How to Know an Alcoholic — Marty Mann | National Council on Alcoholism
How to Know an Alcoholic is an illustrated educational pamphlet by Marty Mann, one of the most influential figures in the twentieth-century movement to change public understanding of alcoholism.
Drawn from Mann’s 1958 book New Primer on Alcoholism, the pamphlet was designed to help families, friends, employers, and alcoholics themselves understand alcoholism as a progressive illness that could be recognized and treated.
The opening section, “Alcoholism and You,” introduces the pamphlet as practical information for people affected by another person’s drinking and identifies Mann as founder-consultant of the National Council on Alcoholism.
Among the subjects covered are:
- What is an alcoholic?
- Who is—and is not—an alcoholic?
- Early, middle, and late symptoms of alcoholism
- How to help an alcoholic
- Psychiatric, institutional, and lay treatment
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Guidance for spouses, friends, employers, and the alcoholic
One particularly interesting section presents Alcoholics Anonymous alongside other approaches to alcoholism treatment, illustrating the increasingly broad treatment and recovery landscape developing during this period.
Marty Mann & Alcoholism Education
Marty Mann was an early member of Alcoholics Anonymous and became one of the leading public advocates for alcoholism education. Through the organization that became the National Council on Alcoholism, she worked to replace the prevailing ideas of alcoholism as a moral failing with the understanding that alcoholism was an illness for which treatment and recovery were possible.
This pamphlet is a strong example of the educational literature used to carry that message to the general public.
An Interesting Al-Anon Association
The rear cover of this copy bears a red stamp reading:
“Approved by World Service Conference — Al-Anon Family Groups.”
This provides an additional connection to the broader history of family-oriented alcoholism and recovery education.
Publication Details
Title: How to Know an Alcoholic
Author: Marty Mann
Source: Based on New Primer on Alcoholism
Original Work Copyright: 1958
Publisher: National Council on Alcoholism, Inc.
Format: Illustrated softcover pamphlet
Illustrations: Pink, black, and white graphics throughout
Condition
This is a well-used historical copy showing clear evidence of previous ownership and handling.
The front cover has handwriting and pricing notation near the upper right corner, staining and spotting, and a small area of paper loss along the upper edge. The rear cover contains extensive pencil writing and drawings, along with the red Al-Anon Family Groups World Service Conference stamp.
The interior remains complete and readily readable, with light age toning and scattered handling wear. The illustrated pages remain attractive and the pink-and-black graphics retain strong color.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most complete representation of condition.
An interesting surviving example of Marty Mann’s alcoholism-education work, made especially notable by its Al-Anon World Service Conference stamp and its connection to the expanding recovery and treatment movement of the period.
