Answer these questions about the text in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous starting from

the cover page through The Doctor’s Opinion.

Forget EVERYTHING you learned in school. This is not a test for you to impress me or to earn
good grades. I will be happy to review and share with you, but remember, you are ONLY doing
this to help yourself better comprehend and understand our text. It is about your recovery –
not mine..

PRE-PREFACE PAGES

1. On the spine of your Big Book, does it have the author’s name?

2. In the list of OTHER BOOKS, what did they decide to call the book about “Bill W.’s life
story”? Do you think this title was chosen randomly?

3. What is the sub-title of the book Alcoholics Anonymous? (Hint: It starts with “The Story
of …”

PREFACE

4. Why has the first portion of this volume, describing the A.A. recovery program, been left
largely untouched over the years?

FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION

5. What is the main purpose of this book?

6. What does the word “precisely” mean?

1
FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION

7. From this doctor (Dr. Silkworth) the broker (Bill W) had learned something. What did he
learn?

8. Why did Dr. Bob (this physician) repeatedly fail to resolve his alcoholic dilemma--even
with spiritual means?

9. What happened when he did resolve it? (At that time and until his death in 1950)

10. What did this seem to prove?

11. What was indicated as vital to permanent recovery? (may be really good to get a grasp on this
if you want permanent – and not temporary – recovery)

12. What do the following words mean?

o Strenuous
o Vital
o Permanent

2
 13. What was the first thing the two men (Bill and Bob) set out to work upon at Akron City
Hospital?

14. What does “frantically” mean? (page xvii)

15. Which came first - the Book Alcoholics Anonymous or the Fellowship Alcoholics
Anonymous? (This has caused major confusion for the past 85 years - the fact that there now is 2
Alcoholic Anonymous. They have totally different requirements and purposes, but carry the same name).

16. Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, what success rate did they have back in
the early days? (page xx)

17. Do you think it is the same today? Why not? (We have just learned that the program - The Big
Book - hasn’t changed)

THE DOCTORS OPINION

Letter 1

18. What has become the basis of a rapidly growing fellowship of these men and their
families?

o What does “basis” mean?

3
After Letter 1

19. We must believe that the _________ of the alcoholic is quite as abnormal as his
_______.

20. What are the definitions of:

o abnormal
o allergy
o chronic
o obsession

LETTER 2

21. What in the Doctor’s opinion happens to alcoholics when they don’t drink?

o What happens to you when you don’t drink?

22. What is the Doctor’s two-part definition of alcoholism?

23. To alcoholics, their life seems the only _________one. (p xxviii)

24. Why do men and women essentially drink? (p xxviii)

o What effect does alcohol produce in you?

25. What has to happen for there to be any hope for recovery? (p xxix)

o What does this mean to you?

4
26. What does the Doctor say about the classification of alcoholics? (p xxx)

27. What one symptom do all alcoholics have in common? (p xxx)

o What is “phenomenon”?
o What is “craving”?
o What happens to you when you take one drink?

28. What is “the only relief we have to suggest” to avoid the symptom of craving? (p xxx)

29. What is the general opinion amongst physicians about most chronic alcoholics? (p xxx)

30. What does the Doctor say is the solution to these two examples regarding “this book”?
(p xxxi and p xxxii)