Whiskey and Ashes: An Inebriate’s Avowals, Maxims and Observations by Ace

Whiskey and Ashes is one of those rare books that provides value well beyond what its slim length suggests.

A collection of quotes from Ace of 80-Proof Oinomancy, one of the manosphere’s best-kept secrets, Whiskey and Ashes is 300 pithy one-liners spread out over a thin 64 pages. The book is designed in such a fashion that while you can plow through it quickly, without investing a whole lot of mental energy into it, most of Ace’s witticisms will stick with you long after you hit the last page on your Kindle.

This is one “bathroom book” that you’ll be returning to again and again.

Whiskey and Ashes is worth the Lincoln that Ace is charging for it because of its wisdom. Ace’s writing doesn’t spoonfeed you the facts or treat you like a retard who needs everything spelled out in 18-point font and bullet-point lists. While there are a few duds in the collection, they don’t diminish the impact of the book.

But just who the hell is Ace, anyway? Whiskey and Ashes has a brief foreword by our mutual friend Dr. Illusion, shedding light on this mystery man and his maxims:

In the years I have known Ace, he has always been there with sage advice when I needed it. He became the person I reached out to when life was kicking my ass. Whatever I was going through, he had been there and provided wise (but always cryptic, of course) words to make me approach the problem in a different light. One gem that I will always remember came when I talked to him about relationship problems. He said to me “Remember this, Doc. She doesn’t love you, and she isn’t having sex with you. She loves an idea of you, and she’s fucking that idea or image of you. If you want a deep personal connection, get a dog.”

From there, the book launches into Ace’s “avowals,” a collection of short quips on everything from women to civilizational decline to random miscellany:

It would appear that men aren’t entitled to sex; women aren’t entitled to safety. One might be led to believe that fact brought us together.

Remember, if it has tits or tires you’re going to have trouble with it eventually.

What makes this world tragic is this fact: One can be great or one can be grateful. Never both simultaneously.

Ace’s writing is powerful not just because of what he says but what he doesn’t say. His jibes are characterized by what he calls “negative space,” the idea of making a point without explicitly stating what the point is. This gives Whiskey and Ashes a permanence beyond its seeming brevity. You’ll read a few of Ace’s quotes, close the book, turn them over in your head and eventually go, “Holy shit! NOW I get it!”

How many books inspire you to keep thinking about them long after you’ve put them away?

My problems with Whiskey and Ashes are two. One, the book needs a better edit job. The very first maxim in the book is missing a period, and too many of Ace’s sentences could have used more standardized punctuation. Second, the organization of the book seems a bit random. While the final maxim in the book will hit you like a bullet in the gizzard, Whiskey and Ashes seemingly skips around topics without any kind of rhyme.

That said, the mean length of each maxim is one sentence, so it’s not a huge deal.

Bottom line? Whiskey and Ashes is a must-buy, and potentially one of the most momentous books released this year. I don’t say that lightly, but Ace’s viewpoint and philosophy will benefit any man who takes the time to study them.

Click here to buy Whiskey and Ashes: An Inebriate’s Avowals, Maxims and Observations.

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