Physicians and surgeons in Glasgow: the history of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 1599–1858

public health interventions aimed at promoting healthy drinking habits by, for example, seeking to discourage the excessive consumption of alcohol or soft drinks with high sugar content. Dealing with drink is a much more solemn affair, the "morning after" perhaps to the Liquid pleasures earlier imbibed. None the less, it is an equally good book. Against the background of growing alcohol consumption since the 1950s, Thom analyses the development of the "policy community" which shaped the response of successive governments to an increasing level of alcohol problems. The main contribution of this book lies in its consideration of the changing emphasis of policy from treatment towards prevention. Thom highlights changes in the alcohol policy community, and the introduction of competing conceptions and paradigms of alcohol problems as key factors behind this shift. She charts how the initially dominant disease model championed by psychiatrists gave way to a population-based approach advocated by a broader range of professions and voluntary groups, highly consistent with broader ideological influences in the health field, such as the "new public health". Thom discusses the tensions within government prompted by the new approach and documents interdepartmental battles in Whitehall. She goes on to discuss more recent developments, notably the shift towards a "harm reduction" approach and suggests that the tensions surrounding policy in this field remain. The deliberations regarding the Blair government's long overdue alcohol policy, to some extent provide further evidence of this. Thom also analyses the role of researchers in providing an evidence base for public policy formation in this field, noting that during the 1970s research findings became more important in the development of alcohol policy. She also demonstrates how evidence has been used selectively to advocate (or oppose) particular policies. This kind of approach is at the cutting edge of contemporary policy research. The politics of expertise, evidence and discourse has now become central to our understanding, not only of the governance of public health problems but in other policy areas as well. In summary, both books are a welcome addition to the bookshelf and have an appeal beyond their respective target audiences of social history and alcohol studies. Despite their contrasting approaches, they also complement each other well, providing a considerable insight into the social and political aspects of our drinking habits.