Customer Reviews

With a Lot of Help from Our Friends: The Politics of Alcoholism

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As a person who teaches policy to students who are not very interested in it, I greatly appreciate Nancy Olson's interesting and readable account of public policy development for the alcoholism treatment field during the latter half of the last century. Most of the public policy for this field in our country has focused on law enforcement rather than humane and sensible responses to addiction. Ms. Olson's book also reminds us that sweeping policy change like the 1970 Hughes Act, which is the centerpiece of this book, actually begins decades earlier and reverberates for years to come. This one act, amazingly ushered into existence by a one term Senator, was a stunning victory for those who care about really solving the alcohol addiction problem in our country.

I worked in the field when this legislation passed. I can really appreciate the perspective of someone who was making things happen in Washington at the same time that I was working with the OEO program in our community developing community resources and getting people into AA, which was all the real help there was at the time. It was facinating to see that side of the action and to remember those promising days.

Linda Farris Kurtz, ACSW, DPA
Professor, Eastern Michigan University

This book provides real information that those working today for social change in the recovery movement can use to take action. Those who have come before us working as "citizens" bring hope for our efforts today. Ms. Olson's first hand experience in working on policy issues, is a jewel of knowledge for those "sick and tired of being sick and tired" in today's current policy arena. More than all else this book provides detail on how those who wished only to open doors for those suffering were willing and able to come together for a common purpose on policy, all in the "spirit of recovery".

This book offers empowering detail on how the current policy arena developed and the "powers that be" came to life. This includes the NIAAA, NCADD, etc. For those not exposed to this side of our governments structure, but with a desire to learn more, I suggest reading this book immediately.

Ms. Olson does an amazing job of sourcing information, and providing readers with "real" insight on how the recovery movement began, and this is most valuable for the "real people" organizing today to carry a message of hope for real policy change reaching some 18million Americans in need of recovery.

WeRecover.org will continue to encourage all members and those interested in taking action to support recovery for social change to read this remarkable books account of what a few dedicated, educated, and spiritually driven people can do when they are willing take action together.