AA Book Club

Throwback Thursday AA history link - Sober for Thirty Years, a Grapevine article by AA pioneer Jim Burwell (You may have to scroll past an ad): Sober for Thirty Years - Jim Burwell Grapevine article *********** On June 10, the editors of this blog founded the AA Book Club  Facebook group dedicated solely to AA and AA-related literature. ** For the time being, this is a PUBLIC GROUP ** However, it is possible to post anonymously, especially from a laptop or desktop. To join this Club and post your favourite passages and read/comment on others' posts, please join us by clicking  Here  

  Tuesday AA literature post - Can you pass the Big Book quiz?     Recovery Radio Podcast - Big Book quiz

  Saturday AA Sobriety podcast link - 'Clay F.', author of the Sarcastic Big Book:     Recovery Radio Podcast, 'Clay F.' - Thoughts on Restarting or Finishing the Steps

  Throwback Thursday AA history link - A History of Spirituality in AA presented by Jim W: A History of Spirituality in AA presented by Jim W.

  From our online AA literature study guide at AABookClub.org , Big Book topics for study, meditation or use with a sponsee. (For background on the origin of the topics, click this link: Big Book Topics - AA Book Club)     Now or Not Yet? A clean and contrite heart make me dear God If we are sorry for what we have done, and have the honest desire to let God take us to better things, we believe we will be forgiven and will have learned our lesson. If we are not sorry, and our conduct continues to harm others, we are quite sure to drink. We are not theorizing. These are facts out of our experience. (Page 70) When ready, we say something like this: "My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen." (Page 76) The alcoholic is like a tornado roaring...

  Saturday AA speaker/history post - Oldtimer Father Yew G. (DOS 1945):  

 Throwback Thursday AA history link - Rev. Sam Shoemaker on AA history:

  From William Schaberg's Writing The Big Book, Page 72, on Bill's pragmatism and religious flexibility:  Bob most likely had his own ideas on how things should work and he may have expressed some of those to Bill in private conversations, but he consistently  deferred to Wilson's decisions whenever they disagreed substantively on the evolving policies and procedures within A.A. With so many acknowledged differences between them, it is unusual they did not have the kind of arguments one would normally expect under such circumstances. Still, it must be remembered these were not normal circumstances, but rather a situation where stubborn disagreement or even outright rebellion might well be the direct road back to drinking. (Witness Hank Parkhurst's slip from sobriety just eighteen months after this.) Given that reality, Bob Smith - despite his greater age and his impressive medical credentials - always accommodated Bill's desires and routinely yielded to his 'spo...

  Saturday AA speaker post - Legendary speaker Sandy B. "3 Laughs a Minute":

  Throwback Thursday AA history link - The Evolution of the Big Book, presented by Randy E: Randy E - The Evolution of the Big Book

  Tuesday AA literature post - Debby D on Sponsorship and the Three Legacies :  

  Saturday AA speaker/history post - Bill D, AA #3:  

 Throwback Thursday AA history link - Lois Burnham Wilson, wife of Bill Wilson: Lois Burnham Wilson

 From historic Cleveland AA, home to AA group #3, thoughts on Step Eight:   Cleveland Intergroup - Step Eight Freedom And Step Eight from the 12 & 12:  Twelve and Twelve: Step Eight