How to Know an Alcoholic by Marty Mann — Vintage National Council on Alcoholism Pamphlet
Offered here is an original vintage copy of How to Know an Alcoholic by Marty Mann, an illustrated educational pamphlet produced by the National Council on Alcoholism.
The pamphlet draws from Mann’s influential 1958 book, New Primer on Alcoholism, and was designed to help families, friends, employers, and others recognize alcoholism and understand what could be done to help.
At a time when alcoholism was still widely viewed as a moral failing or weakness of character, Marty Mann was one of the leading voices promoting a very different message: alcoholism is a progressive illness, the alcoholic can recover, and treatment and informed understanding are essential.
Inside the Pamphlet
The publication addresses several fundamental questions:
- What is an alcoholic?
- Who is an alcoholic?
- Who is not an alcoholic?
- How can alcoholism be recognized?
- How can an alcoholic be helped?
- What can family members and others do?
One of its most interesting features is an illustrated progression of early, middle, and late symptoms of alcoholism, showing how drinking behavior could develop over time.
The pamphlet also discusses different approaches to treatment, including psychiatric treatment, sanitarium treatment, lay therapy, and Alcoholics Anonymous, along with practical guidance for spouses and others living with or trying to help an alcoholic.
Marty Mann & Alcoholism Education
Marty Mann was one of the most important figures in twentieth-century alcoholism education. A member of Alcoholics Anonymous and founder of the organization that became the National Council on Alcoholism, Mann devoted decades to changing public attitudes toward alcoholism and promoting the understanding that alcoholics were sick people who could be helped.
This pamphlet represents that educational mission in a particularly accessible form, translating ideas from New Primer on Alcoholism into a concise illustrated guide intended for the general public.
Publication Details
Title: How to Know an Alcoholic
Author: Marty Mann
Publisher: National Council on Alcoholism, Inc.
Address: 733 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
Source Material: Based in part on New Primer on Alcoholism
Source Copyright: 1958 by Marty Mann
Format: Illustrated softcover pamphlet
Printing Date: Not stated
Condition
This pamphlet is in very good condition for its age and original ephemeral format.
The bright green covers remain clean and attractive with light handling and minor edge wear. The interior pages are clean and well preserved with light age toning. The illustrated graphics remain crisp and visually appealing.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most complete representation of condition.
An excellent piece of Marty Mann, alcoholism-treatment, and recovery-history ephemera, and a natural companion to Primer on Alcoholism, New Primer on Alcoholism, and other early literature documenting the changing understanding and treatment of alcoholism in America.
