Alcohol joins caffeine and tobacco to round out what Courtwright calls the 'e~big three'e(tm) of currently legal psychoactive drugs. As he sees it, modern civilization is practically unthinkable without this trio. But why have they fared so well while equally intoxicating substances'e"like, say, marijuana'e"are banned and stigmatized, and others'e"like kava, khat and betel'e"are popular only in distinct geographic areas? And why is tobacco currently falling in popularity, while alcohol and caffeine are holding their grip on us? These questions are only partly answered in Courtwright'e(tm)s otherwise excellent book, but that'e(tm)s not really his fault. Drugs are as deceptive and multifaceted as the human beings whose metabolisms they mess with; a history of drugs may be possible, but an analysis of their role in culture is bound to be incomplete and provisional. There are simply too many ways to tell the story'e¦ Courtwright'e(tm)s historical investigation is solid and fascinating.