AA Big Book
2nd edition cover, 1955
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| Author | Bill W. |
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| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. |
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Publication date
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April 10, 1939 (1st ed.) 1955 (2nd ed.) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback, Paperback and Online) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 408888189 |
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism (generally known as The Big Book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition) is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, primarily written by one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Bill W. . It is the originator of the seminal "twelve-step method" widely used to treat many addictions, from alcoholism and heroin addiction to marijuana addiction, as well as overeating, sex addiction, gambling addiction, with a strong spiritual and social emphasis.
It is one of the best-selling books of all time, having sold 30 million copies. In 2011, Time magazine placed the book on its list of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923, the beginning of the magazine. In 2012, the Library of Congress designated it as one of 88 "Books that Shaped America."
Bill W. at one time was a successful Wall Street businessman, but his career was in shambles because of his chronic alcoholism. In 1934 Bill W. was invited by his friend and drinking buddy Ebby T. to join the Oxford Group, a spiritual movement based on the “Four Absolutes” of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. Bill W. met Dr. Bob in May 1935, and the men shared their stories with one another. The two began to work on how to best approach alcoholics and began trying to help men recover from alcoholism. The idea for the book developed at least as early as 1937 when Bill W. and Dr. Bob realized their system had helped over 40 men stay sober for more than 2 years. The book was meant to carry their message far and wide. Wilson started writing the book in 1938 with the financial support of Charles B. Towns (1862–1947), an expert on alcoholism and drug addiction who was a supporter and creditor of Alcoholics Anonymous and lent Wilson $2500 ($41,870 in 2014 dollar values).
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