Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age - Harper & Brothers 1st Edition 1957 - ODJ

This book is the Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age 1st Edition H-G from 1957 with an Original Dust Jacket.

This version was published by Harper & Brothers and not AA Publishing Inc. The Harper & Brothers Edition is much more rare. These editions were intended to be sold in bookstores. There are varying differences between these printings including the color of the dust jacket and color of the book. The Harper's version features a green and white dust jacket while the AA Publishing version has a blue and white dust jacket. The book cover of the Harpers version is green with a Harpers logo on the front cover. The cover on the AA Publishing version is blue with no logo on the cover.

The book is identified as a first printing with the notation on the copyright page of “First Edition H-G.” The copyright date of this book is 1957.

The spine of the book and dust jacket of AA Comes of Age identifies who published the book; A.A. Publishing, Inc., Harpers, or Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

Only the first printings were published by A.A. Publishing, Inc. or Harpers. All printings since have been published under the name Alcoholics Anonymous World Service.

Here is the Foreword to AA Comes of Age:

This book is for A.A. members and their friends. It is for all who are interested to know the history of how A.A. started, how its principles of Recovery, Unity, and Service were evolved, and by what means this fellowship has grown and spread its message around the world. Here is an inside and wide-angled view of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The first part of the book presents a panoramic sketch of the historic St. Louis Convention at which the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous came of age and assumed full responsibility for all its affairs.

The second part includes three talks, edited and enlarged, on the history of A.A. Recovery, Unity, and Service, which were given by co-founder Bill W. at the St. Louis gathering.

The third part is devoted to addresses of a number of A.A.'s friends, all of them notable in their several fields: Dr. Harry M. Tiebout, psychiatrist, Dr. W. W. Bauer of the American Medical Association, Father Edward Dowling of the Jesuit order, Dr. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Episcopal clergyman, and Mr. Bernard B. Smith, New York attorney and former Chairman of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. These friends tell of their association with Alcoholics Anonymous, the part they played in its development, and their view of what the future holds for this society.

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Here is a message about AA Comes of Age written by Bill in 1967 which is included on the front pages of the book:

“Dear Friends,

As you read coming pages, it will be seen that their historical content is not arranged in a conventional, straight-line time-sequence.

For the limited purposes of this book, it was deemed better to throw special emphasis on our A.A. Legacies of Recovery, Unity and Service by separately telling the stories of those crucial developments. This has the merit of focusing attention upon them, one concept at a time.

Nevertheless some members may prefer to start reading at page 51, which leads quickly into the early A.A. story as it relates to our present-day program of recovery.

The title of this volume, A.A. Comes of Age, is now and then questioned because it conveys to some people the idea that we A.A.'s really think we have "grown up"; that we have already achieved great emotional maturity.

In reality, the expression "comes of age" is used by us in a very different sense. We simply say that we have arrived at the time of life when adult responsibilities have to be faced and dealt with, as best we are able. To this end we do try to rely upon ourselves-and upon God.

Faithfully yours,

Bill W.

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This book is in very good condition. This is a former library book with several library markings including a sticker on the spine, pen markings in the copyright page, and pocket on the last page of the book. The original dust jacket is placed in a protective plastic cover and is taped to the book on the inside of the front and back boards. The jacket has some light edge wear. There is some slight splitting to the binding at the title page.

Please view all of the photos for the conditions.