Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book: The Original 1939 Edition

Bill W.

Mar 2019 · Courier Dover Publications

About this ebook

Many thousands have benefited from "The Big Book" and its simple but profound explanation of the doctrines behind Alcoholics Anonymous, which was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. This original 1939 edition outlines the famous 12 steps, and offers counsel for those who wish to join the program but doubt the existence of a higher power. It also contains encouraging personal stories, in which AA members relate their experiences with alcohol and how they found the path to sobriety.
"The Big Book" has gone through numerous editions and remains the most widely used resource for recovering alcoholics. Only this original 1939 edition includes all 29 stories of the program's pioneers, which share the details of their full journey, including initial recovery, sometimes followed by relapse and eventual success. This edition also features the key to the solution claimed by Bill Wilson: a vital spiritual experience that allows followers to rediscover, or discover, God.
This realistic portrayal of the program as offered by its founders has been lost in subsequent editions of the work, and is presented here to serve as a reminder that success comes in many forms.

Ratings and reviews

This book is published by a third party and not by AA World Services. The 1st and 2nd editions of the Big Book are public domain in the United States and this 3rd party is profiting from it. I'm not a lawyer, but it's probably a violation of copyright to sell this outside of the US, but it is available for me to purchase in Canada (which I won't do). I highly recommend buying the ebook published by AA World Services instead. You'll pay less and also be able to get the latest edition. The one star rating I gave reflects the above statement and not the Big Book itself, which I'd definitely give a 5.

The Big Book Saved my life. I ENJOY reading about how it all started AND every year at the Mid Winter Conference in Hilton Head. I see the history and am amazed that it all started this way. I have been SOBOR since 2012. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS

Such a shame I didn't look first to see that this is the original edition and doesn't contain any of the excellent personal stories that have been added over the years.

About the author

A chance meeting in 1935 between two alcoholics — Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker, and Bob Smith, a surgeon based in Akron, Ohio — led to the organization of Alcoholics Anonymous. The pair developed the 12-step program and began working with other alcoholics, helping them achieve sobriety one day at a time. In 1939 they published "The Big Book," one of the bestselling books of all time and a lifeline to millions worldwide.