The author, the well-known cognitive psychologist Edward Slingerland, invites you to look at familiar things in a new way. In his view, pleasures and enjoyments should be considered from the standpoint of evolutionary necessity. Having accumulated a great deal of fascinating material on the history of alcohol, the scientist paints a comprehensive picture of the relationship between people and intoxicating substances. For thousands of years, people have shown miracles of ingenuity to achieve the cherished goal—to obtain a drink that would make them happy, ease communication, and, most importantly, help them adapt to life in a difficult environment and deal with all hardships. But if in small doses alcohol is our helper and friend, then in large doses it is a sworn enemy and destroyer. Why does it happen that way? Can we make the most of the benefits of intoxicating substances by taking control of their brutal consequences? In a light, playful manner, Slingerland answers these questions. He draws the reader into an exciting journey through the past, tells fun stories about drinking traditions in modern societies, and also explains how, in the future, people can turn alcohol into a factor of social progress.