Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure! (contd)

A wildly imaginative dianoetic rambling concerning the the “basic text” of Alcoholics Anonymous (viz. the Big Book)

Copyright information

Well this page has got some 'black bits' (print) on it as well! Not terribly interesting black bits it's true, but 'black bits' nonetheless. This section is mostly self-explanatory but that won't stop us will it!

Bill Wilson (AA's co-founder) began writing the book 'Alcoholics Anonymous' in May 1938. At this time he was not even three years off the 'sauce' (so a pretty impressive achievement by anybody's standards!). Drafts were sent off periodically (and variously) to fellow wayfarers (and non-alcoholics) where they received in true AA tradition (which didn't exist then) a thorough mauling. Some people didn't like this bit and others that. Some thought there was too much of the 'God' stuff, others thought there wasn't enough, and so on and so forth (for more detail on this see 'Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age'). But if you want to get a real sense of what took place imagine a group conscience discussing some desperately important subject like who's going to be the next tea maker (see "How to make a cup of tea" the Road to Recovery (Plymouth cult group) way” - entry dated: 04/06/09) Then multiply that by a factor of a hundred or so in terms of speech-making, posturing, expressions of passion (not to say prejudice) with everyone and their brother sticking their oar in, and with the whole thing driven along by lots and lots and LOTS of resentment, and you'll get the general idea. But after the argy-bargy had died down they came up with the 1^st edition (which is NOT the so-called multilith edition – yet another draft produced for consultation, and subsequently rejected as being “unworkable”). It's a pretty fair guess that no one was particularly happy with the final product because nobody got exactly what they wanted – it's called compromise – and how alcoholics hate that! In fact we reckon the real reason they finally settled on this version was that by that time everyone was heartily sick of the sight of the damn thing and just wanted done with it! The text has remained pretty much the same over the years with various forewords being added with each new edition (and with the stories being varied in an attempt to present a more representative cross-section of the fellowship).

The book itself, of course, is of a certain time and place, and reflects the society in which the author(s) grew up and lived. Most people, however, possess sufficient wit to strip away such cultural (and temporal) influences, set aside their religious (or non-religious) prejudices and extract what remains essential within the text whilst applying (or not) the information contained therein in the fashion which best suits them. For those who are unable to manage this feat this may well be due to a lack of the aforementioned faculty (which we don't believe for a second holding as we do our readership in much higher estimation! - see our “radical concepts”) or is simply an expression of pure bloody mindedness (a defect – or asset – depending on your point of view) which conversely holds wide currency within the fellowship (Ooh! 'Ark at them! They're getting a bit above themselves ain't they!) As for the book itself it makes no claim to being the last word on the subject of recovery from alcoholism nor that its approach is mandatory, a fact which is made explicit within the text:

“Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself, we surely have no monopoly” (Foreword to the Second Edition, p. xxi)

“Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little.” (A Vision for You, p. 164)

(It's a pity the latter quote is not more frequently rehearsed in the presence of the Big Book 'nutters' who seem to take an entirely opposite tack!)

Finally the other 'black bit' worthy of note is the statement: “This is AA General Service Conference-approved literature”. Well! What the hell is that you ask? Hold on a sec! Hold on! This is what it is!

Coming next – Preface (“Oh thank God for that!” our long suffering reader exclaims)

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Caution: This curse (sorry!!) COURSE is not to be taken as AUTHORITATIVE nor is it to be regarded as DEFINITIVE in any way. Anyone found to be according it any undue status will be reported to the appropriate authorities (ie. GSO York or whoever) who will then do …. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (quite rightly too we say!). Moreover any person discovered to be quoting from the aforementioned course will be TERMINATED with extreme prejudice!