Making the Little Black Book

Inside the Working Manuscript of Twenty Four Hours A Day
Limited Edition, Hardcover
Commentary by Damian McElrath, D.H.E.

Hazelden is printing 1000 copies of Making the Little Black Book with enhanced features not available in the standard edition, including “Limited Edition” printed on the jacket, decorative end papers, beautiful vellum insert with limited edition numbering, and rich burgundy satin bookmark.

For the first time ever, Richmond Walker’s original working manuscript of Twenty-Four Hours a Day is made public, so readers can see firsthand what went into making what the recovery community calls the Little Black Book.

Since 1954, more than ten million people have depended on the wisdom and insight offered in the core recovery staple Twenty-Four Hours a Day. Second only to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, Twenty-Four Hours a Day is a mainstay for millions of people worldwide in recovery from addiction.  In this elegant reproduction of the manuscript for this indispensable meditation book, you’ll see the thoughts and insights of recovery luminary Richmond Walker, the book’s anonymous author, evolve through his creative process.

The high-quality four-color scans of the manuscript pages feature handwritten edits, rewrites, notes of inquiry, page cuts, and section shuffles that offer powerful insights into the writing of this recovery classic.  Excerpts from God Calling, one of Walker’s key sources, are featured and compared with the final manuscript he adapted for Twenty-Four Hours a Day.   Recovery historian Damian McElrath enlightens readers as he traces the book’s origins, exploring the spiritual foundations of its messages and bringing to light little-known facts about Walker’s life.  A selection of writings by Richmond Walker, featuring letters and transcripts from never-before-published talks, are also included.