Mary Baker Eddy and Her Books
Orcutt, William Dana. Mary Baker Eddy and Her Books. Boston: The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy, (1950) 1992.
After two disastrous experiences with printers, Eddy finally found a printer at University Press who was both knowledgeable and respectful of her work. According to Orcutt (the author of this book), John Wilson enjoyed both a personal friendship and successful professional relationship of sixteen years with Eddy. Orcutt’s career began under the close tutelage of Wilson, and he concurred with Wilson’s assessment of Eddy’s keen business sense and value as an author. Orcutt took over University Press in 1897, just when Eddy corrected her own organizational problems. He never became a Christian Scientist, but he admired Eddy’s business sense, grace as an author, and spiritual authority. The book consists of three parts: 1) Orcutt’s recounting of the work and relationship between Eddy and Wilson; 2) his own direct work with her as printer; 3) his meticulous care for and devotion to the publishing of his dream (with Eddy’s prior approval): the “‘sumptuous’ Subscription Edition of Science and Health” (114). He summarizes his impression of Eddy as “first and foremost a woman, and a very human woman. That she could express so much humanity and still possess the spirituality she manifested is what made so deep an impression on me” (187).
ISBN-10: 0875102743
ISBN-13 Hardcover): 978-0875102740