1. Jay, Usually when people ask me to tell them the pages I tell them to go read... But you the man so here
goes.....
1. Where do you find the guaranteed promise of permanent abstinence written in
the BB? What page is it on? Does it precisely say this -- or is it a conclusion that
you've reached?
PXXX... The book says, The only relief we have to suggest is entire abstinence. As
we know its a suggestive program, not a program of suggestions. (must words)
P33...There must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that
someday we will be immune to alcohol..
P17.. The book offers a common solution, and how after following clear cut
direction we can solve the drink problem.
Original pre amble reads: The only relief we have to offer is absolute (brought to an
end, complete) abstinence, the second meaning of A.A.
2. What is it that you are referring to as being "recovered" from? Is it drinking? Is it
alcoholism? What is it specifically and precisely?
We have recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body. This describes
alcoholism! Physical allergy and mental obsession is alcoholism. We have recovered
(gained ones health and state of mind back) The word alcoholic means someone
who is dependant upon alcohol, that’s why we have recovered from the malady, or
the illness as we have come to believe. The drinking is but a symptom.
3. Is there one simple sentence in the BB that supports and describes the thing that
you are "recovered" from?
PXiii.... We, OF Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and
women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind
and body. To show other alcoholics PRECISELY HOW WE HAVE RECOVERED
is the main purpose of this book.
4. I agree that there are references to "recovered" in the book, and I also believe
that they are being mis-interpreted...
a. The title page mentions (of the First Edition BB), 100 men that have recovered.
What is the primary common problem that all alcoholics share -- that they are
recovered from?
? The common problem is alcoholism, described as a hopeless state of mind and body. P22
explains the difference between the heavy drinker and the real alcoholic. When you take the first
drink can you stop! Then the book says you are probably alcoholic. ( someone who is dependent
upon alcohol)
b. Why would the new prospect even consider picking up the BB? What problem does he have...
that he already knows that he has... that he wants a solution for?
By the time a 12 step call is made, all is not well with the person. He knows he has a problem
with alcohol! He doesn’t know what the problem is, but he knows something is not right. P89..

2. You can help when no one else can.... The man is obviously drinking too much, P90 if he does
not want to stop don’t waste time trying to persuade him.. By telling him our story we begin to
gain his confidence, as we talk about the (p92) hopelessness of alcoholism (hopeless state of
mind and body) (p92) because we offer a solution (solution means the act of solving a problem,
that being alcoholism in this case)
c. Why would he say "100" when later, he admits, there were barely 60 of them?
I cant comment on this, what I can say is 60/100/a million does it matter? The third alcoholic
(Bill/Bobs first attempt) recovered immediately (pxvii) he became AA number three.. That’s all
that matters to me....
d. Why in the Dr.'s Opinion, does Dr. Silkworth write "appeared recovered?"
The medical fraternity cannot professionally diagnose that someone has recovered from an
illness with hard core medical proof such as x-rays or a blood test etc. With our disease there is
no such evidence. Hence he said they seemed to have recovered, because if they drank they
would be back to the doctor saying you said he had recovered. The medical fraternity are still
baffled by alcoholism. I taught at 2 hospitals in Dallas and was the main speaker at HBO's film
premier of addiction, above 4 doctors and 2 scientists.... We know about our disease...
e. On page 85, why does it warn us of alcohol being a subtle foe... and mention that we are not
cured... if we are already recovered? And, is this before or after the written guarantee of
permanent abstinance?
Recovered: to get back or regain (something lost or taken away): to recover from an illness.
Cured: a method or course of medical treatment, as for disease etc... (medical not Spiritual, hence
we are never cured because a doctor cannot give us treatment, only we can)
The book says "entire abstinence" This is needed to recover, and have the spiritual awakening
guaranteed in step 12...
f. Page 135, near the bottom... What was Bill referring to when he wrote: "his more serious
ailments were being rapidly cured." ?
This is being told in the third party sense, therefore the wife sees these changes as being cured
because they know no better. Ailment: a physical disorder or illness, esp. of a minor or chronic
nature.. So the wife sees him rapidly getting better, and she sees him as cured.. We know
better....
g. On page 20: "What is it referring to when Bill writes of "If you are an alcoholic that wants to
get over it"? Is it a hopeless condition of mind and body... that they new guy probably still
doesn't admit... or is it his "drinking problem"?
The new guy doesn’t know what he is suffering from, all he knows is he has a drinking problem.
He will understand as he reads the first 164 and gains a full knowledge of his condition.
The drinking problem is only the symptom.. The hopeless condition is the disease. P23: The
main problem of the alcoholic centers in his mind rather than his body. Hence why a vital
spiritual experience/psychic change is needed...
"Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of expert opinion to the
contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of

3. mind and body. If you are an alcoholic who wants to get over
it, you may already be asking—“What do I have to do?”
h. On page 133, the following is written just as it was in 1938/1939... at the same time that the
title page was written, and the Forward to the First Edition was written:
"Page 113:
If he is enthusiastic your cooperation will mean a great
deal. If he is lukewarm or thinks he is not an alcoholic,
we suggest you leave him alone. Avoid urging him to
follow our program. The seed has been planted in his
mind. He knows that thousands of men, much like himself,
have recovered."
Keeping in mind, that this was written BEFORE the book went to print... who are the "thousands
of men" that have recovered???? Surely, they couldn't be in AA, Bill said there was only 100 in
the Fellowship... at the beginning of the book... and later Bill admids that even the 100 was an
exageration.
So the question: "Who are the thousands of men that have recovered, that Bill was referring to?"
I cant answer this question, because I wasn’t around at the time. Hearsay is all we have.
And, finally,
i. Last question: On Page 133, here we find a unique explanation from Bill, as to "who have
RECOVERD"... in regards to describing what is meant when Bill uses the word "RECOVERED"
Bill precisely writes the following:
"We, who have recovered from serious drinking,
are miracles of mental health."
Bill states "we have recovered from... serious drinking" And, he regards "recovered from serious
drinking" as miracles of mental health.
This to me, would clearly indicate, in context to all other references of Bill using the words:
Recovered, recover and recovery... (even the recovery used on page 85) as "recovered from
serious drinking." And, if the alcoholic has "recovered from serious drinking" -- it simple means
that he is no longer "seriously drinking."
When we take the symptom out of the illness, we no longer have the ammunition to feed the
disease.. Without a symptom we do not suffer from the dependency on alcohol. The symptom
being the drinking. When we remove this symptom we can then be free to treat the disease.
Remember the alcoholic definition is someone who is dependent upon alcohol! So yes we have

4. recovered from a serious drinking problem (the symptom) and now through a Spiritual way of
life we can recover from the disease..
The book was released for the general public to read, and its my opinion they tried to explain in a
few different ways, and we being alcoholics, knowing we have recovered still want to try mess
with it and pull it to pieces. It doesn’t really say this and that, well actually it does...
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