It Will Never Happen to ME

This one, I couldn't get rid of fast enough. It is one of those dreadful, cheap American pop-psychology self-help books that you used to get in railway bookshops and remainder stores.

There is no depth here. The analysis is as sympathetic but uninformed as an elderly auntie's, and the 'help' element consists of repeated suggestions to consult a counsellor (fair point, but those seeking information on this subject probably already know that - it's a greater depth of understanding they need to help them work their issues through).

Don't waste your time.


This is an excellent book on the topic   June 18, 1999
 31 out of 35 found this review helpful

This book first came to my attention more than ten years ago, when I (in my late 20's at the time) was attempting to cope with the effects a parent's alcoholism had had on me. My siblings and I had always recognized the parent was an alcoholic, but did not understand the full effect that life in such a household had on us. The book was recommended to me, and it was so much on target I felt I was reading about my own family. The book does a great job explaining the various roles other family members take on when an alcoholic is present in their lives. These roles are what explain our later behavior, and in order to come to terms with the present behavior, you have to understand why you're doing it. I've read a few books on the subject; this was by far the best.