Big Book Study - Post #1
Jim K
Good morning everyone!
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 cauldron 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 jk...@hotmail.com
. Please pass it on so that others may enjoy what you have found!
Have a great day!
Jim K. - The
Into Action Group of Manhattan
6:30pm Wednesdays at St. Francis
De Sales Church
135 East 96th Street (Near Lexington
Avenue)
On Manhattan's Upper East Side
Weekend retreats with Jim: http://www.spiritualawakeningsretreats.com
The Wilson House – The Birthplace of Bill Wilson - Weekend Retreats and Workshops -http://www.wilsonhouse.org/
Michael Bush
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