Seven decades ago this very month... the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was published. When the book was written, the Akron group of AA led by Dr. Bob pushed to call it The Way Out and the New York group argued that it should be called simply Alcoholics Anonymous... The New York group won.
The foreword to the first edition of the Big book begins:
”We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.”
For the past seventy years, the Big Book helped millions of alcoholics and addicts of all types and flavors worldwide to sober up and support one another through recovery, unity and service while protecting their anonymity. It is estimated that some 30 millionth copies were sold since the Big Book went into print.
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron on June 10, 1935 by Dr. Robert Smith of Akron and New York stockbroker Bill Wilson. While A.A. does not keep formal membership lists, it is estimated that the fellowship has grown to nearly 2 million members worldwide who gather in about 115,000 groups, including about 1.2 million members in the United States alone who meet in nearly 54,000 groups.
The Big Book has been described as a design for life and has been printed in 58 languages. The center piece of the Big Book is the 12 steps that have become the cornerstone of the A.A. recovery program and were subsequently adopted by any and all other fellowships of people who seek to recover from substance or process addictions the world over.
All successful addiction recovery programs are based on the teachings of the Big Book and all the recovering individuals and communities around the world owe their lives to its teachings.
No comments:
Post a Comment