I'm not a 12-stepper, but the Big Book is a very powerful spiritual read. Must read if you're dealing with alcoholism, either directly or with a loved one.

I came to this book rather hopeless after enduring years of frustration with the Narcotics Anonymous literature and its lack of spiritual breadth and intellectual fodder. I, an addict, sought to uncover the origins of the program which changed my life. I sought to understand the circumstances by which the Twelve Steps of recovery came into being. I had all my yearnings fulfilled in reading Alcoholics Anonymous. This book allowed me to uncover the power source of the ‘Anonymous’ fellowships and confined many of my suspicions regarding the futility of the Twelve Steps as written. This book illustrates how the power of fellowship is working miracles in the lives of people all around the world. It is a must read for anyone who participates in fellowships like AA, NA, CA, SLAA, OA and beyond!

The Holiday Season is one day at a time. Gift yourself another day. The Big Book is in season granting chances to achieve NEW never known before. Santa keeps you honest to know your great presence is loved, uncommonly. Every snowman knows his scarecrow standing in him. And the dance they dance is one...day at a time.

obviously a continuous read, but God i am so grateful for sobriety, AA and the big book

I imagine that if Bill Wilson (the primary author of this "anonymous" text) knew what a global sensation his book would have become it would have been far worse than it already is. While millions have found relief from the ravages of alcoholic compulsion through AA I shutter to think how few have found relief from fundamentalist perspectives or "literalism", a religious perspective that a text book is sacred, word upon "sacred" word. This book ranks among the worst I have ever read and it is arguably as big as the Bible, go figure. Still if "it works" to keep people off the bottle, more power to them.

This book has had a positive impact on my life. Originally published in 1939, the "essential recovery text" has an outdated tonal feel. This is especially apparent in the chapter "To Wives". The chapter is written from a very sexist perspective and doesn't translate well to today. Despite its untimely feel, the original text in the "Big Book" still succeeds in paving a path of recovery from the disease of alcoholism.

I love the look of this book -- a compact blue paperback that might be mistaken for a Bible, and is to many people. The cover is blank -- that is, until you hold the book up to a light and see its title, Alcoholics Anonymous. The title is concealed, anonymous. Makes sense for obvious reasons.

What I found most interesting is the program's idea of a Higher Power. Even atheists and agnostics must give their lives over to a HP, or else the program, no matter its other merits, won't work. Or so The Big Book says...

Written on the title page of my used copy is: "To Virginia, Christmas 1986. Love ya, Elsa L. July 15, 1973 --" The book is otherwise clean except for one note on page 86 that reads: "Read regularly. Nite morning."

It would be interesting -- and moving -- to collect copies of The Big Book just to read the marginalia.

The easiest softest way

God, grant me the serenity to cope with this pathetic excuse for a self-help book.

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.

TLDR: if this outdated and scientifically disproven method doesn't work for you, that ain't our fault, mate. You're defunct. We didn't fail you, you failed yourself. Sorry bout it!

The only section dedicated to women is entitled TO THE WIVES . It is very bold of Bill to presume that I was in any fit state to be someone's wife, or indeed, to have a wife of my own. But what does it matter? I am a woman, after all. My main focus is on supporting my addicted husband.

According to the 'Big Book' (perhaps the only factual statement about the whole thing, and even that is an informal nickname), 50 percent of members got sober right away, and another 25 percent relapsed a bit but eventually recovered. Here's the catch - it's Alcoholics Anonymous. As in, anonymous, as in, no record of members except for those court mandated.

In summary; poor plot line, implausible situations (who drinks whiskey with milk voluntarily?), unlikely characters (that doctor should have had his license revoked. Taking advice from a random bloke, fresh out the psych ward, on how to treat his patients - and, indeed, publicly endorsing it - seems to be a massive breach of several ethical codes and should have resulted in him being immediately disbarred), absolutely no scientific backing whatsoever and an overwhelming lack of diversity.

Alternative recommendations:

Research the Sinclair method
Check out This Naked Mind (it has its flaws, but compared to the Voynich manuscript that is this manual, it's actually understandable with a decent amount of scientific backing)
Understand the issues behind the problem, and try to not play the blame game. It's a neuropsychological disorder, not a spiritual failing/'allergy', and should be treated as such.

Statistically and scientifically, AA does more harm than good. I'm happy for anyone who got sober - different strokes for different folks - but this is my personal book review, and even the most die-hard AA members must recognise that the book is often contradictory and, in some places, just plain wrong. I'd recommend for it to never be taken without a prescription dosage of one container of table salt. It's often referenced as the Bible, so use it as such and cherry-pick what you can if you must use it at all.

0/10 would not read again. And after eight long years, boy does that feel good to say.

Confession: I am a Christian, but I'm not an alcoholic (even though it runs in my family). As someone who grew up around an alcoholic, watched the destruction and the duality of life that alcohol can cause, this book was incredibly enlightening. To see the hidden doubts and struggles behind the alcoholic lifestyle.

As a Christian, I think that this is the first book that I've ever read that really takes sin seriously. It is the first book that really "gets" Romans 7:15 - "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." That is the cry of every Christian about every sin. I would actually recommend this book to any Christian. Just make a few strategic replacements, "alcohol" for "sin" and "spiritual experience" for "Jesus".

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

Once in a while he may tell the truth. And the truth, strange to say, is usually that he has no more idea why he took that first drink than you have. Some drinkers have excuses with which they are satisfied part of the time. But in their hearts they really do not know why they do it. Once this malady has a real hold, they are a baffled lot. There is the obsession that somehow, someday, they will beat the game. But they often suspect they are down for the count.

At a certain point in the drinking of every alcoholic, he passes into a state where the most powerful desire to stop drinking is of absolutely no avail. This tragic situation has already arrived in practically every case long before it is suspected. The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.

The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.

Faith without works was dead, he said. And how appallingly true for the alcoholic! For if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that.

That the man who is making the approach has had the same difficulty, that he obviously knows what he is talking about, that his whole deportment shouts at the new prospect that he is a man with a real answer, that he has no attitude of Holier Than Thou, nothing whatever except the sincere desire to be helpful; that there are no fees to pay, no axes to grind, no people to please, no lectures to be endured–these are the conditions we have found most effective. After such an approach many take up their beds and walk again. None of us makes a sole vocation of this work, nor do we think its effectiveness would be increased if we did. We feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations and affairs.

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn’t there. Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power? Well, that’s exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem.

Even so has God restored us all to our right minds. To this man, the revelation was sudden. Some of us grow into it more slowly. But He has come to all who have honestly sought Him. When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!

The 12 steps are awesome and life-changing ideas that could really apply to everyone. The chapters on "to the wife" are really bad advice. What about BOUNDARIES and self care of the family members? It is not good advice for wives to not have boundaries at the expense of the alcoholic's bad behavior. The most important this a spouse of an alocoholic should do is keep themselves safe.

If you are concerned about your drinking habits, this book can help you. I've read it four times and working on the fifth. I love this book because its all about me!