What is The Big Book?

What is The Big Book and where do I get one?

The "Big Book" is the common name for the book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book is the basic text of the Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship that was first published in 1939 - before the fellowship had a name. Later, the fellowship became known as "Alcoholics Anonymous" and thus the confusion began between the Book and the Fellowship that shared the same name. The Fellowship is a bunch of people. The Book is the Basic Text and instruction manual for those interested in learning, applying, and practicing the principles of A.A.'s 12-Step Program of recovery. In Europe it is often called "The Blue Book."

Where can I get a "Big Book?" The Big Book is readily available wherever AA groups meet or from AA offices which may be listed as "Alcoholics Anonymous" in the local telephone directory--these may also be known as the "Intergroup Office" or "Central Office". You can also get one through the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous -- see http://www.aa.org. Your local AA source (see this link) can probably provide a copy of the Big Book for about $6.00 or less. Alternatively, you can get one at your local book store for perhaps $20...they will not know what a "big book" is, but they can easily provide you with the correct book when they know the customer wants a copy of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Some AA members will tell you they order Big Books from the Anonymous Press at http://anonpress.org - buying a Study Edition (softcover) and a couple inexpensive Mini Editions to meet their minimum order requirement. You'll then have a Study Edition to read at home and at Big Book Study meetings and a pocket-size Mini Edition - "don't leave home without it" - and another Mini-Edition or two to give to others.

You can read The Big Book online at this link or download it in many formats at this link.

The links below are not part of any affiliate program with these companies:
You can also get a copy at Hazelden, Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.