Who wrote the first 164 pages of the big book

The big book of alcoholics anonymous the world famous eye. We covered the whole eastern united states in a year. Encyclopaedia britannica, the oldest englishlanguage general encyclopedia. He is said to be the founder of alcoholics anonymous when in fact hes not the founder at all. For them, we think these pages will prove so convincing that no further. Of course, there are reasons why the first 164 pages will never be updated. There are, however, additional promises in the big book. The big book has given me that comfort and the push to move forward. The big discrepancy in the story is the amount of sobriety this man had full text below. Its words and interpretations are left up to the reader to use as they choose. Man did i have a million questions yet some how i related to this book.

The foreword of the first edition explains exactly what the first 164 pages are for, they are the program of aa. Apr 10, 2014 the heart of the big book can be found in the first 164 pages, which outlines the now famous 12 steps of recovery. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. I asked the man to be my sponsor, we went through the big book together, i recovered in a couple of weeks. Ive been to many meetings where it is said that we only read the 1st 164 pages. To share their method, wilson and other members wrote the initiallytitled book, alcoholics anonymous. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. An unofficial guide to the twelve steps, edited by dr. The second part changes because it is the part that consists of personal stories of recovering alcoholics. Many of these changes were to style and punctuation in an effort to keep the book stylistically current. How many musts are there in the first 164 pages of the big book 05.

God in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. It is my hope that you will find this site useful to you and our friends of bill w. The first part, known as the first 164 pages or the original manuscript explains the 12 step program and how it can be used to overcome the effects of alcoholism.

Page xiii foreword to the first edition we, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Not to be confused with or substituted for the 12 step program of recovery as outlined in the first 164 pages of the big book. My 10 favorite lines from the big book of alcoholics anonymous by kelly fitzgerald junco 072916 there is comfort in knowing you arent alone, that what youre feeling isnt unusual, and that there is a solution. Why dale k rewrote the first 164 pages of the big book. The page 552 prayer to end resentments sober catholic. It is the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous, and has helped large numbers of alcoholic men and women, young and old, recover. Ask him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. He found a total of 401 changes to the first 164 pages. From that day on i rose up to my feet and marched on, sober inside the big book archives. These are the changes that have been made in the program portion of the big book the first 164 pages and the roman numeral pages since it was first.

The text of this document, original manuscript, was left just as it originally appeared in 1938. Grapevine with the title bronzed moccasins and an illustration of a pair of bronze moccasins. When the first edition of the big book was written, the challenge was to find enough. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. Marty mann 19041980 wrote the chapter women suffer too in the second through fourth editions of the big book.

It was because i became willing to take on suggestions such as reading the first 164 pages that i caught on to what it was saying. First published in 1939, alcoholics anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. How it works taken from alcoholics anonymous big book pages 6063 being convinced, we were at step three, which is that we decided to turn our will an. The terms spiritual experience and spiritual awakening are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms. Aug 17, 2011 the second part of the book has changed slightly with the printing of each new edition. This steps by the big book workbook is for those who are willing to grow along spiritual lines 60. Jerry needed to know so he started upon a project to identify the changes that were made to various printings and editions of the big book. Alcoholics anonymous big book kindle edition by wilson, bill, smith, dr. There is comfort in knowing you arent alone, that what youre feeling isnt unusual, and that there is a solution. Have recovered from alcoholism frontispiece the author of this study guide wishes to point out the word recovered. Copyright alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. The big book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. At the time of the publication of the first edition, the big book was typically well. Together they founded the alcoholics anonymous aa fellowship.

A vision for you 155 this refers to bills first visit with dr. Dec 07, 2014 but it was never meant to be inerrant. A draft fourth edition of the big book, alcoholics anonymous be developed and a progress report be brought to the 1998 conference literature committee, keeping in mind the 1995 advisory action that. The story of how many thousands of men and women have. The big book of aa and why it was written is an interesting story. The big book that gave alcoholics hope in 12 steps turns 75. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. There has been a series of reprints and revisions, as well as.

Alcoholics anonymous big book kindle edition by wilson. The following is a list ofapproximately 150 promises that i compiled from the first edition of the big book. That all powerful idea is found in the first 164 pages of our big book. Oct 21, 2012 the first few times i read it like a novel and didnt learn much. The big book of alcoholics anonymous verywell mind. The page 552 prayer to end resentments posted by paulcoholic on 24 august 2014, 6. Biographies of the authors of the stories in the big book. But to study and to find those epic quotes that old timers and members speak in dont do it.

The first part, known as the first 164 pages or the original manuscript explains the 12 step program and how it can be used to overcome the. The following is a list of the 40 musts from the big book. Aa big book myths tidbits and trivia 800 recovery hub blog. Essays on the 12 steps and 12 traditions of alcoholics anonymous by cofounder bill wilson. With a stunning leap of areligious imagination, dale k. Some of the promises are directly associated with completion of a step.

Sep 25, 2014 aa big book myths tidbits and trivia september 25, 2014 october 4, 2014 by victoria b. Recovering alcoholics regularly refer to the big book as they progress in recovery, and they use it to help new members as they begin their recovery process. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aas founders. Informally known as the big book with its first 164 pages virtually unchanged since the 1939 edition, it suggests a twelvestep program. But this does not mean that we disregard human health measures. The 4th edition 2001 is also freely available online. The big book, in the first 164 pages, lays out the 12 step program, and the stories in the back of the book provide testimonials by people in aa who worked the 12 step program. Ive heard from many newcomers and in several chat rooms where people say their sponsors told them to only read the 1st 164 pages.

Bill, bob and the others wrote the book in the hope that we would read it. The process of one addictalcoholic guiding another through the book takes between 24 and 30 hours, usually done in 2 3 hour sessions, typically over a period of 2 3 weeks. These are the changes that have been made in the program portion of the big book the first 164 pages and the roman numeraled pages since it was first. The last time i picked up a mini big book i couldnt find the story section. I put more stock in the steps themselves than in the rest of the first 164 pages when it comes to spirituality manifesting in concrete terms. Based on the readily available reference material, bill wilson was the author of the chapter of the big book titled. How many musts are there in the first 164 pages of the big book. This excerpt of the alcoholics anonymous big book lets you get your hands on pages that could help you with alcohol.

The story of how more than one hundred men have recovered from alcoholism, from which aa drew its name. The first 164 pages of the big book, alcoholics anonymous, the preface, the forewords, the doctors opinion, dr. On the last pages of this second edition will be found the twelve traditions of alcoholics anonymous, the principles upon which our a. The big book of alcoholics anonymous, also referred to as alcoholics anonymous. The text of the 1st 164 pages of alcoholics anonymous. A vision for you, big book page 164 our book is meant to be suggestive only. Nov 04, 2019 alcoholics anonymous believes that recovery is a lifelong process, so the big book is a continual companion in a recovering alcoholics life. We all know that the first 164 pages of the big book are the meat and potatoes this book s first 164 is only 90 pages. The book is published by alcoholics anonymous world services and is available through aa offices and meetings, as well as through booksellers.

He is believed to be fred, a partner in a well known accounting firm whose story is told on pages 39 through 43 of the big book. Inerrant means without error, and it is a concept religious scholars have tried to apply to the christian bible, without success. It includes a secular and nonsexist version of the first 164 pages of the big book bringing a 78 year old text into the 21st century. Neither one of these actually match the story in the big book. He wrote an article for the grapevine on why doctors shouldnt prescribe pills for alcoholics, and because he had a dual problem was asked to write his story for the big book. In that brief space, alcoholics anonymous has mushroomed into nearly 6,000 groups whose membership is far above 150,000 recovered alcoholics.

I was dcm for honolulu then, and then they made me pi for the state. It would be more accurate of you to assert that the stories in the big book are updated. The wisdom from the big book isnt limited to 10 quotes. Why is it suggested to read first 164 pages in big book. How ridiculous would it be if people tried to do the same with the big book. The encyclopaedia britannica was first published in 1768, when it began to appear in edinburgh.

Literature a brief history of the big book f166 a brief history of the big book in may 1938, when bill w. Bill wrote on the very last page of the first 164 pages. Their words have been modified somewhat by the editor who assumes full responsibility for all errors. These days i am participating in a big book study group which i find immensely rewarding. Read the first 164 pages of the big book and do what it says,and you dont ever have to drink again. W e, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. The emphasis is on the first 89 pages of the book, which have not been altered since originally published in 1939. Forward to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. It is said that he sued to get the money he had loaned a. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either alcoholics. The big book speaks of 25 years of sobriety and the other states he had 5 years sober. Some of the promises are inferred from the experiences of the first 100 men and women who recovered from alcoholism.

The aa program of recovery, from a once seemingly hopeless state of mind and body, is contained within the first 164 pages of the aa big book. The big book was originally published in 1939 by bill w. The material is presented here in a form which has been used by both individuals and groups of recovering alcoholics in texas to study the first 164 pages of the big book while actually doing the steps. Page 4 the major changes to the big book editions have been in the selection of personal stories so that they represent a good crosssection of the aa membership. Although its not properly confirmed its said that bill wilsons secretary wrote the big book. This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. The big book that gave alcoholics hope in 12 steps turns. Apr 27, 2010 all you will ever need is in the first 164 pages of the big book. There have been numerous reprints and revisions, in addition to translations into dozens of languages. At the beginning of the living sober text, it emphasizes that it is providing methods, not a program to be followed a through z or 1 through 12, like the big book s 12. Some have suggested that the author became suspicious of bill wilson and hank parkhurst the unbeliever in the first edition when hank set up works publishing to raise money to publish the book, with himself as the self appointed president, and bill began talking of listing himself as author of the big book.

Big book study guide alcoholics anonymous aa bill w. Alcoholics anonymous by bill wilson, first edition abebooks. Sixteen years have elapsed between our first printing of this book and the presentation of 1955 of our second edition. In 1999 an online version was launched, and numerous other products were also. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alcoholics anonymous big book. Marty mann 19041980 wrote the chapter women suffer too in the. The original 1939 edition, i could read the stories that makeup the second part of the first edition. The heart of the big book can be found in the first 164 pages, which outlines the now famous 12 steps of recovery. I have provided a link in a couple of places on this page for your convenience, so you can get to the search page. Big book, page 164 while the program is considered a suggested method for dealing with the disease of alcoholism, there are places within the big book where the authors used the word must. If your god is not powerful enough to heal your alcoholic mind, fire his ass and start praying to a god that will transform us to recovered status. Alcoholics anonymous the big book pages 1 164 boardprep. Plus the forwards are not numbered right either, it just doesnt make sense what this publisher did. Big book index first 164 pages 3 subject page s paragraphs proper use of will power 85 1 prospects decision 95 3 quit playing god 62 through 63 3 then 1 repairing the damage 99 1 resentment 64 3 restless, irritable, and discontented xxvi 4.

We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. The big book was originally published in 1939 by aa founders bill w. William d download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Why is it suggested to read 1st 164 pgs of big book. The story on page 123 is the one that most closely matches the story in the book. This big book is the source of the original program of aa, which saw. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. Everything else you read or hear in aa is advice, take it or leave it. Aa history a big book trivia of some missing facts. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism, is a collection of texts used by members of the alcoholics anonymous fellowship the book has undergone four revisions since william wilson, also known as bill w. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aas founders before the first edition was printed. Alcoholics anonymous big book original edition audible.