A must read for anyone who has loved an alcoholic or addict.

This book changed my life. I have been sober since 8-12-1985!

For friends of Bill W. and Dr.Bob =]

Kindle version is great!

I'm concentrating on the excellent adaptation of the "Big Book" to the Kindle, as the content itself (with the exception of some outdated language around women) is impeccable.

The Kindle version is faithful to the original, allows you to keep up with the same page numbers as the print version, and has the wonderful ability to enlarge the text, which has come in handy when I've shared my "book" with people with visual difficulties.

Having a Kindle version has allowed me to read unobtrusively on the beach, in planes, on long elevator rides... I've also been able to highlight favorite passages, then remove the highlighting when I no longer cared for the passage. And I've been able to quickly search for key passages when I needed to prove a bleeding deacon wrong. And then quickly find the tenth step section so I could make amends and admit I was wrong.

Pretty much indispensable. Just buy the thing, you won't regret it! Might save your life.

An incredible insight into people, addiction and those affected by alcoholism.

A good read for alcoholics or friends and family members of alcoholics.

Wonder if you have a drinking problem? This book will help you.
Know you have a drinking problem? Read this book.

Had to read this classic, I have a few friends in AA (it's doesn't seem very anonymous though)

GROUP OF DRUNKS (GOD)

Important and interesting book.

I am so lucky to be able to study and practice the suggestions in this book every single day of my life. The 12 steps included here and the suggested program of recovery literally actually saved (and continues to save) my life. For anyone struggling with addiction, for anyone who loves someone struggling, read this. Call me. "It's a way of living that has it's advantages for all." I could and will talk about this book every day, forever.

A couple of months ago, I was interacting a lot with addiction therapists at work. A lot of people in the field are recovering addicts. After asking a lot of questions about the twelve-step program, one of the therapists (brilliant guy, lived as a homeless man for two years before getting sober) gave me the "Big Book." I was vaguely familiar with the twelve steps like admitting you have a problem, making amends, etc., but I had no idea that the AA book is mostly a how to guide for a spiritual transformation. A transformation that will also get you sober. Interesting chapter to atheists pushing them towards deism, or at the very least agnosticism. Interesting insight into the nature of the "disease."

I know this isn't the only model for recovery, but this is the one that has worked best, and I was surprised to find out how it works.

This edition differs from the previous ones only in an extra introduction & some updating of the stories at the end - as usual. The basic text & page numbers of that text remain unchanged. Good news for those with a 'Little Red Book' or other guide/index to the Big Book.

For those unfamiliar with the Big Book, it's the instruction set for the AA program. The wording is a little dated, but it is the instruction set for the most widespread self-help program in the world. AA is the basis of all other 12 step programs, most of whom changed the program only slightly to fit the addiction of choice - narcotics, cocaine, gambling, sex, etc..

Many have problems with the 'God' concept, swearing AA is a religious program. They have a point, although it doesn't have to be, as many have proved. AA tends to pick up the 'religious flavor of the group - people have trouble separating spirituality from religion. The book was written by Christians & loosely based on the tenets of an earlier Christian organization (the Oxford Group, now defunct). Non-Christians should read & come to terms with the chapter, "To the Agnostic" before jumping to conclusions. Those with an open mind can work the AA program without a belief in the Christian or any 'God'.

While most chapters are devoted exclusively to the alcoholic, there are chapters to the family & employer of the alcoholic, as well. Anyone who knows an alcoholic or anyone who suffers from an addiction, would do well to read this book. It offers an insight into the mind of the alcoholic both before & after sobriety is achieved, as well as practical advice to those that live with him/her.

Unlike many who have just skimmed it or read sections randomly as compelled to I have read the whole thing and I was in the basements for 5 years, completing all the steps, and finally gaining sobriety after realizing I was essentially in a cult and I left.

So, anyway, the book. Patronizing. Pretentious. Overbearing. Poorly written. Didactic. There is so much finger pointing in that book it's disgusting. The thing is it doesn't work for most people. For some it's a jumping off point for recovery and wonderful for them but for all the rest of us it is just a boring book.