Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.44 (684 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0801898145 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 296 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-03-06 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The result is more than a story of doctors and patients. Where did this "blockbuster drug" phenomenon come from? What factors led to the mass acceptance of tranquilizers and antidepressants? And how has their widespread use affected American culture? David Herzberg addresses these questions by tracing the rise of psychiatric medicines, from Miltown in the 1950s to Valium in the 1970s to Prozac in the 1990s. Beginning with the emergence of a medical marketplace for psychoactive drugs in the postwar consumer culture, Herzberg traces how "happy pills" became embroiled in Cold War gender battles and the explosive politics of the "war against drugs"and how feminists brought the two issues together in a dramatic campaign against Valium addiction in the 1970s. A final look at antidepressants shows that even the Prozac phenomenon owed as much to commerce and culture as to scientific wizardry.With a barrage of "ask your doctor about" advertisements competing for attention with shocking news of drug company malfeasance, Happy Pills is an invaluable look at how the commercialization of medicine has transformed American culture since the end of World War II.. Prozac. From bare-knuckled marketing campaigns to political activism by feminists and antidrug warriors, the fate of psychopharmacology has been intimately wrapped
Not only does it illuminate American drug cultures; it also demonstrates the rich interplay of invention, marketing, advertising, expertise, regulation, medical practice, and consumption. (David Pilgrim Sociology of Health and Illness)Truly a dizzying array of data on the history of the science, commerce, marketing, medicine, psychiatry and psychology, all aspects of the history of the pills, is a major achievement Herzberg's book, exemplifying history of medicine as a thoroughly interdisciplinary field, is important and timely. I find it hard not to praise it too much, not to become a marketing tool urging its wider distribution and intellectual consumption. It will make you even more thoughtful about your next prescription for antidepressants. New England Journal of Medicine)By placing human action at the heart of this culturally rich history, Herzberg has written a masterful account of the travels of 'happy pill
David Herzberg is an assistant professor of history at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Beautifully Written Beautifully written account of the ebb and flow of modern America's use of mood-controlling medications. There's no taint of advocacy here (we should/we shouldn't). What's fascinating is how little relationship there is between the public perception of medicati. Awesome Drugs !! Page 122 Is An Awesome Statement ! The Pace Setter ! Bench Mark ! Even The Have Nots Were In Over Their Heads ! At $129 Per 100 Tab In Bottom Of A Tiny Jar (80's) Miltown's Meprobamate (Mild?) Really Maid Em Grow ! That An A Couple Of Daily Half Gallon Ice Crea