm, even wonder, for Lender is a confident scholar and craftsman. Some of his triumphs of brevity, clarity, and balance are, quite simply, astonishing. ... There is, overall, a remarkably refeshing quality in the writing, and for some readers there are delightful surprises.”–Alcohol in History
“To take the book in hand and to read randomly is to know instant enthusiasm, even wonder, for Lender is a confident scholar and craftsman. Some of his triumphs of brevity, clarity, and balance are, quite simply, astonishing. ... There is, overall, a remarkably refeshing quality in the writing, and for some readers there are delightful surprises.”–
