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Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety Paperback – August 1, 2011

by Sacha Z. Scoblic (Author)

4.2 1,106 ratings

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The single glass of wine with dinner. . .the cold beer on a hot day. . .the champagne flute raised in a toast. . . what I'd drink if Hunter S. Thompson wanted to get wasted with me. . .these are my fantasies lately. Too bad I've gone sober.

When Sacha Z. Scoblic was drinking, she was a rock star; the days were rough and the nights filled with laughter and blackouts. Then she gave it up. She had to. Here are her adventures in an utterly and maddeningly sober world. . .and how she discovered that nothing is as odd and fantastic as life without a drink in hand. . .

"Wildly entertaining. . .An unabashed account of getting clean and getting a life." --Steve Geng

Sacha Z. Scoblic is a writer living in Washington, D.C. A former editor at The New Republic and Reader's Digest, she has written about everything from space camp to pulp fiction and was a contributor to The New York Times's online series "Proof: Alcohol and American Life." She currently blogs about addiction at TheFasterTimes.com. Her sobriety date is June 15, 2005.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Scoblic's testament to life on the wagon is pertinent and raffish, marked by considerable candor and humor. A dryly witty, spirited memoir."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A gripping, inspiring tale that picks up where most sobriety memoirs leave off. ... This is a story for anyone trying to enact meaningful change in their lives." --Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, co-authors, The Nanny Diaries

"Hilarious and heartbreaking, Unwasted is a traveler's guide to the perilous, wondrous land of sobriety. Scoblic's scorched, sweet prose is the work of a writer at the top of her form." --Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There

"As someone who's been drunk with Sacha Scoblic, I can attest that she's even smarter, sweeter and funnier when sober. This book is all of those things, one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time." --Tucker Carlson

"Sacha Z. Scoblic's often funny, always honest, and wholly unflinching look at her sobriety is not to be missed. As Sacha chooses her life, you'll choose this author: she's a revelation." --Megan Crane, author of I Love the 80s

About the Author

Sacha Z. Scoblic is a writer living in Washington, D.C. A former editor at The New Republic and Reader’s Digest, she has written about everything from space camp to pulp fiction and was a contributor to The New York Times’s online series “Proof: Alcohol and American Life.” Her sobriety date is June 15, 2005.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Citadel; 1st edition (August 1, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 080653429X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0806534299
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.45 x 0.6 x 8.24 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #271,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #457 in Alcoholism Recovery
- #677 in Substance Abuse Recovery
- #8,402 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 1,106 ratings

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Sacha Z. Scoblic, who also writes as Sacha Zimmerman, is a writer and editor. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, Reader's Digest, and The New York Times, where she penned essays for the Times blog "PROOF: Alcohol and American Life." Her memoir is UNWASTED: MY LUSH SOBRIETY (Citadel, 2011).

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and encouraging. They appreciate the humorous writing style and find the story relatable. The writing style is described as engaging and down-to-earth. Readers praise the author's insight and intelligence. They find the book honest, authentic, and true.

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Readability Humor Inspirational story Writing style Intelligence Honesty Sobriety

68 customers mention "Readability"68 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an excellent read that is encouraging and inspiring. They say it breaks the illusion of a perfect life for the upwardly mobile. Readers appreciate the genuine, well-told story and praise the author's program.

"...It is so worth reading to see where ego unchecked, and addiction can take any of us. She takes us through the decisions that must be made to..." Read more

"...But she's very literate and she has a good editor. It's all there, you just have to pay attention...." Read more

"...Wholly entertaining and well-written, the book is an excellent read...." Read more

"...This is indeed an exceptional book; it is witty, entertaining, and the story of how after years of drinking one can take back one's life...." Read more

53 customers mention "Humor"53 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous and entertaining. They appreciate the casual writing style and the author's perspective as a party girl. The book reads like a witty conversation, with amazing perceptions and hidden truths revealed. Overall, readers describe it as a great positive enjoyable read.

"...to achieve that most Olympian of awards: a peaceful, normal, satisfying life. I wish that for you." Read more

"...Both entertaining and informative, Scoblic offers a perspective as a recovering alcoholic and as someone who sees with fresh eyes the role alcohol..." Read more

"...There are parts that are belly laughing funny. I applaud the author for sharing her experiences with other people." Read more

"...This is indeed an exceptional book; it is witty, entertaining, and the story of how after years of drinking one can take back one's life...." Read more

51 customers mention "Inspirational story"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and relatable. They appreciate the author's honest account of life after alcoholism. The book is described as refreshing and one of the best books about addiction struggles.

"...If not, I am satisfied by this entertsaining, informative, and deeply inspirational story. If Sacha can do it; so can I! Thank you for a great book." Read more

"...Scoblic's "Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety" is one of the best books about struggles with addiction that I've ever read...." Read more

"This is a good book on recovery from addiction...." Read more

"...and the story of how after years of drinking one can take back one's life. As we say, "beyond your wildest dreams"...." Read more

51 customers mention "Writing style"42 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find it engaging, well-written, and relatable. The author is talented and shows courage in revealing her struggles. The book is described as thoughtful and intelligent, with accurate descriptions of feelings.

"Unwasted is well-written reportage from the front, if the front is the battle to mature and the warrior has been shot in both kneecaps by alcoholism...." Read more

"...Wholly entertaining and well-written, the book is an excellent read...." Read more

"...Well written with great analogies if you can relate to them...." Read more

"...Reminiscent of Mary Karr's 'Lit,' in that it's well written, honest, and humorous, but it definitely has a unique point of view and its own..." Read more

27 customers mention "Intelligence"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and relatable. It offers a unique perspective with a clever, nuanced writing style. The author accurately portrays the state of consciousness of people experiencing inactive drinking lives. Overall, readers appreciate the intelligent and relatable writing style.

"...If not, I am satisfied by this entertsaining, informative, and deeply inspirational story. If Sacha can do it; so can I! Thank you for a great book." Read more

"...Both entertaining and informative, Scoblic offers a perspective as a recovering alcoholic and as someone who sees with fresh eyes the role alcohol..." Read more

"This book was a very early, extraordinarily helpful step on my path to sobriety...." Read more

"...'s well written, honest, and humorous, but it definitely has a unique point of view and its own important ground to cover. I'm glad I didn't miss it." Read more

26 customers mention "Honesty"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book honest and relatable. They describe it as real, authentic, and true. The author reveals hidden truths about her thoughts after sobriety.

"...Instead, what she discovers is a group of people she can relate to - honest, caring, and to whom she can go to when life gets rough...." Read more

"...Reminiscent of Mary Karr's 'Lit,' in that it's well written, honest, and humorous, but it definitely has a unique point of view and its own..." Read more

"...wry humor (the Jammin' Java guy deserves his own sitcom) and remarkable honesty; her time at the New Republic, where she covered up her anxiety with..." Read more

"...reads like a witty conversation, with amazing perceptions, and hidden truths revealed about the freshly sober thoughts of a great and fun..." Read more

12 customers mention "Sobriety"9 positive3 negative

Customers find the book a helpful guide for those seeking sobriety. They appreciate the honest and humorous portrayal of sobriety, as well as the author's insights into the alcoholic mindset. The book provides laughs and hope for those seeking sobriity.

"...getting me through a (newly sober) weekend with laughs, hardened resolve to stay sober and the bright and shiny hope that after 30 years of drinking..." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book because it was written very well. . Sacha is great...." Read more

"...and very "cute", but it has very very little to do with ACTUAL recovery from alcoholism...." Read more

"...second half of the book is where it really shines, where she embraces her sobriety and learns to live like a real proper adult...." Read more

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John R. Daubney
What a Great Ride!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2012
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Brace yourself for one hell of a ride! Sacha Z. Scoblic has written about the crazy carnival called early sobriety in a way that will have you errantly promising yourself to read just "one more page." over and over before you tuck yourself into bed and finally close your eyes. As the early chapters dizzily bounce back and forth between her active and inactive drinking life, she very accurately projects the state of consciousness that people who are attempting to live soberly exist in. The past, present and future create a wild stew of existence as she attempts to find her way in this new, frightening world of reality called early sobriety.
Like reading Shakespeare and having to be patient while my mind acclimates to the rhythmns and language of his writing,once I was able to swing with Sacha's style of humor and pathos I became mesmerized by her story.
Her depiction of active addiction ending in a wild, sad night of partying with a male co-worker that ended in a drug house and then feeing shocked, disgusted, and ashamed as she sees a child wandering amid the squalor and moral emptiness of that world.was as moving as anything in the book. With no apologies and an honest portrayel of her 'rock star" personality and where that, coupled with her reliance on substances to ward off the unpleasantness of reality took her, is one of the best travelogs through that empty landscape I have ever read. It is so worth reading to see where ego unchecked, and addiction can take any of us.
She takes us through the decisions that must be made to live soberly: the friends like Jack and Tessa, and the social gatherings that must painfully be left behind; drinking situations that must be negotiated; developing relationships with non-drinking people, like her so-called "wolfpack" of sober friends; and creating new personal standards to live by. I found this part of the book, so heart-warming, sad, and necessary at the same time. I loved her process of developing an idea of a "higher power" that could be a spiritual( but not religious)resource for her. and then gradually beginning to see glimpses of the beautiful Sacha who lives behind the masks of bravado and craziness that passed for her proud uniqueness.
That Sacha was able to escape her "wasted" life and begin the brave process of creating a new way of participating in and contributing to life is nothing short of a miracle. Anyone who has ever made a conscious decision to leave a habit, lifestyle or relationship behind because it was killing their spirit, will recognize the bravery and steadfastness that Sacha had to summon to achieve her new existence.
"Unwasted" left me wanting to know the "rest of the story" but I know I will have to wait for Sacha's next book, if she decides to go that route. If not, I am satisfied by this entertsaining, informative, and deeply inspirational story. If Sacha can do it; so can I! Thank you for a great book.

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Lynne M. Spreen
Wishing Her the Best
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2011
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Unwasted is well-written reportage from the front, if the front is the battle to mature and the warrior has been shot in both kneecaps by alcoholism. Or the reverse.

At times (most of the time) Sacha is cynical, but she is also naïve (e.g. expecting the attendees at AA to be escapees from a noir circus of some sort, and being surprised that many are conservative-looking middle America types. Wow, edge in the form of a pale librarian. Who knew?) She's introspective as she shares her world with us, both before and after sobriety.

Through Sacha's writing I really got a sense of how lonely and painful it would be to deal with alcoholism. For example, she describes torture rendered by friends/coworkers Kate, Nathan and Dina. The first two were well-meaning but thoughtless to the point of cruelty, while Dina was a winged bitch who exploited Sacha's new vulnerability.

A couple of little dings: I wonder how Sacha managed to hold down a job? She shares a little about how she skated through at work, able to deliver an insightful, edgy comment at just the right time to impress her bosses, but I wonder how she managed the day-to-day, like getting there on time. Or, given the prodigious drinking, drugging, and lack of healthful sleep and food, at all. Along the same lines, I don't remember her doing normal daily maintenance things, like paying bills, shopping for groceries, doing laundry, getting a physical. There's just relentless edge.

Also, Sacha's writing can be complex. If you're not paying attention, you can lose the context, because some of her chapters are like exceptionally complex compound sentences. Example: describing why she wanted to run in a marathon, in which she moves from present day to a childhood flashback and then back with perhaps too much detail. But she's very literate and she has a good editor. It's all there, you just have to pay attention.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that this is as much a coming-of-age story as a memoir of beating back alcoholism. Sacha's story arcs from youthful delusion to where she suspends her cynicism and tries out the systems other humans have devised for survival. Accomplishing things in a group (The WolfPack, the Sweat Hogs) was a leap of faith for her. When she experiences success, she discovers the comfort of being normal (I'm projecting.)

Unanswered but fascinating: why was she desperate to see herself as ultra-cool, so edgy? I'm no shrink, but I wonder if this is an extreme variation on the need of young adults to differentiate. She was narcissistic but young people often are in their twenties, and then life kicks them around a bit and they become more aware.

A couple of life strategies that anyone can take away from Unwasted:

1. Act like you believe it and see what happens (i.e. suspend your cynicism and see what the world might offer you). And related but different:
2. It doesn't have to be true if it somehow works (e.g. prayer, release to a higher power, giving established systems a chance).

The last thing I want to say to Sacha is this: be comforted by the knowledge that you are surrounded by people just like you who have labored mightily, perhaps in silence, to achieve that most Olympian of awards: a peaceful, normal, satisfying life. I wish that for you.

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Yanas_Girl
Entertaining Read with a Great Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
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Sacha Scoblic's "Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety" is one of the best books about struggles with addiction that I've ever read. Both entertaining and informative, Scoblic offers a perspective as a recovering alcoholic and as someone who sees with fresh eyes the role alcohol plays in our everyday interactions. From business meetings to drinks will colleagues to a social circle doused in booze, she shares her experiences as a recovering alcoholic needing to navigate her way through the perils of newfound sobriety in a society that still firmly grasps bottle in hand.

Wholly entertaining and well-written, the book is an excellent read. Having loved ones who struggle with alcoholism, I think it would be particularly informative for someone new to the recovery experience (and would make a great gift to give someone in support of their recovery). Scoblic offers sound advice for having a "game plan" going into parties, shares her personal experiences when the game plan de-railed and she was left white-knuckling her way through sobriety, and how she found support and encouragement in surprising places -- including within herself.

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LNMD93
Good autobiography
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2013
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This is a good book on recovery from addiction. Not to be redundant, but it specifically speaks of the recovery from alcoholism rather than the process of becoming alcohol free. Well written with great analogies if you can relate to them. I had trouble relating to many of the analogies however that does not mean someone else would feel the same way. There are parts that are belly laughing funny. I applaud the author for sharing her experiences with other people.

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Top reviews from other countries

Danielle Bergeron
Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 15, 2017
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A great read!! Very entertaining and well written. I found it very helpful in my early stages of recovery.

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Mr Robert Jones
My Lush Sobriety
Reviewed in France on April 5, 2015
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Lots of amusement with a serious and very helpful side to it. Whether or not the reader has a problem it is a good read and surprisingly good english

Good book.

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Bronwen Grey
Superbly well-written
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2013
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This book is beautifully-written and could be enjoyed by someone not even remotely interested in recovery from addiction for the superb quality of the prose alone. A poignant account of how a non-believer found through AA humility and a spiritual dimension to existence, it is witty, incisive, imaginative and profound. I was spell-bound from start to finish by Scoblic's masterful use of language and am now going to hunt down anything else she has ever written! The last chapter finishes in a crescendo: her words therein will reverberate in my head for days to come.

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C. A. Cook
A thoughtful insight into recovery.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2018
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I enjoyed this book and I felt that Scoblic gave what felt like a very truthful account of her journey to sobriety. She didn't try to shock or horrify as to the depths of her addiction, instead she told it like it was for her. She is clearly a talented writer who thinks deeply and philosophically. The chapter about the religious aspect of the "12 step" recovery programme was particularly insightful and I enjoyed her description of training for a marathon. Without being at all mushy, Scoblic described the support she had from her family with real gratitude and - I am wondering if she rents her husband out! Having read her acknowledgements, I think she really should write the non alcoholic cocktail book!

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Heather
many great insights
Reviewed in Canada on August 25, 2015
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I have read several books about struggling with alcohol, and this is one of the few that I have reread because of its new perspective on a very timeless problem. The combination of insight and humour make this book one I would recommend to anyone struggling with alcohol related issues.

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