Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac

摘要

This well-crafted book combines historical perspectives with the enduring issues of consumerism, patients' rights, ethical principles, and the role of pharmaceutical companies in marketing medicines. David Herzberg demonstrates how target marketing dominated after World War II, when the companies launched strong "direct-to-consumer" advertising campaigns in magazines rather than ads confined in the professional journals and forums. The mind-games played with the "wonder drugs" through public-relations ploys encouraged people to feel comfortable talking about their mental status, a taboo topic previously.