Big Book Study Guide - Softcover

Forrest, Mr. Russell Dean

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1520701047 ISBN 13: 9781520701042

Publisher: Independently published, 2017

Synopsis

From the Introduction: "The Big Book is not an easy book. It is a mix of science and philosophy, spirituality and psychology, self-survey and personal revelation. It advocates for alcoholism as an illness, yet points the reader to a Power greater than herself for solution to this illness. It shows the alcoholic how to overcome his alcohol problem, only to introduce him to himself as the original and ongoing problem. Its language, while occasionally colorful and even poetic, is often foreign to the modern ear. Its suggested remedy, while lifesaving, is not easy to swallow or sustain. One cannot understand the book without understanding some important truths about one’s self and one’s drinking. These truths alone, however, will not save one from the bottle. Yet between the Big Book’s cover lies the same suggested road out of King Alcohol's mad realm that has been taken by battered souls since 1939. It is not an easy road, but recovery demands of one a choosing. Ultimately, many an alcoholic has come to be grateful for this push. "A study guide to the Big Book seems destined to run afoul of fact and interpretation. What the authors intended to communicate in any given paragraph may be subject to question; what these same paragraphs actually say may be equally open to debate. In either case, what errors of fact I am guilty of I hope are few and of small consequence. Mistakes of interpretation, on the other hand, I hope prove exciting and provoking, not boring or lazy." The guide provides an overview of the twelve step prescription for recovery, and an summation and critique of the recovery portion of the text. I have also included appendices on Alcoholism as an Intimacy Disorder; Spiritual Awakening; and Myths and Misconceptions about Alcoholics Anonymous. "Whether a newcomer to AA or a seasoned traveler on the Road of Happy Destiny, whether you have a pristine, dog-eared, or dust-covered Big Book, it is my hope that this study guide helps illuminate the text where illumination seems needed, excites considered discussion, and awakens some delicious spiritual truths."

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1520701047
• ISBN 13: 9781520701042
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 180