The Big Book Unplugged: A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous [Paperback]

Anonymous Anonymous (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2003

What does a teen addicted to, say, marijuana, have in common with an adult alcoholic from almost 70 years ago? Plenty, according to The Big Unplugged. This book helps youth find common ground in Alcoholics Anonymous-a book which may sometimes seem remote to today's teens. The author summarizes each chapter of the Big Book, and in fresh, frank language, addresses issues faced and roadblocks erected by teens¿invincibility, surrender, spirituality, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author, a chemical dependency counselor, is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous with more than 20 years of sobriety. He has targeted this guide specifically toward teenagers and young adults in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, with the hope of demystifying the basic text for young people who may be put off by the length or language. Alcoholics Anonymous, more familiarly called The Big Book, was published in 1939 and is now in its fourth edition. The Big Book describes the basic AA 12-step program, including the personal story of Bill W., credited with founding AA. In this clearly written manual, John R. devotes an interpretive chapter that corresponds to each of the 11 chapters in The Big Book. Although many of the chapters will be useful to adolescents in recovery, chapter four, "We Agnostics," will be particularly helpful to those who are uncomfortable with AA's spiritual component. John R. includes eight personal stories of recovering alcoholics from the 42 in the original text that, according to him, speak most directly to young people. He strongly suggests reading a chapter or a personal story in The Big Book before turning to the guide for assistance with the meaning or information provided. In addition to those in recovery, this guide will also be useful to their family, friends, counselors and teachers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John R. sobered up at seventeen-before he was even old enough to legally drink. With more than twenty years of continuous sobriety, he has worked as chemical dependency counselor with young people in high schools and residential treatment centers. He also has written extensively on the subject of adolescent addiction and recovery.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Hazelden Publishing; 1 edition (August 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592850383
• ISBN-13: 978-1592850389
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Teen Health > Drug & Alcohol Abuse

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration for many, July 30, 2007

By 

K. Mills "lovebug" (Cody, WY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Book Unplugged: A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous (Paperback)

I work in a substance abuse treatment center, and I have found that people that started drinking or using when they were young relate to this book easily. It puts things in simple terms and uses real stories to portray the points. I feel the language is foul at times, but the author does use it to make a point and relate to younger people. I'm buying this book for my father who has been sober for 15 years through AA, and is still working the program "one day at a time."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So Glad I found This One!, May 2, 2008

By 

Passenger in the Lifeboat - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Book Unplugged: A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous (Paperback)

One of my teenaged children's observations when I share the experience, strength and hope Recovery has brought to me, is that I'm "not speaking teen language," so they don't always grasp what I mean. They know the Recovery journey has helped me, they mainly see it in my life, but the language makes it hard to translate to their own struggles, or to the struggles they see their friends experiencing. THE BIG BOOK UNPLUGGED does speak teen language (using some VERY clear language in fact, that may offend those to whom the book isn't geared, but speaks VOLUMES to its intended audience!), and is a clear, conversational format that picks the very best of the BIG BOOK of AA, and presents it in accessible language. Don't know why it took me so long to find this, but it's just what I have been looking for!

Stories remain very personal, the big players in AA are presented in a human, contemporary context, which emphasizes our similarities, even though these founders began "way back there," and I was pleased with the comfortable use of humor and honesty. The style and language are so easy to process, that I would also recommend this book for those who wouldn't exactly view themselves as a "young person" and yet have trouble processing the BIG BOOK, both in size (we call it BIG for a reason!)and content.

Having said that, I would wish maybe for a follow up book, or maybe a few more elements included in this volume, but then that would likely detract from it's slim, non-intimidating size. So overall, it's a great book and a great option!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read for a better understanding of the big book!, July 30, 2011

By 

Barbara S. Reeves "Barbara S. Reeves" (Grove Hill, Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Book Unplugged: A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous (Paperback)

The Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book" was first published in 1939. Newer editions were published in 1955, 1976 and 2001. The newer editions updated the personal stories in the back section, but the first 164 pages remain pretty much unchanged from what Bill Wilson wrote in the thirties.

Even though much has changed in our society and culture since that time, everything Bill wrote about is still 100 percent applicable today. Not a sentence is wasted in those first 164 pages. But at the time, most of AA's members were older white men, so a lot of it was geared more toward them, for instance, the "To Wives" chapter. But obviously husbands aren't the only alcoholics. Wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters can suffer from this dreadful disease also. So "The 12 Steps Unplugged" was written by John R. to better explain the "Big Book" to younger generations. John R. himself recovered at 17 years old (a very high bottom) and in the 20 years since has worked as an adolescent treatment counselor. He stresses two things: This is a program of action, and God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. These two seemingly contradictory statements together mean that if we do the work, God will meet us halfway.

"The 12 Steps Unplugged" is for anyone new to the program or anyone who feels that the language of the "Big Book" is outdated. Each chapter is broken down and explained in a more practical manner without changing the original meaning.

David Allan Reeves
Author of "Running Away From Me"