Big book

Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition known as the “Big Book”

The A.A. program for recovery from alcoholism

Purchase or Read For Free

The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book is a guide to the 12-step recovery program for alcoholism and addiction. The book was written by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in 1939, with the 4th edition updated version published in 2001. Sections will download and can be read by any pdf reader.

Watch or Listen Online

The book is available for watching or viewing online. Scroll down the page past the Big Book Purchase option and select the tab of your use choice. The videos are for hearing imparied using ASL interpretation and the audio is available in the Listen tab.

Alcoholics Anonymous Book

The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism

The “Alcoholics Anonymous” book, commonly known as ‘The Big Book’ is a guide to the 12-step recovery program for alcoholism and addiction. The book was written by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in 1939, with updated versions published in 1955, 1976, and the most recent 4th edition in 2001. The AA General Service Office is currently working on the 5th edition.

How 42 Alcoholics Recovered From Their Malady

Pioneers of AA

They Stopped In Time

They Lost Nearly All

What Is The Big Book

A 1939 text describing how it works to successfully recover from alcoholism with over 400 pages. Bill’s Story and Dr. Bob’s Nightmare and the personal experiences of some alcoholics are detailed as well as the series of solutions which evolved to become the 12 Step program..

How It Works

How to use the twelve steps is explained using examples and anecdotes. Some chapters target a specific audience. One chapter is devoted to agnostics, and another is named “To Wives” (most of the first AA members were men), and still another is for employers.

100 Men and Women

The second part of the Big Book (whose content varies from edition to edition) is a collection of personal storiesthat tell how the first 100 people of A.A. got sober. Various individuals who are self descibed alcoholics tell their stories of addiction and recovery.

12 Steps and 12 Traditions

This book explains the 24 basic principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. Known as the “Twelve and Twelve,” the book dedicates a chapter to each Step and each Tradition. Chapters provide an interpretation of these principles for personal recovery and the organization of the group.

“Dr. Bob and the nine men and women who tell their stories were among the early members of AA’s first groups. All ten, now passed of natural causes, had maintained complete sobriety. Today, hundreds of additional AA members can be found who have had no relapse for more than fifty years. All of these, then, are the pioneers of AA. They bear witness that release from alcoholism can really be permanent.”
– Big Book, Personal Stories, Part 1, Pioneers of AA

“They realized that repeated lack of drinking control, when they really wanted control, was the fatal symptom that spelled problem drinking. This, plus mounting emotional distrubances, convinced themthat comulsive alcoholism already had them, that complete ruin would be only a question of time.”
– Big Book, Personal Stories, Part 2, They Stopped In Time

“Alcoholism had respected nobody, neither rich nor poor, learned nor unlettered. All found themselves headed for the same destruction, and it seemed they could do nothing whatever to stop it.”
– Big Book, Personal Stories, 
Part 3, They Lost Nearly All