Welcome to Decoding the Big Book, a special limited series of the Sober Friends podcast.

Researched and sourced from writing the big book by William Sheaberg,

the purpose of each episode is to provide context and history for each chapter of the Big

Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, followed by a

reading of the chapter from the fourth edition. Each section is marked by chapters, so feel

free to skip ahead to what you're interested in and leave the rest. Bill was determined to make a clear case that self-knowledge and willpower alone

would not stop an alcoholic from taking the first drink,

regardless of how strong their will or resolve may be.

He wanted to illustrate that alcoholism is a permanent condition

and that one must turn to a higher power to overcome it.

Bill Schaberg on his YouTube page explaining his own book, writing the big book,

the alcoholic problem started even before the problem drinker picked up.

Bill had been crystal clear, and there is a solution that the alcoholic's problem existed long before they picked up. Bill have been crystal clear, and there is a solution that the alcoholics problem existed

long before they picked up the first drink. A real alcoholic has no defense against the

first drink. Any careful reading of the first 164 pages of the big book reveal at least,

at least 77 clear references to this diagnosis that Bill offers of the alcoholics

problem.

It's the insanity of picking up the first drink.

He says if you're a real alcoholic sooner or later, you're going to yield to the insidious

insanity of that first drink.

So it's not a question of once you start drinking, you can't stop. The real problem,

Wilson puts his finger on for the very first time that I know in history talking about the problem

...