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 Wilson recognized the importance of creating a clear set of actions to get and stay sober.

However, he struggled to work on the chapter that addressed this issue.

Hank Parkhurst may have helped Bill with his own ideas, as he had suggested publishing a history of the program's

work with alcoholics to establish proof of its success. Although Bill did not open the book this way,

he eventually incorporated Hank's suggestions into the chapter called A Vision for You. In it, Bill

presented the program's history and strongly suggested that the

same model could be successfully implemented in the reader's community. Bill began the chapter by

acknowledging that loneliness and isolation are among the biggest concerns for the newly sober man.

He used vivid language to describe the chilling vapor

of loneliness that settles over those who have become subjects of king alcohol. Bill then poses

the question of what comes next for the newly sober man who will know isolation like few do.

Fortunately, he offers a solution, the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Bill promised that there the newly sober man would find relief from care,

boredom, and worry.

He would make lifelong friends who would be bound to him with new and wonderful ties and together

they would commence their common journey. Bill hoped that the newly sober man would find

these new friends in his own community where alcoholics are dying helplessly like people on a sinking

...