Some A.A. and Alcoholism Factoids
Why we call it the “Big Book”. A printer in Cornwall NY, named Ed Blackwell, was recommended to Bill W. as the producer for the book “Alcoholics Anonymous”. Mr. Blackwell was told the book would be about 400 pages when printed, but the authors wanted to sell it for $3.50, and in 1938 money that was about $65.00 in today’s money, a very expensive price. In order to give the reader a belief he was getting his money’s worth, they picked the cheapest, thickest paper the printer had available, thus the birth of the nickname “The Big Book”. Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine. Time’s write-up on Bill was called “The Healer”. The one-millionth copy of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous” was gifted to the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, at a White House Ceremony. It is estimated that at least half of all adult Americans have had a parent, child, sibling or spouse who has a drinking problem or alcoholism. It is estimated that 60% of the population uses some form of alcohol, but 10% of drinkers consume up to half of all alcohol sold. What do Dr. Silkworth, William James, Carl Jung, and Bill Wilson, all mentioned in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, have common in their thinking? It’s that a profound spiritual awakening (some thunderbolt, some gradual) can occur within a person who suffers a calamity in life, admits defeat, and surrenders to a power greater than themselves. The surrender does not have to be religious in nature which leads to the tradition of the belief in a “God of our understanding”. The fellowship is not and never will be in the business of defining a person’s God; each member is free to choose his own. The final major piece in the operation of the society did not occur until 1966, four years before the death of Bill W. and 31 years after the founding date in 1935. Since the beginning of the General Services trustees, the majority vote was held by the non-alcoholic Class A trustees. Alcoholic trustees were in the minority. This was changed to a majority of Alcoholics trustees in 1966. Today, the Board is guided by 14 Class B Alcoholic trustees vs. seven Class A trustees for the non-alcoholics. So the success and formation of the society took many years to develop and still, today, we closely examine our Traditions and Concepts to help us move AA forward. Vic L – Decisions Group – Winter Springs, Florida