PODCAST · health
Big Book Podcast
by Howard L.
Listen to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous anytime, anyplace. Unabridged audio version of 1st & 2nd editions read by Howard L. (1/1/88)
Episodes
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Chapter One – BILL’S STORY
Howard L reads Chapter One, Bill's Story, from the Big Book of “Alcoholics Anonymous” first published in 1939. Please share it with anyone you know who has the desire to stop drinking. It may be the only version of the Big Book they ever hear! If you’ve enjoyed the Big Book Podcast, have a listen...
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APPENDICES I-VI – Second Edition
This is the 85th and final episode of the Big Book Podcast. It features the six Appendices and list of AA Publications found at the end of the Second Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 1955. If you’ve enjoyed the Big Book Podcast, have a listen to Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30…
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FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE – 2nd Edition
This is the final story in the Second Edition entitled “Freedom From Bondage” and was printed in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Editions of the Big Book. It was written by Wynn L. who joined AA in 1947 at the age of 33. Married and divorced four times before she got sober in AA, Wynn married her fifth...
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HE WHO LOSES HIS LIFE – 2nd Edition
This story, printed in the 2nd and 3rd Editions, was penned by Bob R. who sobered up in New York City AA in 1947. The story’s literary flair reflects Bob’s earlier ambitions of becoming a playwright and the depths to which he had descended prior to sobriety. Though not much is known about Bob, he...
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THE INDEPENDENT BLONDE – 2nd Edition
Published only in the Second Edition, this is the story of Nancy F., who got sober in New York City in 1945 when she was 39 years old. It is said that Nancy and another young woman, perhaps AA pioneer Marty Mann, were often asked to go to hospitals and drying-out places frequented by the wealthy,...
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THE CAREER OFFICER – 2nd Edition
This story's author is Sackville M., who got sober in Dublin, Ireland in 1947. Sackville helped reorganize the original Dublin AA meeting in which the secretary and a dozen members got drunk shortly after he joined. Of the three alcoholics from the group who stayed sober, Sackville became…
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ANNIE THE COP FIGHTER – 2nd Edition
Annie C. first joined AA in 1947 at the age of 67. One interesting item that shows up in Annie’s story is the reference to a farm in Connecticut where she went for a few days after she had relapsed. This same farm, mentioned in other early stories in the Second Edition of the Big Book, was owned…
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DESPERATION DRINKING – 2nd Edition
This is a relatively short story printed in the Second and Third Editions. The author is Pat M., who joined AA and got sober around 1952. Those are the only two additional details uncovered by a deep Google search. The anonymity of the story’s author which provides only the initial of his last...
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THERE’S NOTHING THE MATTER WITH ME! – 2nd Edition
Written by Bill G., who got sober in 1945, this story runs the gamut from being a successful business man to literally being a bum on the street, pawning his shoes, living under a bridge, and drinking Sterno. As bottoms go, it's hard to imagine one going much lower. As graphic and engaging as…
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THE PRISONER FREED – 2nd Edition
“The Prisoner Freed” was printed only in the Second and Third Editions, so it will be heard for the first time by those who’ve otherwise been raised on the Fourth Editions alone. As with some stories in the Second Edition, the author of this story is unknown. A deep dive on Google did not reveal...
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PROMOTED TO CHRONIC – 2nd Edition
Printed only in the 2nd and 3rd Editions of the Big Book, “Promoted to Chronic” was written by Helen B., who got sober in 1945. After working for the Boston Central Services Office of A.A., Helen became a senior staff member at the New York office in 1949, where she personally helped Bill W....
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JIM’S STORY – Second Edition
“Jim’s Story” was written by Dr. Jim S., a physician in Washington D.C., who is credited with founding the first black AA group. While the struggles of starting that group are well-noted in the story, its importance as an AA milestone was recognized by AA co-founder Bill W. in the book…
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OUR SOUTHERN FRIEND – 2nd Edition
This is one of only 5 stories to show up in all 4 Editions. The author is John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo, known to his contemporaries as “Fitz” M. Unlike some of the previous Personal Stories, quite a lot is known about Fitz and his contribution to early AA and the Big Book. Fitz got sober in October...
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JOE’S WOES – 2nd Edition
This 73rd episode begins Part 3, the last part of the Personal Stories section of the Second Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 1955. Part 3 is entitled “They Lost Nearly All” and contains the final 12 stories in the Second Edition. Story number 1 in Part 3 is called “Joe’s Woes” and…
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NEW VISION FOR A SCULPTOR – 2nd Edition
This is a relatively rare story, as it is one of only five stories that was published exclusively in the 2nd Edition. There's also nothing known about the author except what can be gleaned from the story itself: It was written by Fred, who got sober in 1947. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating...
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ME AN ALCOHOLIC? – 2nd Edition
This story is familiar to many, as it was printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions of "Alcoholics Anonymous". Unfortunately, the author of this story is unknown. What little we know about him is from the story itself. He got sober in November 1947 and was still sober past November 1954...
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STARS DON’T FALL – 2nd Edition
This story was penned by Felicia G. who first came to AA in 1943, but didn’t get sober until 1944. When she first met Bill W. at the AA Foundation office in New York, he turned her over to Marty M., who became her sponsor, and, together with Pricilla P., helped her become known as the 6th woman…
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PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF – 2nd Edition
Written by Dr. Earle M. from San Francisco, who got sober in June of 1953, this story was printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. Earle was a very active member of AA throughout his life, spreading its message of hope to those he touched in his medical practice, as well as countless...
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IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE – 2nd Edition
Printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions, the author of this story is said to have been Chet R. from Santa Barbara, California, though just when he wrote it or first came into AA is not known. The only clue uncovered during a Google search points to a recording of Chet made in October…
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THE HOUSEWIFE WHO DRANK AT HOME – 2nd Edition
In this 67th episode, story number 7 in Part 2 of the Personal Stories section of the Second Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 1955. It’s entitled “The Housewife Who Drank at Home”” and it was printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. Just who wrote this story is not known,...
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HIS CONSCIENCE – 2nd Edition
This story was printed only in the Second Editions, so it has remained largely unseen by those AAs who’ve otherwise been raised on the Third and Fourth Editions. As with the last story, the author of this story is unknown. A deep dive into AA history indicates little about this author, except the...
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UNTO THE SECOND GENERATION – 2nd Edition
Unlike many stories in the First and Second Editions of the Big Book, the author of this story is unknown. We know from the story that he got sober in 1950 and was still sober four years later when he wrote the story for the Second Edition. Whether his ultimate obscurity was intentional or not…
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A FLOWER OF THE SOUTH – 2nd Edition
This story's author, Esther E., got sober in Texas in 1941 and was inspired to seek help from AA’s relatively new General Service Office in New York after reading Jack Alexander’s seminal article about Alcoholics Anonymous published in the Saturday Evening Post. A week after she wrote to the GSO,...
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THE PROFESSOR AND THE PARADOX – 2nd Edition
This short, but powerful, story was written by John P. and appeared only in the Second Edition, which is why most AA’s have never seen it. John enumerated four paradoxes of the AA program and why they are so important: 1) We surrender to win; 2) We give away to keep; 3) We suffer to get well; and...
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FEAR OF FEAR
This relatively short story was authored by Ceil M., who got sober in New York City in 1949. As with other authors of Personal Stories in the Big Book who achieved long-term sobriety in AA, Ceil M. provided an update to her story some 18 years after she and her husband, George, first came into…
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RUM, RADIO AND REBELLION – 2nd Edition
The first of 12 stories in Part 2 of the Big Book presents a compelling case to stop drinking sooner than later and save years of infinite suffering. It was written by Pete W., who got sober in 1945. It was published only in the Second and Third Editions, so it’s likely those who’ve been raised…
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THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM
Most readers of the Big Book will recognize “The Keys of the Kingdom”, as it was published in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. Its author, Sylvia K, traveled from Chicago to Akron and Cleveland, Ohio in early 1939, around the time that the Big Book was first published, but not yet widely...
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HOME BREWMEISTER – 2nd Edition
This was one of only five of the original 29 stories in the First Edition to make it into the Second Edition. Its author, Clarence S., got sober in early 1938. Along with a dozen other sober alcoholics from Cleveland, he would make the 40 mile drive to Akron each week to attend the Oxford Group...
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HE SOLD HIMSELF SHORT – 2nd Edition
Earl T., got sober in 1938 with the help of Dr. Bob and a number of original members of the fledgling Akron group. He then took his newfound sobriety and program knowledge back to his hometown, Chicago. For more than a year, he attempted, unsuccessfully, to put together an AA group. Finally, he…
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THE MAN WHO MASTERED FEAR – 2nd Edition
“The Man Who Mastered Fear” was printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. It’s actually is an expanded version of a story printed in the First Edition of the Big Book titled “The Fearful One” by Archie T. from Detroit which was less than four pages long. “The Man Who Mastered Fear” was...
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FROM FARM TO CITY – 2nd Edition
This story was written by Ethel M., one of the first female members of Akron Group 1 that met on Wednesday evenings at King’s School in Akron, Ohio. Though she didn’t get sober until May 1941, along with her husband Russ, by the time the Second Edition was published in 1955, Ethel was widely…
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THE NEWS HAWK – 2nd Edition
This story is actually the edited and re-titled version of the story “Traveler, Editor, Scholar” which was originally published in the First Edition. A sizable portion of the beginning of that story was omitted from the second edition and there were also minor word changes throughout. If you…
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THE VICIOUS CYCLE – Second Edition
This story was penned by Jim B. who got sober in 1938, and was an member of Bill W’s original New York Group that met on Tuesday nights in Brooklyn. It was published in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions of the Big Book, but not in the First Edition. However, Jim’s involvement in the program...
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THE EUROPEAN DRINKER – 2nd Edition
This story is one of only a handful of stories from the First Edition of the Big Book that was retained for the Second Edition. It's about Joe D., an original member of the Akron Group, sometimes referred to AA number 5. As was the case with a number of stories in the First Edition of the Big…
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WOMEN SUFFER TOO – 2nd Edition
Women Suffer Too was written by Marty M., a founding female member of Alcoholics Anonymous and close friend of Bill W. Marty’s involvement in AA influenced her life of service in which she traveled around the country advocating the importance of treatment and education of the fatal disease of...
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HE THOUGHT HE COULD DRINK LIKE A GENTLEMAN – 2nd Edition
One of the more colorful stories from the very earliest days of AA, this story was published in the 2nd and 3rd Editions but omitted from the 4th edition for reasons unknown. If you’ve only read stories in the 4th Edition, you’ll enjoy this “new” story published in 1955. It features many of the...
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HE HAD TO BE SHOWN – 2nd Edition
This is the 50th episode of the Big Book Podcast, and I'd like to thank the thousands of people around the world who have listened to this audio version of the 1st and 2nd editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. We’ve many more episodes to come. I hope you have found listening to the Big Book both...
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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS NUMBER THREE – 2nd Edition
“Alcoholics Anonymous Number 3” describes the meeting of Dr. Bob and Bill W. with Bill D., an alcoholic patient Akron City Hospital in late June 1935. With their help, Bill D. got sober and was a pioneer member of Akron Group 1, the first AA group in the world. His story chronicles the very...
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DR. BOB’S NIGHTMARE – 2nd Edition
This 48th episode marks the beginning of the Personal Stories section in the 2nd Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 1955. While the 11 chapters in the first 164 pages of the Big Book preserved AA’s message as it was originally published in the 1st Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous in…
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Chapter 11 – A VISION FOR YOU – 2nd Edition
Bill Wilson wrote the 11th chapter in the fall of 1938, while still wrestling with other chapters of the book. Years later, in the book “Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age”, Bill admitted to having been secretly worried during that time about getting the book finished. “I was exhausted,” he said....
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Chapter 10 – TO EMPLOYERS – Second Edition
Unlike previous chapters, Chapter 10 was not written entirely by Bill Wilson. In fact, it was penned by Hank Parkhurst, a friend and business associate of Bill’s who got sober in 1935. In the annals of AA history, Hank played an integral role in the early days of the movement, and managed many of...
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Chapter 9 – THE FAMILY AFTERWARD – Second Edition
With few edits , Chapter 9 was republished in the Second Edition in 1955 as as a powerful and practical guide for families of alcoholics. Originally written by Bill W in the fall of 1938, Chapter 9 describes the dire impact that alcoholism has on family relationships and how those dynamics are...
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Chapter 8 – TO WIVES – Second Edition
Chapter 8's actual authorship has been widely speculated upon since it was first written in 1938. Many believe that Bill W.’s wife, Lois Wilson, may have written or contributed to the writing of this seminal chapter. Indeed, it might have made sense for her to do so. As she related in her memoirs...
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Chapter 7 – WORKING WITH OTHERS – 2nd Edition
Chapter 7, entitled Working With Others, from the 2nd edition of Alcoholics Anonymous was originally published in 1955. Again, few changes were made to this chapter between the first and second editions, but its powerful message of “You can’t keep it if don’t give it away” resounds in the…
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Chapter 6 – INTO ACTION – Second Edition
With few changes from the First Edition, Chapter 6 remains a powerful guide for working the 5th through 11th steps of the AA Program. Interestingly, the 6th and 7th step were treated to only two paragraphs in the Big Book on page 76. Given the number of pages or chapters that other steps were...
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Chapter 5 – HOW IT WORKS – Second Edition
Chapter 5 is so important to Alcoholics Anonymous, that the first three pages of "How It Works" are commonly read at the beginning of many AA meetings. The chapter clearly lays out the 12 steps in the suggested program of recovery upon which AA is based. A major change from the First Edition was...
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Chapter 4 – WE AGNOSTICS – Second Edition
With few changes from the First Edition, Chapter 4's main objective is to enable readers to find a Power greater than themselves that would solve their problem. Though Chapter 4 was originally written to describe that Power in spiritual and moral terms, without hesitancy to talk about God, it…
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Chapter 3 – MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM – Second Edition
Though few changes were made to Chapter 3 in the Second Edition published in 1955, there’s an interesting and notable asterisk at the end of a few sentences on the top of page 34 in the print version. Those two sentences, which remained unchanged from the First Edition, read, “We, who are…
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Chapter 2 -THERE IS A SOLUTION – Second Edition
A significant change was made to Chapter 2 when the Second Edition was printed in 1955. The First Edition referred to a “celebrated physician” who treated the American businessman, (later known as Rowland H). The Second Edition named that doctor as the world-famous psychoanalyst Dr. Carl Jung…
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Chapter 1 – BILL’S STORY – Second Edition
The amazing story of AA's co-founder, Bill W., continues to inspire and guide Alcoholics Anonymous more than 85 years after its founding and 49 years after Bill's death in 1971. Bill’s Story, Chapter 1 in the 2nd Edition of the Big Book published in 1955, was left largely intact from the 1st...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Big Book Podcast have?
Big Book Podcast currently has 86 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Big Book Podcast about?
Listen to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous anytime, anyplace. Unabridged audio version of 1st & 2nd editions read by Howard L. (1/1/88)
How often does Big Book Podcast release new episodes?
Big Book Podcast has 86 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Big Book Podcast?
You can listen to Big Book Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Big Book Podcast?
Big Book Podcast is created and hosted by Howard L..
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