Alcoholism tells the story of a disease familiar to many yet not well understood. It is the first "e;biography"e; of alcohol abuse that gauges its devastating effects on the body, the family, the economy, and the community.Alcoholism provides the latest understanding of the disease as a behavioral dysfunction and a biological condition. Coverage includes the origins of alcohol and the discovery of alcoholism as a medical disease; the biology of alcoholism and its effects on the body; and current diagnostic and treatment methods for alcoholism. In addition, the book explores the effects on society of such alcoholism-related problems as domestic abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, drunk driving, and suicide, as well as promising new directions in alcoholism research, awareness, treatment, and prevention.