Big Book History #19: More Has Been Revealed
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- The publication of "Writing the Big Book: The Creation of A.A." dramatically showed how primary document research could so radically change the stories told about the early history of A.A. In this presentation, author William Schaberg demonstrates how that story continues to change as more primary documents and other credible facts are brought to light.
Excellent presentation. A most necessary work. Your efforts are recognized and appreciated. Sober since 12/7/05. Read your book 2x and have it at hand as a reference text when needed. Thank you Bill Schaberg.
Your work is so very important, Bill 🙏🏽 Thank you for your un-ending diligence and focus on discovering new facts rooted in original AA documents & beyond 🙏🏽
So grateful to have found you and your extraordinary work!
Bill, I think this is so on the money! My group (Rye Harrison/ Westchester) just discussed the Plain Language Big Book issue at a special business meeting. It is one of the questions on the delegates questionaire that needs a response in the next week or so. Very interesting point you made about simplifying languarge that is so outdated, sexist, etc. Hadn't really thought of that. Also very much agree with our job in AA to be to help Alcoholics to get sober, not to bring them closer to God. And, as you say this gets tremendous push back from members. i felt like i was in a meeting of the Akron "Alcoholic Squad". LOL!!! Thanks again for a great book and great insights.
Bill I'm with you in what you are saying here about AA needing to update itself on various fronts including The Big Book. I to am suggestive about these needs and I experience the profound resistance from many AA you speak of. Many would consider me a trouble maker I'm sure. Now and then however someone will say they agree with me on a particular point I make. That's encouraging to me. I know for each one that expresses it to me theirs plenty of others who agree but stay silent for whatever reason. Probably the fear of rejection. I'm glad you see this need as well.
Your work has been vital Bill. Pointing out the difference between New York AA and Akron AA in the early days has answered many a lingering question. You can still see the two different approaches in AA groups today. Being non religious New York would be the choice to make. The deeper in religion you are steeped Akron would be your haven. At least to varying degrees that would be the case. Thanks.
Bill, I believe that if we don't study all AA 's books we will suffer. Your book has enlightened many of us to the truths and myths that of Bill w and his cohorts.
Thanks Joe A.
I am working my way through "Writing the Big Book" a second time since there is so much great information contained in it. So well researched and written. I recommend it all of the time in my home group and to other people in recovery who know about and read the Big Book. It is a great historical analysis of the flying blind years.
So well said and such a great book. It inspired me to write a book too.:)
Thanks for his, Bill.
Read your book and I've watched all these CZcams presentations. Great stuff. I'm sober 43 yrs. this August, and I'm about and hour from you in lower Westchester County. Kind of the same turf, no? So I hear all that you're saying concerning the future readers of the BBook. I get it.
Even in 1980 when I got sober, the Book felt outdated and written in it's somewhat corny, amateur way, but not to the point that when my group met weekly to read it a loud, and then share around the room, anything was lost in the impact it had and still has. Don't know about your AA in Ct, but around here I find the real problem is a general apathy about the Big Book and AA history. (IMHO if your group doesn't have a weekly Big Book meeting, you're in the wrong group). Seems like an awful lot of the younger members aren't really into it. Whatever.
Maybe you're right about the future members not grocking the way the Book is laid out today; language and social awkwardness writ large. Could be, but I also feel you're skating a bit toward the weak ice here. The core ideas of our program are solid even in a bad presentation.
Or maybe it's just that this badly written, Christian based 164 pages saved my ass, and like many sober drunks, I resist change.
anyway, you're doing fine work here Bill. Thanks for the use of the hall.
If we did not hold the Cofounders in such reverence, we might refer to Bill as having the character defect of not telling the truth. I love AA and how God used Bill, but using the term "myth" is very kind.
Thank you so much! I am on p.333 of your book. It reads like a good mystery novel. You are a good writer, never boring.
I would like to see your book turned into a documentary...you must have been approached.
I agree with you at the end - GSO should write/publish another book. It is only a matter of time. Someone will do it,
and then GSO will lose control...it will be published independently. I already see some meetings reading non-approved
literature rather than the Big Book. If a better Big Book gets written by someone, get published independently, and
Rehabs use it, then meetings will use it too.
Probably 10 yrs ago I spoke to folks at GSO about a second book. Like you mentioned, keep the Big Book, but write another
book that was up to date, had recent results from medical studies on alcoholism, better language, some info on the
biological & chemical issues related to alcoholism, make it less geared towards American culture,
possibly discuss rehabs & detoxes, employment law, etc.
'To Employers' just doesn't make sense in a lot of other cultures (Japan)...don't want to see people get fired. Employment law
is important.
'To Wives' ignores the case when both husband and wife are drinking, the guy gets sober, she drops him because of that.
Where I live, they have a Big Book study but they decided to drop 'To Wives', and 'To Employers', from their weekly reading.
I also have a hard time believing that Bill W. read William James' book. I have a PhD in Engineering from an Ivy League school,
I wrote a fiction [short stories] book - and I can't get thru 'Varieties' on my own.
Did GSO offer to publish your book?
Also, Bill W. says something about Jesus when he told his story in Atlanta, 1951:
czcams.com/video/gKLhd2XrxsA/video.html
He said, something like "came to know the realization of Jesus", if I remember correctly.
Please, keep your videos coming. Ignore the haters.
GREAT STUFF !!!!!! 😀😀😀😀 do you know if DR BOB and DR SILKWORTH ever met ????? Did they ever write letters to each other ?????
Alas... I have never seen any correspondence between the two doctors nor does anyone mention them writing to each other... but then more may be revealed!
I love the deep dive you took into the creation of the Big Book. As you know, Bill's purpose for writing the Book was to LOCK DOWN the message. To prevent contamination.
Alot of shovel work goes into respecting diversity and inclusion within AA. The General Service Structure allows for this. The plain language version for one example. Updated stories another.Also, there's an entire library of pamphlets which addresses diversity and inclusion. Never mind all of the subscripts and appendices.
The typical Alkie can do it better lol.
Changing "We Agnostics" would be a mistake.
Bill's message IS God is omnipotent. To advocate otherwise is dangerous. Low bottom drunks - such as myself - need the hope that a loving God will provide for them.
You harped on the Christian theme. I don't see that in the BB.
An omnipotent God transcends Christianity. MANY religions use devine providence and omnipotence a basis of thier beliefs.
You ever read tradition 11?
Interesting but not that important to my overall spiritual growth and growing a relationship w God. Idc about dates and i think watering down the program and making it secular is not AA. Perhaps we need a separate movement ourside of AA for those who want secular, agnostic, etc, esoecially since that's not AA or the point of our founder path. Lol. Unfortunately, quitting drinking is only the beginning and selling Abstinence as the goal is not the point of AA, the big book or AA recovery. The bb is very simple. It's a very important part of our AA history. The words are beautiful, meaningful and spiritual. Sad what we have allowed within the AA society. ❤
I greatly appreciate your work Bill. And still sometimes disagree but indeed more shall be revealed.
Wow! Rewrite the Big Book. Didn’t Russel Brand try that? I can’t imagine those business mtgs. Lol
As an LGBTQ+ person, I still have great prejudices toward Religion. But I also have grown and my recovery has flourished by a deeper connection to my higher power-God. When I say God, I leave it to the reader that the God I share is the God of their understanding.
The only solution I was offered the very first hour of my sobriety was to get on my knees and pray to a higher power of my own choosing asking to remove the horrible ever constant obsession to drink and to then to later thank that higher power if I indeed stayed sober that 24hrs. I was of course was deeply offended and angered that this was the only solution my sponsor offered-but he said it worked for him and it had worked for many others. I immediately found and began to understand just how powerless I truly was over alcohol. I drank every hour of every day for years. I had to pray almost every hour to a God I little knew. And I was not to be relieved from the bondage of alcohol for six straight days.
Then on day seven, I woke and the sky was blue, the sunlight was warm and the clouds were whimsically puffy. And my first waking thought was “what a beautiful day” and not alcohol. It was then I realized something within me had changed and the God of my understanding had removed the desire to drink, and God’s will for me was to work the program and follow good orderly direction
I am glad my sponsor was not going to debate theology with an insane person (step 2), and that it was alcohol itself that became my greatest convincer. I was desperate enough to put my own prejudice and strongly held beliefs aside and listen and follow my sponsor’s simple suggestion…
My only choice was to drink or pray.
I am so grateful I prayed in spite of myself. And today my daily prayers of gratitude aid in growing contented sobriety.
Joe R
04/15/83