AA History: YouTube "Book Review" Dr. Bob and His Library, 3rd ed. by Dick B.

[dickb]

"Book Review" of "Dr. Bob and His Library," 3rd ed., by Dick B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lvUFzqH48k
A carefully presented, unsolicited review of the 3rd edition of A.A. author and historian Dick B.’s first published book about the supposedly missing voluminous collection of books which A.A. Cofounder Dr. Bob read, studied, recommended, and circulated to early AAs and their families. As Dick B.’s research established, the collection was not missing; and even today—thought not in one place--is available for view at two locations—Dr. Bob’s Home in Akron and a library at Brown University.
These are the books which Dick B. discovered on his first visit with Dr. Bob’s daughter in Akron, Sue Smith Windows. On two different Akron visits, Sue discussed with and then took Dick to her attic where he viewed, listed, and read a huge number of the books Dr. Bob had in his library.
The surprise for author Dick B. came when he saw for himself that: (1) Most of the books were signed by Dr. Bob with the date, his address at 855 Ardmore Avenue in Akron, and a notation – “Please return.” (2) Sue pointed out that her collection only contained half of her father’s books and that the other half were in the possession of her brother Robert R. Smith (“Smitty”) who lived in Nocona, Texas. (3) Dick contacted and then visited Smitty and his wife Betty at their home in Texas and verified the other half of Dr. Bob’s books. (4) At Dick’s urging, Smitty donated almost all of his portion to Dr. Bob’s Home in Akron and said he believed his sister was likely to do the same. (5) However, Sue became very ill and much in need of funds; and she was persuaded to sell her half to Brown University for its collect ion.
To listen to this review and then to check out the books is a lifetime education in the breadth and content of the “many helpful books” mentioned in the Big Book and which furnished the literary backdrop for the books early AAs studied and discussed. To firm up their importance, Dr. Bob kept a journal of his loans of books, insisted that the readers return them, tell him the contents of the books at that time, and thus insured that this “must read” collection was placed in the hands of and understood by the early Akron A.A. Christian fellowship members.
This informative book by the noted A.A. History author Dick B. has been widely acquired; and the Third Edition can be purchased today through Dick B.’s website at www.dickb.com/drbob.shtml; at Amazon.com; at Barnes & Noble; and through a large number of distributor websites on the internet.
dickb@dickb.com; November 16, 2013.