On this page we post stories and other musings from our members. Our first post is courtesy of Linda C:

I have been sober since 1980 and believe, with all my heart, that the basic program of Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the great accomplishments of the 20th century. That basic program has been the basis of my ability to get and stay sober for over four decades. I do not, however, believe that we are acknowledging Bill Wilson’s reminder that ‘we know only a little…and more will be revealed to us.’ The AA literature was (and, for the most part, still is) heavily empowered by the personal experience of those few men who put the program together in the 1930s and early 40s. This was their experience and the program as it evolved seemed to be (and was, in my opinion) remarkably effective in helping alcoholics get and stay sober.

Over the years, however, the original first 164 pages, so jealously protected, have contained an amazing number of irrelevant, mistaken, and misleading admonitions and declarations…again, in my opinion.

Because I am such a devotee of the basic program, I decided to see how the first part of the AA “big book” would look if I were to re-write it as I think it should be today…so I did…and this is it. Big Book Revised from 164 to 94 pages.pdf