{"product_id":"easy-does-it-story-of-mac-1950-first-printing-dr-silkworth","title":"Easy Does It... The Story of Mac with a Foreword by Dr. William D. Silkworth","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHugh Reilly · 1950 · First Printing · Original Dust Jacket · Reproduction Silkworth Promotional Band\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the more unusual and difficult-to-find books from the formative years of Alcoholics Anonymous—a full-length fictionalized account of alcoholism and recovery published in 1950, when A.A. itself was only fifteen years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eWritten under the name \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHugh Reilly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e and published by P. J. Kennedy \u0026amp; Sons of New York, the book follows “Mac” through the progression of alcoholism, the destruction it brings to his life, and ultimately his introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIts connection to early A.A. history, however, goes considerably deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book opens with a Foreword written and signed in print by \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. William Duncan Silkworth\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, the physician whose understanding of alcoholism profoundly influenced Bill Wilson and the development of Alcoholics Anonymous. Adding another layer of intrigue, questions have persisted for decades over whether “Hugh Reilly” was actually a pseudonym—and whether Silkworth himself may have had a much greater role in writing the book than his credited Foreword suggests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor collectors of early A.A. literature, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e occupies a fascinating place somewhere between an outside account of Alcoholics Anonymous and a work emerging from remarkably close proximity to the people and ideas that shaped the Fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Story of Mac\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe copyright page makes an important statement about the nature of the book:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“Although the story which follows is based on fact, all personal names—including that of the author—places and situations have been altered.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThat single statement has contributed considerably to the mystery surrounding \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe story itself follows an alcoholic called Mac and attempts to place the reader inside the alcoholic experience—the physical deterioration, mental obsession, isolation, desperation and eventual possibility of recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous is not merely mentioned in passing. It becomes part of the actual narrative. Mac encounters A.A., its members, meetings and principles, while other characters attempt to understand both the alcoholic and the new fellowship helping alcoholics recover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePublished in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1950\u003c\/span\u003e, this is an exceptionally early portrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous in book-length narrative form. The First Edition of the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Big Book had appeared only eleven years earlier, and A.A. was still a comparatively young and rapidly expanding movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eEven the book’s structure reinforces its theme. The first section is appropriately titled \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“The Ramp Down,”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e reflecting Mac’s descent before the story moves toward the possibility of reconstruction and recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. William D. Silkworth and the Foreword\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe most historically important association with \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e is unquestionably \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. William Duncan Silkworth, M.D.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eSilkworth treated thousands of alcoholics during his medical career and was the physician who treated Bill Wilson at Towns Hospital during the period surrounding Bill’s final drink and spiritual experience in 1934.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eHis medical explanation of alcoholism—the concept of a physical susceptibility or “allergy” combined with the alcoholic’s inability to reliably control drinking—became enormously influential in early Alcoholics Anonymous. His writings appeared in the Big Book under what became known as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“The Doctor’s Opinion.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIn \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, Silkworth contributes a substantial Foreword under his own name and is identified as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Physician-in-Charge of the A.A. Wing in Knickerbocker Hospital, New York.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eSilkworth begins by discussing alcoholism as a social and medical problem and describes the comparatively recent medical classification of alcoholism as a disease and manifestation of an allergy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eHe then turns specifically to the author, writing that:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“The author of this book has long been a close student of the alcoholic problem.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eSilkworth emphasizes that the book is not intended as a scientific textbook. Instead, he describes it as the vivid story of an alcoholic facing destruction and ultimately discovering the possibility of reconstruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMost importantly for A.A. historians, Silkworth explicitly recognizes the role of Alcoholics Anonymous in the story, writing that the author integrates the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“moral psychology of Alcoholics Anonymous”\u003c\/span\u003e as an essential part of his philosophy and teaching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eHe concludes by describing the work as vigorous and original.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis is a remarkable endorsement from the physician whose ideas had already become part of the intellectual foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDid Dr. Silkworth Write \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOne of the great mysteries surrounding this book is the identity of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Hugh Reilly.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book itself tells us that the name of the author was altered. Therefore, “Hugh Reilly” was not presented by the publisher as the author’s actual identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOver the years, researchers have raised the possibility that \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDr. William Silkworth himself may have written, contributed to, or been closely involved in the creation of the book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eResearch presented in Dale Mitchell’s \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSilkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e discusses the question at length and points to several intriguing pieces of evidence and tradition surrounding the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAmong the factors that have fueled the theory are Silkworth’s exceptionally close association with the publication, the medical and A.A. knowledge reflected throughout the narrative, similarities between elements of the story and Silkworth’s professional world, reports concerning the beliefs of Silkworth family members, and references attributing authorship to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eNone of this establishes Silkworth’s authorship beyond dispute, and for that reason we believe the book is best presented for what it unquestionably is: \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ea pseudonymously authored 1950 recovery narrative with an extraordinary and documented connection to Dr. William D. Silkworth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe unanswered authorship question only makes the book more fascinating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Silkworth Promotional Band\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIncluded with this copy is a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ereproduction of the scarce yellow promotional band originally used to market the book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe front prominently advertises Silkworth’s connection, identifying him as physician-in-charge of the A.A. Wing at Knickerbocker Hospital and reproducing part of his endorsement of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe reverse carries contemporary praise from publications including \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Nashville Banner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Pittsburgh Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Mirror\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e of New York and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Tablet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e of Brooklyn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe original band is extraordinarily difficult to encounter today. This reproduction allows the book to be displayed much as it would have appeared when marketed during its original period while remaining clearly identified here as a reproduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Remarkable Piece of Provenance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis particular copy also retains an interesting piece of its own history: an \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoriginal invoice from The Newman Bookshop of Westminster, Maryland, dated August 3, 1956.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe invoice identifies the purchaser as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eRev. Thos. J. Mardaga\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e408 N. Charles St.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBaltimore 1, Maryland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book is entered on the invoice as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“REILLY EASY”\u003c\/span\u003e and carries a total charge of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e97 cents\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor a collectible such as this, surviving documentation connecting an individual copy to an early purchaser adds another tangible piece to its story. More than seventy years after publication, the invoice remains with the book as part of its provenance and will accompany the copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis is a very attractive example of this scarce 1950 publication, particularly considering the difficulty of locating copies retaining their \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoriginal dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe blue cloth hardcover remains clean and attractive overall, with strong black spine lettering. There is light age-related wear, including some rubbing and minor fraying along portions of the board and spine extremities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe interior is especially appealing. The pages remain clean and well preserved with expected age toning. The photographs show a strong, readable text block with the original endpapers intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoriginal dust jacket is present\u003c\/span\u003e, an important feature for a title that is already difficult to locate. The jacket shows expected age and use, including toning, surface soiling and staining, rubbing, edge wear, small chips and losses, and heavier wear around the spine ends and corners. Despite this wear, the jacket remains substantially complete and retains its striking original front-cover design, spine lettering, flap copy and rear-panel text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ereproduction of the original yellow Silkworth promotional band\u003c\/span\u003e is included and is clearly represented as a reproduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAlso accompanying the book is the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1956 Newman Bookshop invoice described above\u003c\/span\u003e, documenting an early purchase of this copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully for the exact condition of the book, original dust jacket, reproduction promotional band and accompanying provenance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollector Significance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor the serious collector of Alcoholics Anonymous history, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e brings together several compelling areas of early recovery history in a single volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIt was published in 1950, during A.A.’s formative years. It presents Alcoholics Anonymous directly within its narrative. Its author was intentionally concealed behind another name. It contains an original Foreword by Dr. William D. Silkworth discussing alcoholism, the disease concept and Alcoholics Anonymous. And more than seventy-five years later, the question of who actually wrote the book remains an intriguing subject of historical research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eCopies are difficult to find.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eCopies retaining the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eoriginal dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e are considerably more desirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThis example goes further by pairing the original jacket with a reproduction of the scarce Silkworth promotional band and surviving \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1956 bookseller provenance\u003c\/span\u003e tied directly to this individual copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eWhether viewed as an early A.A. recovery narrative, a significant piece of Silkworth-related literature, or one of the more intriguing mysteries of early Alcoholics Anonymous publishing history, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e deserves an important place in an advanced collection of recovery literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49953440497906,"sku":null,"price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/4AACACF8-7185-413D-9A26-4675B8AD7DC0.jpg?v=1787239507","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/easy-does-it-story-of-mac-1950-first-printing-dr-silkworth","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}