Preface<br >ere is hope for the hopeless alcoholic. That is the<br >point I want to make.<br > Those confronted with an alcoholism problem most<br >often think of four avenues of assistance: a physician， a<br >psychiatrist， a clergyman and Alcoholics Anonymous. The<br >first three are too often a waste of time; the fourth is<br >potentially great but fre~luently entails overwhelming dif-<br >ficulties. There is a fifth hope for the millions who cannot<br >profit from the big four; that is what motivated me to write<br >this book.<br > I never had the slightest urge to produce a book. I<br >have been writing for a living all of my adult life and now<br >would far rather devote my time to concentrated loafing.<br >But this subject is different. Like most alcoholics who are<br >again in control of themselves， I care enough to want<br >to help.<br > The fifth hope is based on no smashing scientific or<br >psychological breakthroughs， no panaceas， no magic po-<br >tions. It simply involves what are called rehabilitation cen-<br ><br >