Dr Bob And The Good Oldtimers

A biography, with recollections of early A.A. in the Midwest.

Alcoholics Anonymous, by its very nature, could not have been founded by one person: its essence is sharing. Bill W. and Dr. Bob are always referred to within A.A. as “co-founders.” Having died in 1950, when A.A. was only 15 years old, the Ohio surgeon may be less well-known than the New York stockbroker, his influence on the whole A.A. program is permanent and profound. Filled with interviews with friends and family, this deeply researched biography follows A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob S. from his New England childhood to his days as a surgeon and father who couldn't stop drinking; to his transformative meeting with Bill W. and the birth of A.A. in Akron; and finally to his untimely death in 1950. Inextricably entwined with Bob’s life, the early history of Alcoholics Anonymous in the Midwest is chronicled along the way. With 26 archival photographs. General Service Conference-approved. For A.A. history buffs as well as members curious to know more about the quieter co-founder, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers offers an inside glimpse into the inspiring life of this complex, compelling character. With 39 archival photographs. Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers has been approved by the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous.

A.A. co-founder Bill W. tells the story of the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous from its make-or-break beginnings in New York and Akron in the early 1930s to its spread across the country and overseas in the years that followed. A wealth of personal accounts and anecdotes portray the dramatic power of the A.A. Twelve Step program of recovery — unique not only in its approach to treating alcoholism but also in its spiritual impact and social influence. Bill recounts the evolution of the Twelve Steps, the Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts for World Service — those principles and practices that protect A.A.s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity and Service — and how in 1955 the responsibility for these were passed on by the founding members to the Fellowship (A.A.’s membership at large). In closing chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, early "friends of A.A.," including the influential Dr. Silkworth and Father Ed Dowling, share their perspectives. Includes 16 pages of archival photographs. For those interested in the history of A.A. and how it has withstood the test of time, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age offers on the growth of this ground-breaking movement. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age has been approved by the General Service Conference.

The story of Bill Wilson and how the A.A. message reached the world/

Early Akron AAs wanted "The James Club" to be the name of their fellowship. The Bible's Book of James was their favorite; they also studied it, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. These three Bible segments were considered "absolutely essential" to their program. This book takes each verse in James, the Sermon, and 1 Cor 13, and shows the influence of such verses on A.A. language.

The textbook, Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, is a detailed biography of this co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. This workbook is intended to help the reader make a thorough study of his life.