The A.A. Way of Life — Bill W. — 1967 First Printing with Original Dust Jacket
This book is the First Printing of The A.A. Way of Life: a reader by Bill, published in 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. The copyright page explicitly states “First printing 1967.”
The A.A. Way of Life was the original title of the book now known as As Bill Sees It. The first and second printings were issued with the distinctive gray dust jacket seen here. Beginning with the Third Printing, the jacket was redesigned in orange and incorporated the title As Bill Sees It.
The book collects several hundred selections from the writings of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson, drawing from A.A. literature, The A.A. Grapevine, Bill’s correspondence, and other writings. Subjects range from acceptance, anonymity, character defects, and resentment to spirituality, service, gratitude, and the Twelve Steps.
In his Foreword, Bill described the purpose of the collection:
“This volume includes several hundred excerpts from our literature, touching nearly every aspect of A.A.’s way of life.”
The book was introduced at the 1967 General Service Conference, with the July 1967 A.A. Grapevine describing the new 332-page volume as a reader of selections from Bill’s published and unpublished writings.
The title was later changed to As Bill Sees It. The 1979 General Service Conference Final Report explained that the title was changed because As Bill Sees It better expressed the contents of the book.
Book Details
Title: The A.A. Way of Life: a reader by Bill
Author: Bill W.
Publisher: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
Edition: First Edition
Printing: First Printing
Year: 1967
Binding: Hardcover
Dust Jacket: Original Gray Dust Jacket
Pages: 332
Condition
The hardcover book is in Very Good condition, with light shelf and handling wear. The gray boards remain attractive with bright gilt lettering and decoration. The binding is sound, and the photographed interior pages are clean and well preserved.
The original gray dust jacket shows wear, including rubbing, creasing, edge tears, chipping, and losses at the spine ends and corners. Despite the wear, the jacket remains substantially intact and retains its distinctive original First Printing presentation.
An important early A.A. publication and a desirable copy of the book in its original 1967 First Printing form with the original gray dust jacket.
