The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
The AA Big Book (full title: Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism), nicknamed The Big Book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition is a 1939 basic text, describing how to seek recovery from alcoholism.
Quotes
[edit]- We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain's table.
- "The Big Book", Page: 17
- But what about the real alcoholic? He may start off as a moderate drinker; he may or may not become a continuous hard drinker; but at some stage of his drinking career he begins to lose all control of his liquor consumption, once he starts to drink.
- Page: 21
- There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.
- Page: 25
- The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.
- Page: 43
- Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves.
- Page: 58
- Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- (Steps 1-3 quoted of 12), Page: 59
- We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.
- Page: 60
- Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought.
- Page: 60
- Resentment is the number one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.
- Page: 64
- The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.
- Page: 83
- We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
- Page: 83
- No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
- Page: 84
- We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us
- Page: 84
