Alcoholics Anonymous is the name of a book, originally published in 1939, which is central to the world-view of most members of a society commonly going by the same name: Alcoholics Anonymous. The original edition of the book was printed in large type and quickly became referred to as "The Big Book," a moniker that has stuck ever since, even though subsequent editions were printed in normal type. Alcoholics Anonymous refers to itself as a "fellowship," or more commonly a "program," and is most often simply called "AA." The AA Big Book as been in press continuously since 1939, with a fourth edition published in 2001 and distributed by AA World Services incorporated in New York City. Its history and central theses are presented here.

Tradition ...