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The Cocktail: The Influence of Spirits on the American Psyche
enlarge	Author: Joseph Lanza Publisher: Picador Category: Book Buy New: $21.29 New (6) Used (9) from $1.55 Avg. Customer Rating: 5 reviews Sales Rank: 2331257 Media: Paperback Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 176 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4 Dimensions (in): 7 x 5 x 0.6 ISBN: 0312152485 Dewey Decimal Number: 394.13 EAN: 9780312152482 ASIN: 0312152485 Publication Date: March 15, 1997 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Editorial Reviews: Amazon.com Review Combining history, subjective rumination, and a few nods to the occult, Joseph Lanza, author of Elevator Music, exposes the cocktail as a ritual, a religious ceremony that sates the modern mind and soul. He shows how cocktails have impacted politics, movies, popular songs, architecture, circadian rhythms, social interactions, and yes, even the mythic power of such American patriarchs as George Washington and his contemporary incarnation, Frank Sinatra. A funny, informative, and stimulating read. Product Description Combining history, recipes, ruminations, and a few nods to the occult, Joseph Lanza exposes the cocktail as a ritual--a religious ceremony that satisfies the modern mind and soul. "This book will quench your thirst for knowledge of cocktail culture and its swizzle-stick, tiki room, rhumba-band-filled world."--Entertainment Weekly.

Customer Reviews: A quick read but that's about what it is worth September 25, 2001 0 out of 3 found this review helpful Somehow I expected more. Why? I don't know but it seemed the cocktail might present someone which a very interesting and diverse subject on which to write. Don't get me wrong there are some interesting things here both of an observation nature and some interesting historical facts but it just didn't keep my attention. The author has covered pretty much what I expected but not in a very interesting and enjoyable way. On the good side, it's not expensive. Great subway reading June 3, 2000 1 out of 4 found this review helpful While this book is interesting to read, written in a prose style that keeps one reading, and flows logically through a wonderful historical framework, I felt at the end of every chapter that the author should have done a more thorough job. He should have developed his theses more, provided more depth to his topics, and offered information that is less general and more useful. This is an excellent introduction to the history of cocktails and drinking in the United States, but as a useful research tool, "The Cocktail" is of little value. But, as a strong point, I doubt that there are historical errors in the book - Lanza did do some research, that much is certain. But I still have the inclination that Lanza wanted to get another book in print without having to strain too hard writing it. I give this book two stars under the assumption that two stars means "okay reading for the subway", and one star ratings are solely for romance novels. Great gift -- if you can bear to part with it! April 20, 2000 3 out of 3 found this review helpful This fun book has it all: histories of popular drinks, recipes, rituals. Written with humor and a unique perspective, Lanza's book explores the cocktail culture and its influence on America. From James Bond to Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor to the Rat Pack, this book charts how cocktails have influenced everything from politics to popular songs. Learn about Atomic Cocktails, see a Human Cocktail Shaker, and puzzle over Girl Drinks. For drinkers and tee-totalers. A creative and refreshing take on a classic subject! April 5, 1999 2 out of 2 found this review helpful Most cocktail books are just recipes with a few dull trivia facts. But Lanza has brilliantly included some poetic and witty anecdotes that are guaranteed to positively impact the drinking experience. Wordy and obtuse, Mr. Lanza's book is a big disappointment. February 9, 1999 1 out of 3 found this review helpful I bought this book thinking it would be a fun look at how social drinking has influenced and shaped our society. What I got was a glorified undergrad sociology essay that tries too hard to impress with syntax, but only succeeds in boring the reader. Take my advice, skip this one.

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