Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine

by Stephen Braun

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Author: Stephen Braun

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Hardcover:
ISBN 10: 0195092899
ISBN 13: 978-0195092899

Alcohol and caffeine are deeply woven into the fabric of life for most of the world's population, as close and as comfortable as a cup of coffee or a can of beer. Yet for most people they remain as mysterious and unpredictable as the spirits they were once thought to be. Now, in Buzz, Stephen Braun takes us on a myth-shattering tour of these two popular substances, one that blends fascinating science with colorful lore, and that includes cameo appearances by Shakespeare and Balzac, Buddhist monks and Arabian goat herders, even Mikhail Gorbachev and David Letterman (who once quipped, "If it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever").
Much of what Braun reveals directly contradicts conventional wisdom about alcohol and caffeine. Braun shows, for instance, that alcohol is not simply a depressant as popularly believed, but is instead "a pharmacy in a bottle"--mimicking the action of drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, valium, and opium. At low doses, it increases electrical activity in the same brain systems affected by stimulants, influences the same circuits targeted by valium, and causes the release of morphine-like compounds known as endorphins--all at the same time. This explains why alcohol can produce a range of reactions, from boisterous euphoria to dark, brooding hopelessness. Braun also shatters the myth that alcohol kills brain cells, reveals why wood alcohol or methanol causes blindness, and explains the biological reason behind the one-drink-per-hour sobriety rule (that's how long it takes the liver, working full tilt, to disable the 200 quintillion ethanol molecules found in a typical drink). The author then turns to caffeine and shows it to be no less remarkable. We discover that more than 100 plant species produce caffeine molecules in their seeds, leaves, or bark, a truly amazing distribution throughout nature (nicotine, in comparison, is found only in tobacco; opium only in the poppy). It's not surprising then that caffeine is far and away the most widely used mind altering substance on the planet, found in tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, soft drinks, and more than 2,000 non-prescription drugs. (Tea is the most popular drink on earth, with coffee a close second.) Braun also explores the role of caffeine in creativity: Johann Sebastian Bach, for one, loved coffee so much he wrote a Coffee Cantata (as Braun notes, no music captures the caffeinated experience better than one of Bachs frenetic fugues), Balzac would work for 12 hours non-stop, drinking coffee all the while, and Kant, Rousseau, and Voltaire all loved coffee. And throughout the book, Braun takes us on many engaging factual sidetrips--we learn, for instance, that Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase "Good to the last drop" used by Maxwell House ever since; that distances between Tibetan villages are sometimes reckoned by the number of cups of tea needed to sustain a person (three cups being roughly 8 kilometers); and that John Pemberton's original recipe for Coca-Cola included not only kola extract, but also cocaine.
Whether you are a sophisticated consumer of cabernet sauvignon and Kenya AA or just someone who needs a cup of joe in the morning and a cold one after work, you will find Buzz to be an eye-opening, informative, and often amusing look at two substances at once utterly familiar and deeply mysterious.

From Publishers Weekly

Whether they prefer scotch on the rocks or a double mocha latte, readers will enjoy Braun's dissection of caffeine, alcohol and the processes by which they work. For one thing, the presentation of complicated scientific concepts is understandable without being condescending. Braun makes analogies ("Drinking caffeine is thus like putting a block of wood under one of the brain's primary brake pedals") that help the reader to visualize what's going on. The book is also helped by the author's inclusion of stories and humorous moments. From David Letterman quotes ("If it weren't for the caffeine, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever") to personal anecdotes about the effects these two mood-altering substances had upon the formulation of his book, Braun manages to take abstract concepts and mold them into something highly readable. Science novices should find this book as enjoyable and well-written as those who have spent their lives working with biology or chemistry.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Now a producer at the New England Research Institutes, science writer Braun engagingly describes the chemistry, metabolism, physiological and behavioral effects, and reputed health benefits of the world's two most popular drugs: alcohol and caffeine. He seasons the book with references to history, folklore, and literature. (Did you know that Bach wrote a Coffee Cantata?) The treatment of controversial issues?such as the correlation between risk of heart disease and moderate wine consumption?is balanced, and the science is sound. Whether the subject is the cause of hangovers or the effects of caffeine consumption on PMS, Braun has a knack for interpreting the findings of medical researchers and applying them to daily life. He also includes a postscript on the two years he spent researching the book and how it moderated his own alcohol and caffeine consumption. Recommended for academic and public libraries.?Eris Weaver, Marin Inst. for the Prevention of Alcohol & Other Drug Problems, San Rafael, Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From

Boomers who recall the Disney and Bell Telephone science documentaries of the late 1950s and 1960s--remember Hemo the Magnificent?--will have no trouble following Buzz, which brings readers up-to-date on scientists' current understanding of "the world's most widely consumed mind altering drugs." Science writer and TV producer Braun draws on what he learned during a fellowship in neurobiology at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory to supply an accessible explanation of the effects of these familiar yet often misunderstood substances. Braun journeys with his readers from mouth to intestine along with the 50 quintillion ethanol molecules in a quarter shot of scotch, then wanders into the brain to examine how alcohol and caffeine molecules affect specific types of neurons. Recent brain research is the source of much of Braun's "new news," but he also offers fascinating information on how alcohol and caffeine are produced, their effects on sleep, sex, and bodily systems other than the brain, and the attitudes of historical figures on the "buzz" these substances afford. Mary Carroll

From Kirkus Reviews

Not many users of the world's two most popular drugs know the details of their chemical or biological effects; here's a good introduction. Braun, a science writer and television producer, begins with alcohol, which was known to ancient Sumerians 5,500 years ago. Ethanol (the drinkable form of alcohol) is a waste product of the metabolism of sugar by yeast; it is poison to the yeast that produces it and (in sufficient quantities) to the human beings who drink it. So the body has developed complex ways of defending itself. Braun describes the progress of a shot of whiskey through the body, from the taste buds to the digestive tract, with amusing commentary on the journey. The alcohol's ultimate destination is the brain; scientists believe that it releases endorphins there, as do ether, valium, and morphine. Further chapters discuss alcohol's effects on sexual desire and performance, positive health benefits of moderate drinking, hangover cures, and current theories on the causes of alcoholism. Then caffeine gets a similar treatment, from its introduction into the Western world to its current popularity in forms ranging from espresso to soft drinks. Braun explains the decaffeination process (most of the caffeine removed from coffee is sold to soft-drink manufacturers) and explores such questions as whether caffeine aids mental processes (and which ones), to what extent caffeine is addictive, and how caffeine and alcohol interact (as in Irish coffee). Here, as in the chapters on alcohol, bits of interesting lore--women's protests against 18th-century coffeehouses, Theodore Roosevelt's impromptu endorsement of Maxwell House, the formation of the first Caffeine Anonymous group--add the human dimension to the scientific discussion. In the end, the author admits that caffeine was an indispensable aid to his writing of this book, but he has since moderated his use of both caffeine and alcohol. An entertaining and informative discussion of both the scientific and cultural impact of caffeine and alcohol. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"...it's a grand read. Amusing, informative and surprising..." Vancouver Sun

"Most of us routinely dose ourselves with alcohol or caffeine in one form or another, through wine, beer, liquor, coffee, tea, or soft drinks. In Buzz, an entertaining, thoroughly researched work, science writer Stephen Braun provides a layman's guide to these two molecules and how they affect
humans.... For people who love the aroma and flavor of good coffee, who appreciate fine wine, or who chug an ice-cold Coke on a summer day, this book will provide a cautionary note or two."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Dispels several popular myths and raises important health issues.... Braun makes it clear, from interviews with scientists and documented references from research literature, that alcohol has a more multifaceted impact on the brain than previously believed."--The Chicago Tribune

"Award-winning science writer Braun, in this zippy little tome, mixes concise explanations of how everybody's favorite mind-altering substances work with a stimulating dash of related cultural tidbits."--Entertainment Weekly

"Braun...offers fascinating information on how alcohol and caffeine are produced, their effects on sleep, sex, and bodily systems other than the brain, and the attitudes of historical figures on the 'buzz' these substances afford."--Booklist

"Braun engagingly describes the chemistry, metabolism, physiological and behavioral effects, and reputed health benefits of the world's two most popular drugs: alcohol and caffeine.... Whether the subject is the cause of hangovers or the effects of caffeine consumption on PMS, Braun has a
knack for interpreting the findings of medical researchers and applying them to daily life."--Library Journal

"Mr. Braun displays a remarkable command of highly complex and diverse areas of research. The science is presented accurately, thoughtfully, and with a clarity that is rarely achieved by scientists. Buzz will be appreciated by the general public, who enjoy alcohol and whose tax dollars support
alcohol research, by alcoholics and their families, who suffer the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, and by clinicians and scientists, who, like me, will learn something about alcohol that they never knew."--Michael E. Charness, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical
School and Chief of Neurology, Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center

"Whether they prefer scotch on the rocks or a double mocha latte, readers will enjoy Braun's dissection of caffeine, alcohol, and the processes by which the work... Braun manages to take abstract concepts and mold them into something highly readable. Science novices should find this book as
enjoyable and well-written as those who have spent their lives working with biology or chemistry."--Publishers Weekly

"Steve Braun's book, Buzz, is an engaging survey of two mind bending drugs, caffeine and alcohol, that are ubiquitous in our society. It is both scientifically accurate and easily accessible to a lay audience. I enjoyed reading it, and recommend it to scientist and non-scientist alike."--Irwin
B. Levitan, Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University

"An entertaining and informative discussion of both the scientific and cultural impact of caffeine and alcohol."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover

Now, in Buzz, Stephen Braun removes the cloak surrounding alcohol and caffeine. In an entertaining blend of modern science and ancient lore, Braun takes readers on a remarkable tour of two substances as familiar as a cup of coffee or a can of beer and yet as mysterious and unpredictable as the spirits these beverages were once thought to contain. Much of what Buzz reveals contradicts conventional wisdom. Braun shows, for instance, that alcohol is no simple depressant but is, instead, a "pharmacy in a bottle" mimicking the actions of drugs such as cocaine, Valium, opium, and ether. Drawing on the latest findings of neuroscience, Braun explains how molecules of alcohol interact with the brain to produce the wide-ranging effects for which it is well-known. In clear, non-technical language, Braun explores how alcohol affects sex, the immune system, sleep, and memory. Also probed are the many reasons that alcohol can be so addictive to a minority of users. Caffeine - the most widely-used drug on earth - is equally interesting. Here in Buzz is the first clear and detailed explanation of how caffeine actually revs up the brain and body. This ubiquitous molecule - found in tea, coffee, most soft drinks, chocolate, and hundreds of non-prescription drugs - achieves its many effects in a manner wholly different than is popularly believed. Among other topics, Braun explores the role of caffeine in creativity, sex, athletic performance, dieting, and PMS. He also delves into why caffeine can be so habit-forming and whether caffeine can really be considered "addictive". This illuminating and often amusing book is laced throughout with the voices of individuals as famous as Theodore Roosevelt (whocoined the phrase "Good to the last drop") and as ordinary as Kaldi, an Arabian goat herder credited with discovering coffee's power to stimulate. Shakespeare, Mikhail Gorbachev, Balzac, Buddhist monks, David Letterman, and John Steinbeck make cameo appearances.

About the Author

Stephen Braun is an award-winning science writer and television producer living in Boston. He is currently Executive Producer at the New England Research Institutes.

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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine