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OTHER BOOKS
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
An interpretive commentary on the A.A. program
by a co-founder
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age
A brief history of A.A.’s first two decades
As Bill Sees It
(formerly The A.A. Way of Life)
Selected writings of A.A.’s co-founder
Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers
A biography, with recollections of early A.A. in the Midwest
Pass It On
Bill W.’s life story; how the A.A. message reached the world
Daily Reflections
A book of reflections by A.A. members for A.A. members
Experience, Strength and Hope
Stories from the first three editions of Alcoholics Anonymous
BOOKLETS
Came to Believe …
Spiritual experiences of 75 A.A.’s
Living Sober
Practical suggestions heard at meetings
A.A. in Prison: Inmate to Inmate
Former Grapevine articles by people who found A.A. in prison
ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS
The Story of
How Many Thousands of Men and Women
Have Recovered from Alcoholism
FOURTH EDITION
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
NEW YORK CITY
2001
Copyright © 1939, 1955, 1976, 2001 by
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
All rights reserved.
First Edition, sixteen printings, 1939 to 1955
Second Edition, sixteen printings, 1955 to 1974
Third Edition, seventy-four printings, 1976 to 2001
Fourth Edition, New and Revised 2001
First printing, October 2001
Thirty-first printing, June 2013
Personal stories on pages 407, 476, 494, 531, and 553 are copyrighted © by The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., and are reprinted here with permission.
This is A.A. General Service
Conference-approved literature
Alcoholics Anonymous and A.A. are registered
trademarks® of A.A. World Services, Inc.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2001094693
ISBN 978-1-893007-16-1
eISBN 978-1-893007-66-6
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
1BILL’S STORY
2THERE IS A SOLUTION
3MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM
4WE AGNOSTICS
5HOW IT WORKS
6INTO ACTION
7WORKING WITH OTHERS
8TO WIVES
9THE FAMILY AFTERWARD
10TO EMPLOYERS
11A VISION FOR YOU
PERSONAL STORIES
PART I Pioneers of A.A.
A co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. The birth of our Society dates from his first day of permanent sobriety, June 10, 1935.
1ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS NUMBER THREE
Pioneer member of Akron’s Group No. 1, the first A.A. group in the world. He kept the faith; there-fore, he and countless others found a new life.
2GRATITUDE IN ACTION
The story of Dave B., one of the founders of A.A. in Canada in 1944.
3WOMEN SUFFER TOO
Despite great opportunities, alcohol nearly ended her life. An early member, she spread the word among women in our pioneering period.
4OUR SOUTHERN FRIEND
Pioneer A.A., minister’s son, and southern farmer, he asked, “Who am I to say there is no God?”
5THE VICIOUS CYCLE
How it finally broke a Southerner’s obstinacy and destined this salesman to start A.A. in Philadelphia.
6JIM’S STORY
This physician, one of the earliest members of A.A.’s first black group, tells of how freedom came as he worked among his people.
7THE MAN WHO MASTERED FEAR
He spent eighteen years running away, and then found he didn’t have to run. So he started A.A. in Detroit.
8HE SOLD HIMSELF SHORT
But he found there was a Higher Power that had more faith in him than he had in himself. Thus, A.A. was born in Chicago.
9THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM
This worldly lady helped to develop A.A. in Chicago and thus passed her keys to many.
PART II They Stopped in Time
1THE MISSING LINK
He looked at everything as the cause of his unhappiness—except alcohol.
2FEAR OF FEAR
This lady was cautious. She decided she wouldn’t let herself go in her drinking. And she would never, never take that morning drink!
3THE HOUSEWIFE WHO DRANK AT HOME
She hid her bottles in clothes hampers and dresser drawers. In A.A., she discovered she had lost nothing and had found everything.
4PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF!
Psychiatrist and surgeon, he had lost his way until he realized that God, not he, was the Great Healer.
5MY CHANCE TO LIVE
A.A. gave this teenager the tools to climb out of her dark abyss of despair.
6STUDENT OF LIFE
Living at home with her parents, she tried