In the foreword to the first edition of the big book, bill w. W e, ofalcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Aa sonoma county intergroup fellowship alcoholics anonymous. Since the third edition was published in 1976, worldwide membership of a. His letter was added to the first edition of the big. Alcoholics anonymous first edition 14th printing 1951 origina dj 1st aa big book. No writing or markings to except first blank page where previous owners name was written in pencil and erased. The original manuscript of the big book alcoholics anonymous. Find great deals on ebay for aa big book first edition and alcoholics anonymous 1st edition. Alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, first second third.
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. Recovered in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have. A seemingly hopeless state of mind and body aa grapevine. These days i am participating in a big book study group which i find immensely rewarding. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. Aa history a big book trivia of some missing facts. 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. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than. After the foreword is a section called the doctors opinion, which details the observations and beliefs of dr. Save alcoholics anonymous first edition big book to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed. A similar statement is made in the middle of the fourth edition dust cover. The personal stories of the big book the recovery group. The titled side also tells us what the book alcoholics anonymous is to members of the alcoholics anonymous fellowship.
Preface forward to first edition forward to second. 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. 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. Preface to fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous the. To show other alcoholics and addicts precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.
Wilson, one of the founders of alcoholics anonymous aa. In a speech that bill gave in fort worth about the writing of the book, he says. The first few times i read it like a novel and didnt learn much. 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. 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. Welcome to the sonoma county intergroup felowship website of alcoholics anonymous. Call 419 5635905 or email abookman for more information, order a big book, or to sell your books. A seventh printing sold for 2,750 several years ago but you are unlikely to find that printing as cheap as that again. 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. But when it arrived, it was a reproduction copy of a 1st edition. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of.
Sixteen years have elapsed between our first printing of this book and the presentation in 1955 of our second edition. Our earliest printing voiced the hope that every alcoholic who journeys will. Oct 21, 2012 the first few times i read it like a novel and didnt learn much. 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. 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. Preface to fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous the e. Copyright alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939. Our goal is to study the steps as a friendly, focused group, and work them as the authors of the big book described.
Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. Steps by the big book step 6 steps by the big book. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book. Book in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12 traditions. This is a study guide to the book alcoholics anonymous.
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 fourth edition includes twentyfour new stories that provide contemporary sharing for newcomers seeking recovery from alcoholism in a. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, find first, second, third, fourth and international editions. A reference to the alcoholics anonymous big book includes. The second edition, published in 1955, reached a total of more than 1,150,500 copies. 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.
First, we searched out the flaws in our makeup which caused our failure. This is the foreword as it appeared in the first printing of the first edition in 1939. The first three editions of the aa big book provide an indication of the changes which occurred since aa began in the late 1930s. The first 164 pages of the big book, alcoholics anonymous, the preface, the forewords, the doctors opinion, dr. As of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise distributed source aa gso ny. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 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. 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.
The foreword of the first edition explains exactly what the first 164 pages are for, they are the program of aa. This steps by the big book workbook is for those who are willing to grow along spiritual lines 60. 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. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aa s founders before the first edition was printed. 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. Foreword to first edition this is the foreword as it appeared in the. Page iii, foreword to the first edition of 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. Foreword to second edition figures given in this foreword describe the fellowship as it was in 1955.
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. 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. If you would like to become a member, please send a blank email to. 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.
Alcoholics anonymous big book audio read aloud youtube. Works publishing company, april 1939, hardcover 400pp. Alcoholics anonymous first edition first printings 1939 for sale. The fourth edition of the big book includes four major sections. 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. 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. 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. Reprinted from the book alcoholics anonymous the big book with permission of a. The text below is reproduced from the first edition of the big book alcoholics anonymous which is in the public domain.
Alcoholics anonymous first edition, first printing 1939 big book. The preface and foreword describe the history of the big book and its role in the alcoholics anonymous program. Foreword to first edition comparison nonameyet online a. So, to all the present and past members of this group goes. 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. 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 primary purpose group big book study guide a study of the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. 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 book alcoholics anonymous, aka the big book, is the basic text for the aa program of sobriety. Big book is in very good condition with light wear to spine gold gilding strong on front and spine. 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 big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous.
S ince the original foreword to this book was written in 1939, a wholesale miracle has taken place. It is dedicated to those who want recovery from alcoholism, but have difficulty with the word god. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. 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. Foreword to fourth edition t his fourth edition of alcoholics anonymous came off press in november 2001, at the start of a new millennium. The first edition appeared in april 1939, and in the following sixteen years, more than 300,000 copies went into circulation. Since the first edition appeared, in 1939, it has helped millions of men and women recover from alcoholism. 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. 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. Alcoholics anonymous big books for sale, first second. Unfollow alcoholics anonymous first edition big book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Why is it suggested to read 1st 164 pgs of big book. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are many thousands of men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the. In the lower righthand corner it reads, this is the third edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. Alcoholics anonymous xiii that first sentence written in the first person plural sets the tone for the entire book. For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary. Bill, bob and the others wrote the book in the hope that we would read it. 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 my hope that you will find this site useful to you and our friends of bill w. 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. 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. The big book of alcoholics anonymous the world famous eye. The whytehouse is, i hope, a way to find that special phrase or saying etc. The big book of alcoholics anonymous forward to the 1st edition. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the eaa group. Foreward to first edition tenth printing, august, 1946. History of the big book the west baltimore group home page. In that brief space, alcoholics anonymous has mushroomed into nearly 6,000 groups whose membership is far above 150,000 recovered alcoholics. Foreword to first edition of alcoholics anonymous the e. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. This is the fourth edition of the book alcoholics anonymous.
1373 974 737 168 323 1219 615 1331 1113 1422 1504 464 1448 1123 4 516 881 484 1120 1100 537 257 215 126 1114 1431 610 203 1432 413