PREFACE/1ST, 2ND,3RD FORWARDS
PAGE | PARA | NOTES
xi | 1 | book; history
2 | basic text; recovery program, changes
3 | book history appendices/12 Traditions; updated stories
xii | 2 | reason for changes; why stories
xiii | 1 | recovered; purpose of book; experiences; illness; way of living for all
2 | anonymity; avocation
3 | anonymity
5 | fellowship described
xiv | 2 | inquiry by scientific, medical, and religious societies welcome
xv | 1 | journeys 161/2
2 | fellowship growth
3 | Bill, Dr. Bob meet; obsession; tenets=4 absolutes love, honesty, purity, unselfishness; bases of Steps 4,5,9,12,2,3
xvi | 1 | how to stay sober; must=84 times plus 46 other words meaning must
2 | Step 1; how to stay sober; promise
xvii | 1 | hospital work; 1st case=Eddie R.; 1st success Bill D.pg 182; AA formed
2 | substantial recovery time=little over 2 1/2 years
3 | decision to publish book late 1937; book published 1939; about 100 (89); fellowship named; flying blind= trial and error until 1939; new time=growth
4 | office established 1938, inquiries painstakingly answered, 800 alcoholics "on their way to recovery"
xv
iii | 1 | more growth described, AA established
2 | adolescent period brought "fellowship problems",
result was unity because hang together or die separately
PAGE | PARA | NOTES
xix | 1 | principles of Traditions discovered
2 | Traditions not law, accepted by 1st International Conference 1950, one of AA's greatest assets is it's Traditions
3 | adolescent period 1939-1950, AA accepted by the public because it worked, large recovery rate
xx | 1 | AA survived because of non-alcoholics in medicine, religion, press and innumerable others, book references book
2 | disclaimer
THE DOCTOR'S OPINION
PAGE | PARA | NOTES
xx
iii | 1 | plan recovery described in book; Towns Hospital
4 | Bill Wilson; regarded as hopeless
5 | 4th treatment; rehabilitation, working with others; basis of AA; and over 100; recovered
6 | it works
7 | new epoch
xxiv | 1 | rely absolutely
2 | abnormal; could not control because of maladjusted to life, full flight from reality, outright mental defectives=powerlessness pg xxvi 1, xxviii 5, 21 1, 22 4, 44 1; incomplete pictures
3 | allergy; ex-problem drinkers
4 | solution=spiritual/altruistic plane; clear brain to understand/accept
xxv | 3 | Towns Hospital
4 | contribute a few words...masterly covered
5 | solution outside of medicine
6 | practical application at once
7 | unselfishness; no profit motive; community spirit; believe in themselves and the Power
8 | free from physical craving before psychological measures
xxvi | 1 | allergy; craving; powerlessness pg xxiv 2, xxviii 5, 21 1, 22 4, 44 1
2 | emotional appeal; depth and weight; not there own power, re-create lives
3 | a psychiatrist; others affected; rehabilitation; altruistic movement
4 | why drink; don't know the truth; dry drunk=restless, irritable, discontented, jealous of others; craving after drink; entire psychic change the answer
PAGE | PARA | NOTES
xxv
ii | 1 | psychic change; simple rules
2 | want to stop but can't
3 | essential psychic change; medicine not the answer
4 | will power; craving after 1st drink; mind can not control craving
xxv
iii | 2 | type=psychopaths
3 | types=unwilling; believes he can drink; manic-depressive
4 | type=normal, able, intelligent, friendly
5 | when craving starts; allergy makes the difference; no treatment; abstinence
6 | no hope seen
xxix | 1 | Hank Parkhurst; plan in book
2 | Fritz Mayo= Our Southern Friend pg 497
3 | moral psychology=truthful, from G.S.O.; from Pass It On, 200/4/16-18=to characterize the work of the New York Fellowship.
xxx | 1 | ideas in book; good many years ???
2 | book; prayer
BILL'S STORY
PAGE | PARA | NOTES
Bill's story is a 12 call in writing
1 | 1 | 1917; strong warnings/prejudices; lonely pg xxvi 4
2 | name on tombstone Thatcher; pot
2 | 1 | Brooklyn Law School; ambitions; to drunk to take test; disturbed wife; stilled her
3 | 1 | drink was taking; friends
2 | progression
3 | Walter Hagen; progression jittery;
4 | 1 | pa xxvi 4; false courage or I don't care attitude
2 | Dick Johnson; Napoleon sent to Elba but escaped, exiled again to St. Helena and stayed there; friend let him go progression
3 | brawl, only real "drunk story" in his story, rest between ears; progression no employment
5 | 1 | now an alcoholic; liquor was his god, 1st priority; control xxvi 1; others affected false hope
2,3 | progression
4 | desire to stop; 4 horsemen pg 151 3
5 | can't quit; will power did not work
6 | cocksureness
6 | 1 | remorse, horror, hopelessness pg 5 4, 151 3; lost hope; change feeling pg xxvi 4
2 | progression; stole; geographical cure; suicide; Dr. Leonard Strong brother-in-law; drugs; physical condition
7 | 1 | Towns Hospital; hourly dosage of a mixture of belladonna, hyoscyamus, xanthoxylum, mixture given every hour, day and night, for about fifty hours, also given about very twelve hours a vigorous catharsis of C.C. pills and blue mass, end of the treatment, when it is evident that there are abundant bilious stools, castor oil is given to clean out thoroughly intestinal tract; Dr. Silkworth; found out about illness not moral
2 | goose hung high=good times; self-knowledge
3 | D.T's /wet brain
4 | gave up hope/bottom
8 | 1 | unmanageablity; step 1
2 | Nov 11, now Veterans day; insanity=1st drink; bottom; 4th dimension a promise
3 | only thought was of booze, not drinking but thinking of drinking
4 | Ebby Thatcher; alcoholic insanity=commonly used term then; unmindful; both got drunk and charted a plane, landed drunk
9 | 1 | Ebby came to Bill
6 | Ebby talked of Ebby; 2 men=Roland H. & Cebra G. both members on N.Y. Oxford Group; simple religious idea Step 2; practical program of action Step 3-12, pg 292
7 | experience; if I cared to have it
10 | 1 | He talked for hours
3 | Power with capital P; had believe but no faith
4 | close minded
11 | 1 | pick and choose; easier, easier, softer way
2 | reasons not to have faith
3 | will power failed; Step 1; live after=sobriety
4 | powerlessness Step 1
5 | hope
6 | hope
12 | 1 | old ideas die hard
2 | your conception=openmindedness
3 | the key to a locked door, openmindedness
4 | willingness not believe/faith required; where to start=where we are
5 | must be beaten to want God=Step 1 does that; hope of new world
6 | brief moment; presence blotted out by worldly clamors; been that way since=not just once
13 | 1 | pg 25 two alternatives
2 | Steps 2,3,4,6,7; the answer=not a drink since
3 | Ebby; Steps 5,8; how of Step 9
4 | Thy will pg 63 2 Step 3, 85 1 Step 10, how to pray Step 11, promise of receiving
5 | promise; new relationship pg 13 4 new God-consciousness, 72 1; new used 73 times 1-164; answered all problems; essential requirements
14 | 1 | simple; all things; God used 124 times, pronouns 92 times, titles 66 times, total 242, Higher Power twice
2 | type proposals; the moment; emotional sobriety; spiritual experience/awakening
4 | Dr. Silkworth; had no answer
5 | Step 12
6 | all my affairs=Step 12; work with others; dead faith; promise
15 | 1 | wife and I; reasons to drink; what helped
2 | Fellowship growth; emotional sobriety; hope; Cleveland, Ohio; one thousand???; why they met
16 | 1 | Bill C. a lawyer; 182 Clinton St, Brooklyn Heights, NY
2 | fellowship; dead faith; death
3 | Utopia, not even for Heaven, removed; Ebby; peace on earth & good will
Introduce yourself one time
Stay on track/no personal stories/keep talk limited/don't want to get bogged down with nit picky stuff
Study meeting; not a discussion meeting
Open ended
No one really knows, original writers dead/we interpret so no right or wrong
Prayer: God, let us set aside everything we think we know about you, the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Big Book, ourselves, and alcoholism for an open mind as we go through this Big Book study. As we look at the Big Book, please provide each of us the liberty to disagree on certain points and form our own opinions. And in all things, let us foster an attitude of love. Amen.