---
product_id: 9397270
title: "Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac"
price: "R1117"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/9397270-happy-pills-in-america-from-miltown-to-prozac
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac

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## Description

Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac [Herzberg, David] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac

Review: Humanizes the Role of Psychopharm in 20th Century America - In "Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac", David Herzberg argues, “The meteoric rise of tranquilizers and antidepressants signified broader developments in American society after World War II: the commercialization of medicine and science, the embrace of psychology and self-fulfillment as a political language, intensified campaigns to police social groups through drug regulation, and social movements organized in part around new concepts of identity” (pg. 3-4). He uses the tools of race, class, and gender in his examination. Herzberg begins with the modern commercialization of medicine in the postwar years and the rise of tranquilizers such as Miltown, directly marketed to doctors and patients. From there, Herzberg examines the social impact of tranquilizers on the postwar gender dynamic before unpacking the drug wars and the federal scheduling of tranquilizers. He concludes with the role of manufacturers of Paxil and modern antidepressants in filling the position once occupied by tranquilizers, but with a nuanced approach designed to address and move past the lingering stigma of tranquilizers. While Herzberg examines the role of race and class, gender stands out in his analysis. He writes of the work of Miltown advertisers, “It was these images that helped circulate influential new biological narratives of masculinity” (pg. 48). Critics of tranquilizers later viewed them as “women’s drugs,” but Herzberg demonstrates how they served to combat fears of weakening masculinity in the postwar years (pg. 49). For this, he builds upon the studies of neurasthenia, a condition Gail Bederman examined in her monograph, "Manliness and Civilization". Advertisers of Miltown and other tranquilizers suggested the drugs would help patients return to traditional gender roles and thereby cure their anxiety, but feminists argued the medications served to cover-up the issue that created anxiety – social inequality. Attempts to impose federal oversight over tranquilizers faced difficulty due to an incomplete model of addiction, but changing attitudes and new concepts of masculinity eventually made this possible (pg. 111). Women who worked to expose the dangers of tranquilizers did so in a manner that privileged middle class white women. While their work helped encourage patient activists, it was a product of its time (pg. 148). In response to this, manufacturers of Prozac portrayed it “as a ‘feminist drug’ that made women more assertive and competitive – ‘supermoms’ with careers who laid to rest images of Valium-stoned stat-at-home wives” (pg. 177). Herzberg’s work uncovers the role of modern commercialized medicine in shaping all aspects of society, from gender to criminal law. Without postwar consumer culture and second-wave feminism, along with nineteenth century psychological theories and medicine, modern pharmaceuticals would not play the role they currently occupy in society. Most importantly, Herzberg demonstrates how people orchestrated and shaped these events rather than portraying them as occurring spontaneously.
Review: 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 Cream Favorites ! On Top Of Everything Else ! Fascinating When She Got Out Of A Car ! Eye Popping ! Out Of Control Scary ! Were All FGA's (First Generation Anti-Psychotics) Like This ? The Milky Whey ? Love It ! Thanks Again desertcart ! Lots Of Peace And Quiet ! Lots Of Sleep ! Between Snacks ! Valium Was The Sales Winner ? Does Prozac Keep Awake ? Almost 350 Million Prescriptions BY 2005 ? (Page 207)

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,257,836 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #309 in Popular Psychology History #1,559 in Substance Abuse Recovery #3,451 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (13) |
| Dimensions  | 6 x 0.66 x 9 inches |
| Edition  | 1st |
| ISBN-10  | 0801898145 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0801898143 |
| Item Weight  | 13.6 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 296 pages |
| Publication date  | October 1, 2010 |
| Publisher  | Johns Hopkins University Press |

## Images

![Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41DnQDMbm-L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Humanizes the Role of Psychopharm in 20th Century America
*by R***D on June 14, 2017*

In "Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac", David Herzberg argues, “The meteoric rise of tranquilizers and antidepressants signified broader developments in American society after World War II: the commercialization of medicine and science, the embrace of psychology and self-fulfillment as a political language, intensified campaigns to police social groups through drug regulation, and social movements organized in part around new concepts of identity” (pg. 3-4). He uses the tools of race, class, and gender in his examination. Herzberg begins with the modern commercialization of medicine in the postwar years and the rise of tranquilizers such as Miltown, directly marketed to doctors and patients. From there, Herzberg examines the social impact of tranquilizers on the postwar gender dynamic before unpacking the drug wars and the federal scheduling of tranquilizers. He concludes with the role of manufacturers of Paxil and modern antidepressants in filling the position once occupied by tranquilizers, but with a nuanced approach designed to address and move past the lingering stigma of tranquilizers. While Herzberg examines the role of race and class, gender stands out in his analysis. He writes of the work of Miltown advertisers, “It was these images that helped circulate influential new biological narratives of masculinity” (pg. 48). Critics of tranquilizers later viewed them as “women’s drugs,” but Herzberg demonstrates how they served to combat fears of weakening masculinity in the postwar years (pg. 49). For this, he builds upon the studies of neurasthenia, a condition Gail Bederman examined in her monograph, "Manliness and Civilization". Advertisers of Miltown and other tranquilizers suggested the drugs would help patients return to traditional gender roles and thereby cure their anxiety, but feminists argued the medications served to cover-up the issue that created anxiety – social inequality. Attempts to impose federal oversight over tranquilizers faced difficulty due to an incomplete model of addiction, but changing attitudes and new concepts of masculinity eventually made this possible (pg. 111). Women who worked to expose the dangers of tranquilizers did so in a manner that privileged middle class white women. While their work helped encourage patient activists, it was a product of its time (pg. 148). In response to this, manufacturers of Prozac portrayed it “as a ‘feminist drug’ that made women more assertive and competitive – ‘supermoms’ with careers who laid to rest images of Valium-stoned stat-at-home wives” (pg. 177). Herzberg’s work uncovers the role of modern commercialized medicine in shaping all aspects of society, from gender to criminal law. Without postwar consumer culture and second-wave feminism, along with nineteenth century psychological theories and medicine, modern pharmaceuticals would not play the role they currently occupy in society. Most importantly, Herzberg demonstrates how people orchestrated and shaped these events rather than portraying them as occurring spontaneously.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Awesome Drugs !!
*by T***Y on August 13, 2014*

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 Cream Favorites ! On Top Of Everything Else ! Fascinating When She Got Out Of A Car ! Eye Popping ! Out Of Control Scary ! Were All FGA's (First Generation Anti-Psychotics) Like This ? The Milky Whey ? Love It ! Thanks Again Amazon ! Lots Of Peace And Quiet ! Lots Of Sleep ! Between Snacks ! Valium Was The Sales Winner ? Does Prozac Keep Awake ? Almost 350 Million Prescriptions BY 2005 ? (Page 207)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Happy pills? Really?
*by G***T on June 25, 2018*

I read this book for a college class i was taking. I now understand The Rolling Stones song Mother's Little Helper to a new level. Very interesting to see the ads used to sell different drugs. The book made me wonder when Herzberg will write about opioids and addiction. Good insight in what pharmaceuticals and the power of money plays

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-03-07*