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Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book: The Original 1939 Edition

by Bill W

The original 1939 text of Alcoholics Anonymous

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AlbakiReads Editorial

The original 1939 text of Alcoholics Anonymous

This edition brings together the program’s 12 steps and the personal accounts of its early members, tracing experiences with alcohol, recovery, and, in some cases, relapse. It also addresses doubts about the program’s spiritual language, including the possibility of approaching a higher power. The publisher description identifies all 29 pioneer stories as a feature of this original edition and presents spiritual experience as central to Bill Wilson’s account of the program. Together, the steps and first-person narratives offer a historical view of how Alcoholics Anonymous was explained by its founders.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Adults exploring the origins and early presentation of Alcoholics Anonymous.
  • Readers seeking the 12 steps alongside personal accounts from early AA members.
  • Those interested in how spirituality is addressed in an alcohol-recovery program.ع

Themes

Alcohol recoveryThe 12-step programSpirituality and higher-power beliefPersonal testimonyRelapse and recovery

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Many thousands have benefited from "The Big Book" and its simple but profound explanation of the doctrines behind Alcoholics Anonymous, which was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. This original 1939 edition outlines the famous 12 steps, and offers counsel for those who wish to join the program but doubt the existence of a higher power. It also contains encouraging personal stories, in which AA members relate their experiences with alcohol and how they found the path to sobriety.
"The Big Book" has gone through numerous editions and remains the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics. Only this original 1939 edition includes all 29 stories of the program's pioneers, which share the details of their full journey, including initial recovery, sometimes followed by relapse and eventual success. This edition also features the key to the solution claimed by Bill Wilson: a vital spiritual experience that allows followers to rediscover, or discover, God.
This realistic portrayal of the program as offered by its founders has been lost in subsequent editions of the work, and is presented here to serve as a reminder that success comes in many forms.
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