AA Book Club

July 30: On this day in 1950, Dr. Bob gave his farewell talk at the First AA International Convention in Cleveland, OH. Here is a transcript of his remarks: My good friends in AA and of AA… I get a big thrill out of looking over a vast sea of faces like this with a feeling that possibly some small thing that I did a number of years ago played a small part in making this meeting possible. I also get quite a thrill when I think that we all had the same problem. We all did the same things. We all get the same results in proportion to our zeal and enthusiasm and stick-to-itiveness. If you will pardon the injection of a personal note at this time, let me say that I have been in bed five of the last seven months and my strength hasn’t returned as I would like, so my remarks of necessity will be very brief. But there are two or three things that flashed into my mind on which it would be fitting to lay a little emphasis; one is the simplicity of our program. Let’s not louse it all up with Fre...

  From AA and the Books of James, an original work examining the Big Book and two sources that helped inspire it: "Few pieces of outside spiritual literature have been as influential on AA and its Founders as William James’ 1902 book Varieties of Religious Experience and the New Testament Book of James. William James is the only outside literature explicitly cited in the Big Book, and a key phrase from the Book of James is used there. Bill W. and Dr. Bob were exposed to both books early in their quests for sobriety, and their impact on A.A.’s program of action can be seen in its primary text. We shall be looking at the role of these books in the personal stories of AA’s founders first, then the influence they had on the Big Book and AA’s program of action." Free downloadable PDF available at these links:  AA and the Books of James  or  AA and the Books of James More original studies of AA literature at   AABookClub.org   (Alternate site:  AABookClub.wi...

  Sobriety Meme of the Week:

Did you know that AA had a service structure before the Big Book and a formal program of recovery? The Big Book was written in late 1938 and early 1939, and published on April 10, 1939. But the Alcoholic Foundation (precursor to the General Service Organization) was already in place.

  Fill in the blank of this Big Book passage: "Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as ___________ . It works when other activities fail." a) doing 90 in 90 b) intensive work with other alcoholics c) multiple service positions d) going to AA conventions (Answer is on Page 89)

  Sobriety Meme of the Week:

  AA literature and history together - Read Bill W.'s 1948 Grapevine article on Tradition Seven: Tradition Seven Our growth continuing, the combined income of Alcoholics Anonymous members will soon reach the astounding total of a quarter of a billion dollars yearly. This is the direct result of AA membership. Sober we now have it; drunk we would not.    By contrast, our overall AA expenses are trifling.     For instance, the  AA General Service Office now costs us $1.50  per member a year. As a fact, the New York office asks the groups  for this sum twice a year because not all of them contribute. Even so,  the sum per member is exceedingly small. If an AA happens to live in  a large metropolitan center where an intergroup office is absolutely  essential to handle heavy inquiries and hospital arrangements, he  contributes (or probably should contribute) about $5.00 annually. To  pay the rent of his own group m...

  Big Book topics for study, meditation or use with a sponsee (from our online AA literature study guide at AABookClub.org ): The Heart's Deepest Longing But the ex-problem drinker who has found this solution, who is properly armed with facts about himself, can generally win the entire confidence of another alcoholic in a few hours. Until such an understanding is reached, little or nothing can be accomplished. That the man who is making the approach has had the same difficulty, that he obviously knows what he is talking about, that his whole deportment shouts at the new prospect that he is a man with a real answer, that he has no attitude of Holier Than Thou, nothing whatever except the sincere desire to be helpful; that there are no fees to pay, no axes to grind, no people to please, no lectures to be endured these are the conditions we have found most effective. After such an approach many take up their beds and walk again. (Page 18-19) When, therefore, we were appro...

Throwback Thursday AA history post - The six articles published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in late 1939 led to tremendous growth in Cleveland's AA Group #3, but also got Clarence kicked out: That fall Clarence smuggled freelance reporter Elrick Davis into meetings of that first Greater Cleveland group and Mr. Davis wrote a series of articles on A.A. which were published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This resulted in over 500 calls for help to be tended by the only 13 active members... Many members were upset by this workload and by the surreptitious manner in which it was done. So they voted Clarence out of A.A. (which was something that could be done at the time).   (aa.cle.org) Reprinted from the October 23, 1939, Cleveland Plain Dealer with permission. Alcoholics Anonymous Makes Its Stand Here       [Second of Six Articles] By ELRICK B. DAVIS In a previous installment, Mr. Davis outlined the plan of Alcoholics Anonymous, an  organization of form...

  Real Alcoholic 'Real alcoholic' and similar terms indicate someone who has the alcoholic mentality fully established. Such a person is unable to stop drinking on the basis of will power, self-knowledge or other human aid, unlike the Potential Alcoholic, who may be able to stop or moderate. Real alcoholics are likely prospects for Alcoholics Anonymous. Big Book: "But what of the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose all control of his liquor consumption, once he starts to drink." Page 21, There is a Solution "In a vague way their families and friends sense that these drinkers are abnormal, but everybody hopefully awaits the day when the sufferer will rouse himself from his lethargy and assert his power of will. "The tragic truth is that if the man be a real alcoholic, the happy day may not come. He has lost control." Page 25,...