A review of My Name is Adam by Adam Daw – a frank insight into
alcoholism from the author’s personal perspective.
Published: http://www.lulu.com/content/1138886 £4.95
By Vivienne HulmeMy Name is Adam reads as a very frank and open letter about the effects of alcohol, a personal statement from the heart by the author, a very public declaration of a very personal
experience; one man’s experience – Adam Daw.
This book demonstrates how ‘ordinary’ a disease such as
alcoholism can be; that any middle of the road, rock steady Eddie can fall sharp of the dark side. Until of course during one drunken moment, he sees the light.
Adam is everyman. Everyman is you.
The moral here is not about physical weakness, academic deficiencies, familial neglect or personal denial.
It’s about an experience, one that says nothing is certain and everything is possible, when your name is Adam.
I believe this little book marks the beginning of a journey that is still in its early stages. The author has taken the first step to share his bewilderment with regard to his condition, but the book lacks a clear resolution. Adam Daw is an ordinary guy (at least that is the picture he paints, although I reserve judgment until I’m better informed) suffering from an extraordinary condition that fundamentally goes against everything that people like him, middle class, educated and happy, should have to endure.
Someone who is in a similar position to Adam will read this expecting a cure-all, happy ever after statement that inspires them with the will power to manage their alcoholism and despite the last chapter in the book offering some ideas to try, perhaps this should be renamed – some questions to ask yourself?
Overall what is evident is Adam appears to be a nice guy. Someone, despite his drunken blackout periods found the strength to make amends with his family and friends, apologise for his misdemeanours and make it right. Adam quite clearly, is aware of his moral conscience and commitments and his sense of humour, I believe, has sustained him into sobriety.
The next step for the author is to complete this book, offer a more comprehensive list of coping strategies that he has tried and may work for others suffering with alcoholism. This type of public statement needs to be published as a magazine or newspaper article, so that everyman can read and digest his experiences.
After all, alcoholism is a disease that can affect anyone. So, while you cannot save everyone, if one word or one sentence resonates with a person and encourages them to tackle their issues head on then Adam has made a difference.