The Common Sense of Drinking by Richard R. Peabody - First Printing from April 1931 - RDJ

The Common Sense of Drinking

Richard R. Peabody
First Printing — 1931
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
With reproduction dust jacket

Description

Offered here is a first printing (1931) of The Common Sense of Drinking by Richard R. Peabody, published by Little, Brown & Company in Boston. This copy is accompanied by a reproduction dust jacket.

Written in the early 1930s, The Common Sense of Drinking is one of the most influential pre–Alcoholics Anonymous works on alcoholism. In this landmark book, Peabody presents alcoholism as a chronic condition and outlines a practical, secular approach to recovery rooted in psychology rather than religion.

Richard R. Peabody (1892–1936) struggled with alcoholism in young adulthood, a condition intensified by his service as a Captain in the U.S. Army’s 15th Field Artillery, 2nd Division, AEF, during World War I. After personal and marital collapse, Peabody became closely associated with the Emmanuel Movement in Boston—an early, influential effort combining medical, psychological, and moral approaches to treating alcoholism.

Published in 1931, The Common Sense of Drinking became a bestseller and had a profound impact on later recovery movements. Most notably, Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, drew heavily from Peabody’s ideas and language when writing the Big Book. Phrases such as “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” and “half measures are of no avail” appear in Peabody’s work prior to their inclusion in Alcoholics Anonymous. Scholars have also long noted that the story of “a man of thirty-six years” in the Big Book closely parallels material found in Peabody’s text.

As such, this book represents a critical intellectual bridge between early psychological treatment models and the later formation of A.A.

Condition

Book: Very good condition overall. Moderate wear with fading and staining to the cover and spine, consistent with age. Bookplate affixed to the inside of the front cover. No other writing or markings noted. Binding sound; pages complete with no tears or losses.

Dust Jacket: Reproduction

Please review all photographs carefully for exact condition details.

Collector Significance

A highly desirable first printing of an essential pre-A.A. alcoholism text. The Common Sense of Drinking is widely regarded as one of the most important influences on Bill W. and the early development of Alcoholics Anonymous, making it a cornerstone volume for collectors of recovery literature, A.A. history, and early addiction studies.

A scarce and historically important work that documents the ideas that helped shape modern recovery.