Whats the best book to start with ?

thetick · Member

Whats the best book to start with ?

Lexie · Senior Member

The Big Book is THE book to have. The 12 & 12 is also basic. Living Sober is excellent for tips for early recovery. In order of necessity, that's how I would put them.

The Big Book and 12 & 12 are also available online, here. But you will want your own copies.

AGO · MIP Old Timer

depends on what you want

you want to understand alcoholism?

"Staying Sober" By: Terence T. Gorski is as good as any

sadly enough self knowledge avails us nothing to recover, but it helps with helping others recover, so I read that for step 12 with chapter 7 of the BB

You want to recover from alcoholism?

get a sponsor and go through the big book, as you come to a step in the big book, generally you work that step, read the accompanying step in the 12 by 12, hopefully in a step study meeting

repeat yearly

Later on as you get into service work and want to understand about the organization that saved your life and become a participating member, the Traditions in the 12 and 12 will help. Many who are serious about sobriety get a service sponsor at 2 years to take them through the traditions, but generally those folks are already active in service, H and I, bridging the gap, have finished the steps and have taken a few sponsees through the steps, interesting to note however, those people all seem to stay sober

At a few years I also read "Stage B Recovery" and "When Society becomes an Addict" it helped further my sobriety, and at step 11 I read a plethora of Books, interestingly enough the 2 most helpful being The Relaxation Response about how to meditate and the benefits thereof by a Harvard Professor that did a study, and The Tao of Pooh, best book ever, oh oh and you HAVE to read Siddhartha, step 11 books are good fun, I have read probably hundreds but finally eschewed the knock offs and started going straight to the masters, not the masters disciples, Lao Tzu, Chuang tzu, Buddha, even Jesus, these guys all have something worth paying attention to when they say something, many read The Sermon on The Mount

start with kindergarten tho

The Big Book, go through it with a sponsor, do the steps, that is the foundation of "recovery" upon which ALL 12 step programs are founded, it is the elephant, everything else just enhances it, it IS the foundation of recovery from alcoholism.

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

After those, I might also suggest "Beginner's Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA."

GG

Reffner · Senior Member

I'm gonna have to go with the Big Book. I own 3, and read it every day.

Brian

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Ready the first 3 chapters of the big book and also read living sober. That is a great start.

louisa · Senior Member

For me, the same as pinkchip.....

..... first 3 chapters of the Big Book and also to read Living Sober.

Louisa

Lexie · Senior Member

I'd also like to suggest one other book: Getting Started in AA. It isn't official AA literature, but I bought it the first week, and even though I was familiar with AA meetings, I still found it fascinating to read. It explains all the "little t" traditions you run across in various AA meeting formats, explains some of the references (slogans, etc.) that you hear at meetings, explains stuff like why we don't "cross-talk" at meetings, and so forth.

I gave my copy away to a newcomer awhile ago, but I might pick up another one.

It explains a lot of the stuff that can be confusing when you first come in the doors, so you don't have to figure out the superficial stuff while you are trying to concentrate on listening to the message of recovery.

Larry_H · MIP Old Timer

The Big Book

Larry,
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Knowing is not enough; we must apply!

Dave Harm · Senior Member

Big Book for sure