144 of 160 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lifesaver, March 21, 2004
It perplexes me there are so few reviews of this great book. Last time I checked, there were eight -- at least it's double digits now.
It perplexes me because this book has saved literally millions of lives. For anyone struggling with alcoholism, this is the way to get sober. The principles of the program can -- and have been -- applied to just about any addiction. This program is the foundation of Cocaine Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and every other 12 step program. This is where it all started.
My pastor mentioned in church just today how the sprituality of people who've been in 12 step programs is sometimes especially striking. That's true. It's because if a person follows the 12 steps, they will find it a life-changing experience. They will not be exactly the same person they were when they started. For more on this, see a passage in the book known in the program that took its name from the book's title as "the promises."
If you read this book, also read the accompanying 12 Steps and 12 Traditions volume. The two go together -- though if you read only one read this one.
The book is especially helpful in dealing with the issue of a higher power.
The book goes way beyond what someone will find in a typical AA meeting. A person who is attempting sobriety needs this book, a sponsor and the meetings.
This is, statistically, the best shot there is at sobriety. This book and the program it spawned are an extraordinary gift for those who choose to accept them.
The newcomer might find the book somewhat dated. Stick with it. It's worth it. And, as time goes by, it will become clearer and clearer.
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57 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the World's Greatest Books, December 21, 2006
I read the AA Big Book and joined Overeaters Anonymous thinking I was a compulsive overeater. Perhaps I would have been an alcoholic, but my body chemistry never tolerated alcohol, smoking or drugs, so I was spared that. It turned out the weight problem was also a body chemistry thing, and the time I spent in diligent application to the 12-step program led me to realize I wasn't a compulsive overeater after all.
Reading the AA Big Book was fantastic for me, and I recommend it to anyone. If you are not an addict, it will certainly not harm you to try a 12-step program. You are likely to come out, as I did after 10 months, with a deep respect for what these programs do. Miracles are everyday events in these groups.
Some of the people who have written reviews here resisted the tenets of AA because they are unwilling to submit to a higher power. That's human nature. Anything else is itself a miracle.
My concerns about AA prior to reading the book were the opposite. I am a Christian and I was under the impression that the 12 steps are in conflict with that. Such is not at all the case. No one is going to try to hypnotize you!
Nor is a 12-step program going to tell you to avoid medical help. One of AA's founders was a doctor, and right from the start AA began saving lives that doctors knew they could not save. It still happens in AA, daily.
If you are ready to be inspired, read this book. You will understand yourself and other people better. If you don't feel ready to be inspired, maybe you need to read it even more.
I noticed one of the reviews complained about archaic language in the book. It's not that archaic. You don't need a glossary to read it, as you do with the King James Bible or Shakespeare! For me, the language serves as a reminder of how long this organization has been helping people, and of its amazing roots.
Be sure to read the AA 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, too. If you know much about organizations, the 12 Traditions will blow your mind. AA is truly a non profit organization, not one just for tax purposes. Their traditions include the deliberate avoidance of accumulating wealth and property for the organization. It's about addict helping addict, without judgement but also with a centered perspective that casts light on truth.
The simple but powerful structure of meetings--including those held in online chat rooms--as well as the tradition of anonymity make AA a unique safe place. Reading this book is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself and for the people you care about, addicted or not. You can also read it free online (just Google AA Big Book and it's one of the first entries), but for me that doesn't replace a real book to hold and read. It would be hard to find a better investment than the purchase of the AA Big Book. ---Kathy Diamond Davis
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61 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This Book Is A Bogus Fraud, February 16, 2009
This review is from: Alcoholics Anonymous: Big Book, First Edition (Hardcover)
I just received this fraudulent "First Edition" of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The first thing I did was turn to the 12 Steps on page 37 of this book. I was horrified to find the 12th Step uses the language of the later editions "a spiritual awakening" rather than the phrase a "spiritual experience" that is the actual wording in the "First Edition." So, this is obviously not a true reproduciton of the First Edition. It is a bogus fraud in claiming to be the real "First Edition." Also the pages do not correspond to the "First Edition" or any later edition. So, if you wish to quote the pages from Alcoholics Anonymous at a meeting or to a newcomer you will considered out of your mind. It is very poorly laid out and subtitled and there are even subtitiles that don't even occur in any of the official Conference approved editions. It appears that somebody named Benei Noaj has stolen the copyrighted Big Book and is attempting to make money by selling a fraudulent copy he claims is the First Edition, but really isn't. He should be sued by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. which owns the copyright to this book. It is very strangely laid out and put together in what seems like a hurried fashion for money making purposes and falsely claims to be the "First Edition" of the Big Book. It is not. There are other exact reproductions of the First Edition which precisely duplicate the original which are worth purchasing if you really want a reproduction of the First Edition. This is a worthless phoney edition that is not worth the paper it is printed on. Don't Buy It! I would hope that Amazon.Com removes this book from their inventory. It is not what it claims and may be an outright violation of copyright law.
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