MENTAL
HYGIENE
Vol. 41(1), January 1957
Vol. 41(1), January 1957
ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS: New York, Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing Co., 1955. 2nd.
Edition, 575p.
This
is the second and greatly enlarged edition of a book first published
in 1939. Three hundred thousand copies of the first edition have been
sold.
The
second edition presents identical material for the first 164 pages.
The
second part, made up of personal records, has now been enlarged so
that it contains 37 histories. These are divided into three sections.
The first contains the history of 13 pioneers of Alcoholics
Anonymous. Part two, labeled "They Stopped in Time,"
contains 12 more histories.
Except
for additional introductory material and the changes in the case
histories, the book is identical with the first edition.
For
those unfamiliar with the first edition, the book starts out with an
introduction, followed by historical material and a discussion of the
aims of Alcoholics Anonymous. There is a good deal of detail about
the program of recovery, and enumeration of the now well-known 12
points, which express the fundamental beliefs of Alcoholics
Anonymous. There are special chapters for wives, for families and for
employers. The last chapter, titled "A Vision For You," is
an appeal to the alcoholic to make use of Alcoholics Anonymous and
adopt its procedures.
The
book presents the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous, a philosophy
which has had quite unexpected success, since the reviewer doubts
that any of those who witnessed the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous
had any concept of what it would achieve.
The
personal stories of the 37 alcoholics can be recommended as reading
to anyone who wants to get the first-hand history of alcoholics who
have managed to overcome the habit.
The
whole book presents the viewpoint of Alcoholics Anonymous, which can
be considered as one approach, and one of the most successful, in
dealing with the problem of the alcoholic. Reading the book may make
it comprehensible to the reader why this program works with some
persons and not others. It is a limited approach, which takes in only
certain aspects. It frankly admits its own inability to deal with
certain types cases. It does, however, show a remarkable record of
recovery for quite a large group, and on this basis has clearly won
an important status in any plan in dealing with the alcoholic.
This
book should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand
or deal with the problem of the alcoholic. Viewed as an approach
which has been developed by a special group of alcoholics, it makes
very interesting reading and gives a much better understanding of
many of these cases.
Karl
M Bowman, M.D., San Francisco.
