Why We Drink Too Much

“Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture” is a popular science book in which surgeon and researcher Dr. Charles Knowles examines alcohol as the world’s oldest and most widely used drug, tracing its evolutionary roots, history, and deep embedding in social life.

Combining up‑to‑date medical science with his own experience of problematic drinking, he explains how alcohol affects the brain, gut, and wider body, why some people are more vulnerable than others, and how social norms and marketing encourage overconsumption.

The book argues that heavy drinking is not a simple failure of self‑control, questions stigma around the term “alcoholic,” and offers a more compassionate, evidence‑based view of alcohol use and harm.