{"product_id":"twelve-steps-twelve-traditions-1960-second-printing-harper-brothers-original-dust-jacket","title":"Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions — First Edition, Second Printing (1960) Harper \u0026 Brothers Issue — Original Dust Jacket","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOffered here is a particularly scarce \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHarper \u0026amp; Brothers Second Printing of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, issued in 1960 by arrangement with Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. and retaining its original green-and-black Harper dust jacket.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eLike the 1953 Harper First Printing, this edition represents a fascinating chapter in the publishing history of Alcoholics Anonymous. While A.A. distributed its own editions directly throughout the Fellowship, Harper \u0026amp; Brothers handled copies intended for the outside commercial book trade—placing Bill W.’s writings before bookstore customers, libraries, professionals, clergy, families, and other readers beyond A.A.’s normal distribution network.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe result was a parallel line of Harper issues that today are considerably less often encountered than their A.A.-distributed counterparts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe 1960 Harper Second Printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe copyright page of this copy bears the Harper printing code \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“B-K,” identifying this as the February 1960 printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSeveral physical characteristics immediately distinguish it from the 1953 Harper First Printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe first Harper issue was bound in light-colored boards with a black cloth spine. By this 1960 printing, Harper had changed the binding to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003efull black cloth\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, while retaining the familiar silver spine stamping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe title page continues to identify the author simply as:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eANONYMOUS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eand states:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHarper \u0026amp; Brothers, New York\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u2028\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eBy Arrangement with Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe copyright page also reflects an interesting development in A.A.’s literature history, listing the 1952 and 1953 copyrights in the names of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA.A. Grapevine, Inc. and Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFor collectors interested not simply in owning an early \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwelve \u0026amp; Twelve\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, but in following the evolution of A.A.’s publishing history, these changes make the Harper Second Printing an especially interesting variant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Original Harper Dust Jacket\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis copy retains the distinctive \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003egreen-and-black striped Harper \u0026amp; Brothers dust jacket\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, priced at \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e$2.75\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe front carries the early promotional line:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous tells how members recover and how the society functions.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe rear panel reproduces material from the citation presented to Alcoholics Anonymous with the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1951 Lasker Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, an important piece of outside recognition that Harper prominently used to introduce A.A. to a general reading audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe jacket itself tells a very different story from the jackets created for books distributed directly through A.A., emphasizing the Fellowship’s accomplishments, public recognition, growth, and appeal to readers who may have known little or nothing about Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis copy retains its \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eoriginal 1960 Harper \u0026amp; Brothers dust jacket\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe jacket shows considerable evidence of age and use, including edge wear, rubbing, small chips and short tears, scattered spotting and discoloration, and several small areas of paper loss or puncture to the rear panel. There is handwriting on the upper portion of the front flap. Despite these flaws, the jacket remains substantially complete, retains strong green-and-black coloring, and presents the distinctive Harper design well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe black cloth hardcover remains solid and attractive overall. The silver spine lettering and decorative lines remain bright and clearly legible. The boards show scattered surface marks and areas of light staining or discoloration, with wear at the extremities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe endpapers show age toning, spotting, and evidence of previous tape or adhesive, including rectangular areas of discoloration. A previous owner’s identification label remains affixed near the top of the rear free endpaper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe interior pages show general age toning consistent with the book’s age. The title and copyright pages remain clean and clearly display the important Harper publishing information and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eB-K printing code\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe binding appears sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully for the exact condition of this copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Scarce Companion to the Harper First Printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/i\u003e had become one of the foundational books of Alcoholics Anonymous, but the Harper editions preserve another part of its story: the effort to carry A.A.’s ideas into the wider world through ordinary commercial publishing channels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1953 Harper First Printing and 1960 Harper Second Printing make a particularly compelling pair\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. Side by side, they document changes in binding, copyright information, and presentation while preserving the distinctive Harper identity that separated these books from the editions distributed directly through A.A.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOriginal-jacket examples of the Harper issues are increasingly difficult to find, and the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1960 B-K Second Printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e is an important addition for collectors working toward a deeper collection of early Alcoholics Anonymous literature and its major publishing variants.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49925856624882,"sku":null,"price":3500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/C0D9DDA2-25F6-4A34-B0DF-03FA08E47DF2.jpg?v=1786763418","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/twelve-steps-twelve-traditions-1960-second-printing-harper-brothers-original-dust-jacket","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}