Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

The vast majority of Americans have, at one point or another gotten drunk, smoked, dabbled with drugs, gambled, sworn or engaged in adultery. During the 1800s, respectable people struggled to control these behaviors, labeling them bad and the people who indulged in them unrespectable. In the twentieth century, however, these minor vices were transformed into a societal complex of enormous and pervasive influence. Yet the general belief persists that these activities remain merely harmless bad habits, individual transgressions more than social problems. Not so, argues distinguished historian John C. Burnham, in this pioneering study.

In Bad Habits, Burnham traces the growth of a veritable minor vice-industrial complex. As it grew, activities that might have been harmless, natural, and sociable fun resulted in fundamental social change. When Burnham set out to explore the influence of these bad habits on American society, he sought to discover why so many good people engaged in activities that many, including they themselves, considered bad. What he found, however, was a coalition of economic and social interests in which the single-minded quest for profit allied with the values of the Victorian saloon underworld and bohemian rebelliousness. This combination radically inverted common American standards of personal conduct.

Bad Habits, then, describes, in words and pictures, how more and more Americans learned to value hedonism and self-gratification—to smoke and swear during World War I, to admire cabaret night life, and to reject schoolmarmish standards in the age of Prohibition. Tracing the evolution of each of the bad habits, Burnham tells how liquor control boards encouraged the consumption of alcohol; how alcoholic beverage producers got their workers deferred from the draft during World War II; how convenience stores and accounting firms pursued profits by pushing legalized gambling; how swinging Playboy bankrolled a drug advocacy group; how advertising and television made the Marlboro Man a national hero; how drug paraphernalia was promoted by national advertisers; how a practical joker/drug addict caused a shortage of kitty litter on Long Island; and how the evolution of an entire sex therapy industry helped turn sexual experience into a new kind of commodity. Altogether, a lot of people made a lot of money. But what, the author asks, did these changes cost American society?

This illustrated tour de force by one of the most distinctive and important voices in social history reveals John C. Burnham at his provocative and controversial best.

Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience)

From reader reviews:

Alfred Zoeller:

Here thing why that Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) are different and dependable to be yours. First of all studying a book is good however it depends in the content of the usb ports which is the content is as delightful as food or not. Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) giving you information deeper and different ways, you can find any guide out there but there is no publication that similar with Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience). It gives you thrill reading journey, its open up your personal eyes about the thing this happened in the world which is perhaps can be happened around you. It is possible to bring everywhere like in park your car, café, or even in your means home by train. When you are having difficulties in bringing the branded book maybe the form of Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) in e-book can be your substitute.

Ward Bishop:

Why? Because this Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) is an unordinary book that the inside of the publication waiting for you to snap the item but latter it will distress you with the secret this inside. Reading this book close to it was fantastic author who have write the book in such incredible way makes the content within easier to understand, entertaining way but still convey the meaning completely. So , it is good for you for not hesitating having this nowadays or you going to regret it. This book will give you a lot of positive aspects than the other book possess such as help improving your proficiency and your critical thinking means. So , still want to hold up having that book? If I had been you I will go to the publication store hurriedly.

Steven Bemis:

Your reading sixth sense will not betray a person, why because this Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) guide written by well-known writer who really knows well how to make book which can be understand by anyone who read the book. Written throughout good manner for you, dripping every ideas and creating skill only for eliminate your hunger then you still doubt Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) as good book not merely by the cover but also from the content. This is one guide that can break don't evaluate book by its deal with, so do you still needing yet another sixth sense to pick this specific!? Oh come on your reading sixth sense already alerted you so why you have to listening to another sixth sense.

Dan Villanueva:

Don't be worry if you are afraid that this book will certainly filled the space in your house, you could have it in e-book approach, more simple and reachable. This kind of Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience) can give you a lot of good friends because by you checking out this one book you have point that they don't and make anyone more like an interesting person. That book can be one of one step for you to get success. This publication offer you information that probably your friend doesn't know, by knowing more than some other make you to be great people. So , why hesitate? We should have Bad Habits: Drinking, Smoking, Taking Drugs, Gambling, Sexual Misbehavior and Swearing in American History (The American Social Experience).