9780195092899
Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine
Stephen Braun
ISBN 13: 9780195092899
Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr on Demand
Publication Date: 1996
Binding: Hardcover
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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.
Review:
"An entertaining and informative discussion of both he scientific and cultural impact of caffeine and alcohol."
Kirkus, 06/01/1996
Review:"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."
Publishers Weekly
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 10
Book Description: Oxford Univ Pr on Demand, 1996. Book Condition: New. Bookseller Inventory # 0195092899-008 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 1
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 9780195092899) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: > 20
Book Description: Oxford Univ Pr on Demand 01/01/2012, 2012. Hardback. Book Condition: New. New print on demand book. Shipped from US. This item is printed on demand. Bookseller Inventory # IJ-9780195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 9780195092899) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 5
Book Description: Oxford University Press Inc. Hardback. Book Condition: new. BRAND NEW PRINT ON DEMAND., Buzz: Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine, Stephen R. Braun, Drawing on the latest research findings, "Buzz" vividly explains what happens in the brain and body when alcohol or caffeine are consumed. This often surprising story is laced throughout with anecdotes and lore as ancient as Aristotle's musings on wine and as recent as David Letterman's views on the utility of caffeine. Bookseller Inventory # B9780195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 9780195092899) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: > 20
Book Description: OXFORD UNIV PR 01/02/2012, 2012. Hardback. Book Condition: New. New print on demand book. Shipped from US. This item is printed on demand. Bookseller Inventory # IO-9780195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (Hardback) (ISBN: 9780195092899) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 10
Book Description: Oxford University Press Inc, United States, 1996. Hardback. Book Condition: New. 210 x 140 mm. Brand New Book with Free Worldwide Delivery ***** Print on Demand *****. 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 Bach's 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 kilometres); 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 coffee 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. Bookseller Inventory # APC9780195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz (The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine) (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 1
Book Description: Oxford University Press, 1996. Hardback. Book Condition: New. 210x140. (224) THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND, PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 10 DAYs EXTRA FOR DELIVERY. With the exception of water, all of the world's major drinks - tea, coffee, cola sodas, beer, wine and distilled liquors - contain either alcohol or caffeine. Billions consume these substances daily - but until recently nobody has known how they work. How does alcohol intoxicate? How does caffeine speed up thought and increase alertness? Are woman intoxicated more easily than men? Why do some become alcoholics? Does caffeine really burn fat? . Buzz answers these and other questions great and small about the world's favourite drugs. Drawing on the latest research findings, Buzz vividly explains what happens in the brain and body when alcohol or caffeine are consumed. This often surprising story is laced throughout with anecdotes and lore as ancient as Aristotle's musings on wine and as recent as David Letterman's views on the utility of caffeine. Anyone who has felt the buzz from a cup of java or felt giddy from an alcoholic drink will fine Buzz and engrossing exploration of two substances at once utterly familiar and deeply mysterious. (Hardback). Bookseller Inventory # AQ0195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 10
Book Description: Book Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. Bookseller Inventory # 73989-n Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 1
Book Description: Oxford University Press, USA, 2012. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. 8.56 by 6 inches. (00224 pages) This item is printed on demand. Please allow up to 10 days extra for printing & delivery. {Publisher's Publication Date = 1996-10-31 00:00:00} [ships from USA takes 8-14 days to Europe] Lang=English accessory:NO ACCESSORY (Hardcover ). Bookseller Inventory # AF0195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine (ISBN: 0195092899 / 0-19-509289-9) Braun, Stephen Quantity Available: 1
Book Description: Hardcover. Book Condition: New. 1st. 147mm x 23mm x 217mm. Print on Demand 224 pages. 0.426. Bookseller Inventory # 9780195092899 Bookseller & Payment Information | More Books from this Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question |
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