{"product_id":"easy-does-it-the-story-of-mac-from-1950-with-a-foreword-by-dr-silkworth-2","title":"Easy Does It... The Story of Mac from 1950 with a Foreword by Dr. Silkworth","description":"\u003ch1 data-end=\"321\" data-start=\"188\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"321\" data-start=\"190\"\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac (1950) — First Printing with Original Dust Jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"824\" data-start=\"323\"\u003eThis is an exceptionally rare and important early recovery book, highly sought after by collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history. \u003cem data-end=\"491\" data-start=\"459\"\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/em\u003e was published in 1950 by P. J. Kennedy \u0026amp; Sons and remains one of the most mysterious and significant narrative works connected to early AA. This copy is a True First Printing and includes the original dust jacket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1211\" data-start=\"826\"\u003eThough published anonymously under the pseudonym Hugh Reilly, the true authorship of this book has been the subject of debate for decades. Strong evidence—including family accounts, a New York Times obituary, and research presented in \u003cem data-end=\"1112\" data-start=\"1065\"\u003eSilkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks\u003c\/em\u003e by Dale Mitchell—suggests that Dr. William D. Silkworth himself may have been the real author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"1216\" data-start=\"1213\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"1239\" data-start=\"1218\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1239\" data-start=\"1221\"\u003eAbout the Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1595\" data-start=\"1241\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"1255\" data-start=\"1241\"\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/em\u003e is a biographical novel about \"Mac,\" an alcoholic whose descent, struggle, and eventual recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous are told with rare emotional clarity. The book’s purpose goes beyond storytelling—it seeks to illuminate the lived experience of alcoholism in a way that educates the mind while speaking directly to the heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2093\" data-start=\"1597\"\u003eWhat makes this work especially significant is the Foreword by Dr. William D. Silkworth, the physician who treated Bill Wilson at Towns Hospital in 1934 and whose groundbreaking medical insights shaped AA’s foundational understanding of alcoholism. Silkworth later authored the famous “Doctor’s Opinion” in the A.A. Big Book, describing alcoholism as a physical allergy coupled with a mental obsession—one of the earliest medical explanations consistent with modern addiction science.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"2098\" data-start=\"2095\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"2156\" data-start=\"2100\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"2156\" data-start=\"2103\"\u003eDr. Silkworth’s Influence \u0026amp; the Authorship Debate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2440\" data-start=\"2158\"\u003eDr. Silkworth was pivotal in legitimizing Alcoholics Anonymous in its early years. His medical framing of alcoholism as an illness—combined with his endorsement of AA’s spiritual and psychological approach—helped bridge the worlds of science and spirituality in addiction treatment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2534\" data-start=\"2442\"\u003eCompelling evidence has been presented suggesting that Silkworth may have written this book:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2681\" data-start=\"2538\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"2554\" data-start=\"2538\"\u003ePages 95–101\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cem data-end=\"2605\" data-start=\"2558\"\u003eSilkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks\u003c\/em\u003e outline striking parallels between the novel and Silkworth’s life and work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2781\" data-start=\"2684\"\u003eThe book’s hospital setting closely resembles Knickerbocker Hospital, where Silkworth served.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2890\" data-start=\"2784\"\u003eThe depth of AA knowledge present in the narrative is far deeper than what was publicly available in 1950.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2962\" data-start=\"2893\"\u003eSilkworth’s New York Times obituary identified him as the author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3016\" data-start=\"2965\"\u003eFamily members also privately believed he wrote it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3200\" data-start=\"3018\"\u003eIf true, this makes \u003cem data-end=\"3052\" data-start=\"3038\"\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/em\u003e not only a powerful narrative but a primary historical artifact of early AA thought, authored by one of its most influential medical champions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"3205\" data-start=\"3202\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"3246\" data-start=\"3207\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3246\" data-start=\"3210\"\u003ePhysical Description \u0026amp; Condition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3295\" data-start=\"3250\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3260\" data-start=\"3250\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem data-end=\"3293\" data-start=\"3261\"\u003eEasy Does It… The Story of Mac\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3373\" data-start=\"3298\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3309\" data-start=\"3298\"\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hugh Reilly (pseudonym; possible authorship by Dr. Silkworth)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3413\" data-start=\"3376\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3390\" data-start=\"3376\"\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e P. J. Kennedy \u0026amp; Sons\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3444\" data-start=\"3416\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3437\" data-start=\"3416\"\u003ePublication Year:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1950\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3492\" data-start=\"3447\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3459\" data-start=\"3447\"\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e First Edition \/ First Printing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3574\" data-start=\"3495\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3511\" data-start=\"3495\"\u003eDust Jacket:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3574\" data-start=\"3495\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3682\" data-start=\"3671\"\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3713\" data-start=\"3697\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3711\" data-start=\"3697\"\u003eCondition: Very Good. \u003c\/strong\u003eBook cover shows minimal wear.  No writing or personal markings inside.\u003cstrong data-end=\"3880\" data-start=\"3832\"\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eDust jacket shows edge wear but presents well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4102\" data-start=\"3968\"\u003eOverall, a very solid and collectible example of a notoriously difficult book to find in any condition—especially with the original jacket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"4107\" data-start=\"4104\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"4143\" data-start=\"4109\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"4143\" data-start=\"4112\"\u003eSignificance for Collectors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4575\" data-start=\"4145\"\u003eEarly AA-related literature from the 1940s and 1950s is increasingly scarce, and \u003cem data-end=\"4240\" data-start=\"4226\"\u003eEasy Does It\u003c\/em\u003e stands near the top of the rarity scale. Its possible authorship by Dr. Silkworth makes it especially valuable. For historians, archivists, AA researchers, and serious collectors, this book is a foundational piece that documents the evolving understanding of alcoholism and recovery in the years when AA was still finding its footing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"4721\" data-start=\"4577\"\u003eThis is a true opportunity to acquire a historically rich and exceptionally uncommon title tied closely to the roots of recovery literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49169594876146,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/50A79857-286B-4380-B38F-C179F806077B.jpg?v=1778298963","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/easy-does-it-the-story-of-mac-from-1950-with-a-foreword-by-dr-silkworth-2","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}