Understanding the twelve steps: An interpretation and guide for recovering people

Drawing on his 20 years of experience as a certified alcoholism and drug abuse counsellor, Terry Gorski presents an interpretation of the principles behind the AA program. The book also includes information about AA meetings, why a sponsor is important, AA traditions and what the "promises" mean. The author also wrote "Passages Through Recovery: An Action Guide for Preventing Relapse", "Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention" and "The Staying Sober Workbook".

This highly accessible guide to the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous comes at a time when the popularity of such programs are at an all-time high. Drawing on his experience as an alcohol/substance abuse counselor, Gorski ( Passages Through Recovery , HarperCollins, 1989) interprets each of the steps, and explains their importance in the recovery process. Valuable insight into how the steps should be "worked" or used by those trying to abstain from alcohol is also provided. While Melody Beattie's Codependents' Guide to the Twelve Steps (Prentice Hall Pr., 1990) focuses on the steps as they apply to people dealing with codependent issues, Gorski's primary audience is the alcoholic. However, those newly involved in other 12-step programs (i.e., Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, etc.) will gain better understanding from this. Recommended for popular psychology and self-help collections.
- Linda S. Greene, Chicago
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.