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by Boomert - Under the Influence by Ross Fitzgerald & Trevor Jordan 12 Jan 2010
From the iconic Mr Fourex to the famed advertising jingle: ‘A hard-earned thirst needs a big cold beer’, alcohol is entrenched in Australian culture. In Under the Influence, academics Ross Fitzgerald and Trevor Jordan (the former has published 30 books and is a regular columnist for the Australian), examine the role that alcohol plays in Australia’s sporting, social, and political arenas. Tracing Australians’ relationship with alcohol from the arrival of the First Fleet through to the present day, they demonstrate that the issues surrounding alcohol are complex--and often ugly. As the book notes, some 70,000 Australians will be hospitalised this year due to alcohol abuse-related trauma or diseases, 3000 of those will die. While it addresses such heavy topics as binge drinking, drink driving, and the controversial Alcopops tax, Under the Influence also contains some lighter moments and cultural trivia. These include the fact that Vegemite was created from beer manufacturing waste product and that Mr Fourex was named Queensland’s ‘second-most recognised heritage icon’. Thoroughly researched, written in a succinct, easy-toread style, and incorporating complementary images, Under the Influence offers a detailed and timely insight into Australians’ complicated relationship with alcohol, making it of interest to drinkers and teetotallers alike.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.

Author Biography: Ross Fitzgerald
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