Sobriety isn’t a destination, it’s an ongoing journey, one with which J.P. Willson is all too familiar. In How to Become a Successful (recovering) Alcoholic, Willson is eager to offer whatever insights he can for those embarking on the same road. This memoir examines how his addiction contributed to and informed some of the choices and behaviours that ultimately led him to Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.

Make no mistake, however; though it contains its fair share of hard truths and regrets, this is not a sob story and does not wallow in what might have been. Instead this is a story of success and redemption through hard work.

His first book, Through the Mind’s Eye: A Journey of Self-Discovery, was about getting sober. This book is about something much harder: staying there.

Written while working as a chef at the Salvation Army Harbour Light Addiction and Recovery Rehabilitation Centre, it is a testament both to what is possible with the right mindset—and what is all too probable without it.

J.P. Willson is an accomplished chef who’s worked in some of Vancouver and Victoria’s most prestigious kitchens—he’s also a recovering alcoholic who’s recently put his life back together after losing everything. How to Become a Successful (recovering) Alcoholic is his second book. His first book, Through the Mind’s Eye: A Journey of Self-Discovery was released in 2016. J.P. Willson lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.