""Not only is this study meticulous in its methodology and insightful in its perceptions, but it is remarkable in its very successful interdisciplinary approach. A must for students of Irish and Irish American Studies."" --Emmet Larkin, The University of Chicago ""A work of great significance in studies of American immigrant history and in studies of American drinking patterns. It is a welcome event to see Richard Stivers' brilliant study make a reappearance."" --Joseph Gusfield, University of California, San Diego ""A classic contribution to our understanding of drinking, gender and culture, how myth and masculinity intertwine to produce unique patterns of alcohol use and abuse."" --Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign ""Absorbing and well-written. . . . Stivers is careful to emphasize the implications of his findings for the sociological study of deviant behavior, of stereotyping, and of ethnic relations. Stivers is rapidly establishing himself as a recognized scholar of alcohol studies, and this latest contribution promises to become a classic."" --Choice Richard Stivers is the author of Evil in Modern Myth and Ritual; The Culture of Cynicism: American Morality in Decline; Technology as Magic; Shades of Loneliness; and The Illusion of Freedom and Equality. He is an emeritus distinguished professor of sociology at Illinois State University.