Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition of the Big Book, the Basic Text for Alcoholics Anonymous
A.A. World Series Inc, 2001
It’s truly a big, thick book; almost 600 pages long. A full 2/3rds of that are case stories of those who have overcome their drinking habits. The book has a dry look about it, with no pictures, a bland dust jacket and an even plainer cloth cover. Presumably you won’t be noticed carrying it around.
A new edition is published about every 20 years. This edition included a preface for each of the preceding editions as well as for itself.
A.A. was founded in 1935, at a time when many of the alcoholics were men back from the trenches of World War One. The book was first published in 1939 as the number of A.A. groups multiplied. The first case story, at the beginning of the book, is that of one of the founders.
A series of chapters follow describing what A.A. does, and how alcoholism develops or may be overcome. The emphasis is on increasing one’s spirituality to supersede the urge to imbibe. The 12-step program is a central theme here, plus the 12 traditions and 12 concepts underlying this organization. This introductory section appears dated, with a focus on mainly the male drinker in the family. It does include what happens when he recovers or how his employer may help.
The larger part of the book consists of about 40 case stories, including some of the earlier ones from past editions, and a selection of more diverse populations.
A short appendix includes medical and religious opinions on A.A., where to find a group and what the spiritual experience is. A sizeable list of pamphlets is included at the end.
It is stated in the book that a drinking habit builds up over a period of time that you drink too much. You are said to be an alcoholic forever thereafter and that you’ll succumb again should you ever have any more drinks.
There are some debates about how successful A.A. is in its aims, or whether 12 Steps is the right way to follow through. Of course, every case is different, so outcomes are hard to quantify.
Review submitted by Phillip Wright
December 2025
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