Big Book Study

[bluidkiti]

Big Book Study - Post #1

Welcome everyone to the newest cycle of our Big Book Study! We'll be
examining the book very closely throughout the coming weeks. It is
important to note that we will examine this book from the standpoint
of a textbook.

I always like to note at this juncture that the title page has the
following subtitle:

"The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from
Alcoholism"

Yes - Recovered! Now that usually opens a seething couldron of
debate ie: "Recovering" vs. "Recovered". The reason I bring this up
here is it is important to note that lasting recovery--i.e., having
recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body--is the result of
what our book presents. Whether one calls him/herself a recovered or
recovering alcoholic is of no consequence in this study. We will
limit our discussion to the text. That debate rages on at from time
to time at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/we_have_recovered

(That is, if you care to get involved in it.)

Turning the page to Roman Numeral v, the Table of Contents, let's
see how the book was laid out. Bill was an educated and intelligent
man. He was taught to avoid repeating himself. However, he knew that
he would have to make the same point repeatedly, but in several
different ways, in order to get the point across. The format of our
book is very much like that of a textbook in this way.

The Doctor's Opinion and Bill's Story identify what the problem is:
Powerlessness, and they cover Step 1. The Doctor's Opinion, written
by Dr. Willam D. Silkworth, the doctor who treated Bill at Towns
Hospital (293 Central Park West at 89th Street in Manhattan) was a
part of the main text in the first edition of the book. It was put
into the Roman Numerals in the second edition on the advice of
literary experts of the time. (And, unfortunately, who reads those
Roman Numerals anyway!?!) The letter he provided was unsigned at the
time of the first edition as well. Dr. Silkworth was concerned about
his medical standing back when the book was being written--the ideas
were so radical at the time that he was concerned about being
ridiculed and ostracized about his ideas on alcoholism.

Chapters 2, 3, and 4 identify The Solution, that we need Power and
cover Step 2.

Chapters 5, 6, and 7 identify the Necessary Actions to find that
Power and go into the detail of Steps 3 thru 12.

With our next post, we will begin on Roman Numeral xi - The Preface to the Third
edition.

Please e-mail any questions to me at jknyc@... or you can
reach Karen at honey_dot_com@.... Please pass it on so that
others may enjoy what you have found!

Jim