In the foreword to the first edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, historically prior to the standardization of the 12 traditions, it is stated that the only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking emphasis added. Steps by the big book step 6 steps by the big book. Recovered in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. The text below is reproduced from the first edition of the big book alcoholics anonymous which is in the public domain. This is a study guide to the book alcoholics anonymous. Call 419 5635905 or email abookman for more information, order a big book, or to sell your books. The original manuscript of the big book alcoholics anonymous. The primary purpose group of alcoholics anonymous of dallas, texas, in january, 1988. The primary purpose group big green bay area aa home. Alcoholics anonymous xiii that first sentence written in the first person plural sets the tone for the entire book. The big book friends is an informal discussion group where men and women interested in the big book of alcoholics anonymous daily discuss the pages of the big book. Foreward to first edition tenth printing, august, 1946. The fourth edition includes twentyfour new stories that provide contemporary sharing for newcomers seeking recovery from alcoholism in a. Preface forward to first edition forward to second.
This is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939 we, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and woman who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book. Foreword to first edition comparison nonameyet online a. Feb 29, 2012 foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939.
We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who. In a speech that bill gave in fort worth about the writing of the book, he says. Aa sonoma county intergroup fellowship alcoholics anonymous. The first 164 pages of the big book, alcoholics anonymous, the preface, the forewords, the doctors opinion, dr.
At this early part of the 21st century, membership in aa continues to grow, and a fourth edition will undoubtedly continue that trend. The first three editions of the aa big book provide an indication of the changes which occurred since aa began in the late 1930s. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939 for sale. Foreword to third edition b y march 1976, when this edition went to the printer, the total worldwide membership of alcoholics anonymous was conservatively estimated at more than 1,000,000, with almost 28,000 groups. Foreword to fourth edition t his fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous came off press in november 2001, at the start of a new millennium. Copyright alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women 1 who have recovered 2 from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Reprinted from the book alcoholics anonymous the big book with permission of a.
Page iii, foreword to the first edition of big book, alcoholics anonymous. Oct 21, 2012 the first few times i read it like a novel and didnt learn much. Aug 27, 20 foreword to 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. Book in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12 traditions. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book inscribed by bill wilson to margret bobbie burger, her personal gift book, with its original dust jacket. A seventh printing sold for 2,750 several years ago but you are unlikely to find that printing as cheap as that again.
No writing or markings to except first blank page where previous owners name was written in pencil and erased. The first few times i read it like a novel and didnt learn much. To show other alcoholics and addicts precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. In the foreword to the first edition of the big book, bill w. Welcome to the sonoma county intergroup felowship website of alcoholics anonymous. The big book of alcoholics anonymous forward to the 1st. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939. I have provided a link in a couple of places on this page for your convenience, so you can get to the search page. Our goal is to study the steps as a friendly, focused group, and work them as the authors of the big book described. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than. The text of this document, original manuscript, was left just as it originally appeared in 1938. Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book. The text got this name because the first edition of the book had rather thick pages, making the book even thicker than its content would suggest. A reference to the alcoholics anonymous big book includes.
Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. W e, ofalcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. As of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise distributed source aa gso ny. The big book of alcoholics anonymous the world famous eye. Save alcoholics anonymous first edition big book to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed.
We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, find first, second, third, fourth and international editions. The titled side also tells us what the book alcoholics anonymous is to members of the alcoholics anonymous fellowship. Foreword to 2nd edition aa big book foreword to 2nd aa big book big book of aa alcoholics anonymous doctors opinion how it works aa preamble alcoholism recovery 4th edition 3rd edition 2nd edition alcohol allergy rehabilitation of alcoholics dr. Home read the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous this is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. In that brief space, alcoholics anonymous has mushroomed into nearly 6,000 groups whose membership is far above 150,000 recovered alcoholics. Several of the tenets of what was to become aas twelve traditions were first expressed in the foreword to the first edition of the big book of alcoholics anonymous in 1939.
It is my hope that you will find this site useful to you and our friends of bill w. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have. The second edition, published in 1955, reached a total of more than 1,150,500 copies. A similar statement is made in the middle of the fourth edition dust cover. 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. The whytehouse is, i hope, a way to find that special phrase or saying etc. I was very disappointed that they showed images of a first edition big book published in 1946 4 images also in the description, it clearly says it was published january 1st, 1946. The primary purpose group big book study guide a study of the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Since the third edition was published in 1976, worldwide membership of a.
Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the. Here you will find a schedule of aa meetings, aa news and events, and useful resources for the newcomer about aa and our wonderful fellowship. Preface to fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous the e. Preface to fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous the. The personal stories of the big book the recovery group. For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary. Alcoholics anonymous also known as the big book in recovery circles sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. History of the big book the west baltimore group home page. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. 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 as of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise distributed source aa gso ny. The preface and foreword describe the history of the big book and its role in the alcoholics anonymous program. First, we searched out the flaws in our makeup which caused our failure. These days i am participating in a big book study group which i find immensely rewarding.
S ince the original foreword to this book was written in 1939, a wholesale miracle has taken place. So, on this late fall afternoon in 1937, smithy and i were talking together in his living room, anne sitting there, when we began to count noses. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of. A seemingly hopeless state of mind and body aa grapevine. Alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind. Alcoholics anonymous big book audio read aloud youtube. Aa history a big book trivia of some missing facts. Why is it suggested to read 1st 164 pgs of big book. Works publishing company, april 1939, hardcover 400pp. This is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. This steps by the big book workbook is for those who are willing to grow along spiritual lines 60. So, to all the present and past members of this group goes. Foreword to the first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939 we, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and woman who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Foreword to first edition foreword to second edition foreword to third edition foreword to fourth edition the doctors opinion chapter 1 bills story 2 there is a solution 3 more about alcoholism 4 we agnostics 5 how it works.
This is the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 1939. 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. In the lower righthand corner it reads, this is the third edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Here, and in many other passages in the big book and in countless other writings and speeches, it is clear that he and the early members of our fellowship considered themselves to be recovered alcoholics.
The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism generally known as the big book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, primarily written by william g. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, first second third. By 1944 the number of aa groups had grown along with the number of letters being sent to the aa headquarters in new york asking how to handle disputes caused by issues like. It is dedicated to those who want recovery from alcoholism, but have difficulty with the word god. This is what my sponsor took me through i had to find the answers in the big book on the specified page, also my sponsor did the research on the number of big books and ratios. This is the fourth edition of the book alcoholics anonymous. 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. We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone big book, foreword to first edition 1939 alcohol being no respecter of persons, we are an accurate cross section of america, and in distant lands the same democratic evening up. Foreword to 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. The big book of alcoholics anonymous still stands as today as the primary text for aa and is the foundation for most other 12 step programs. Our earliest printing voiced the hope that every alcoholic who journeys will. Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939.
The foreword of the first edition explains exactly what the first 164 pages are for, they are the program of aa. After the foreword is a section called the doctors opinion, which details the observations and beliefs of dr. But when it arrived, it was a reproduction copy of a 1st edition. Find great deals on ebay for aa big book first edition and alcoholics anonymous 1st edition.
The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism is often referred to in alcoholics anonymous meetings aa as the big book. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than 300,000 copies went into circulation. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the eaa group. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aa s founders before the first edition was printed. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. 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. Several more expensive copies are available via abebooks.
The fourth edition of the big book includes four major sections. Unfollow alcoholics anonymous first edition big book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Foreword to second edition figures given in this foreword describe the fellowship as it was in 1955. Bill, bob and the others wrote the book in the hope that we would read it. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, first second. Sixteen years have elapsed between our first printing of this book and the presentation in 1955 of our second edition. Dec 15, 20 we are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone big book, foreword to first edition 1939 alcohol being no respecter of persons, we are an accurate cross section of america, and in distant lands the same democratic evening up process is now going on. The book alcoholics anonymous, aka the big book, is the basic text for the aa program of sobriety. Alcoholics anonymous first edition 14th printing 1951 origina dj 1st aa big book. Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the. Big book is in very good condition with light wear to spine gold gilding strong on front and spine. If you would like to become a member, please send a blank email to. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the e. His letter was added to the first edition of the big.
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