The author, a chemical dependency counselor, is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous with more than 20 years of sobriety. He has targeted this guide specifically toward teenagers and young adults in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, with the hope of demystifying the basic text for young people who may be put off by the length or language. Alcoholics Anonymous, more familiarly called The Big Book, was published in 1939 and is now in its fourth edition. The Big Book
describes the basic AA 12-step program, including the personal story of Bill W., credited with founding AA. In this clearly written manual, John R. devotes an interpretive chapter that corresponds to each of the 11 chapters in The Big Book. Although many of the chapters will be useful to adolescents in recovery, chapter four, "We Agnostics," will be particularly helpful to those who are uncomfortable with AA's spiritual component. John R. includes eight personal stories of recovering alcoholics from the 42 in the original text that, according to him, speak most directly to young people. He strongly suggests reading a chapter or a personal story in The Big Book
before turning to the guide for assistance with the meaning or information provided. In addition to those in recovery, this guide will also be useful to their family, friends, counselors and teachers. (Sept.)
