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Decoding the Big Book, is sourced from "Writing the Big Book, by William Schaberg.  We highly recommend this book.  Click here to purchase the book on Amazon.

Discover the intriguing story behind the creation of "Two Wives," attributed to Bill Wilson despite common misconceptions. Understand the tensions between Bill and his wife, Lois Wilson, regarding the chapter's content and its portrayal of women supporting their husbands through recovery. Explore Bill's rationale for maintaining a consistent writing style and his insistence on an alcoholic author's perspective in defining the condition.

Uncover the subtleties in Bill's depiction of alcoholism's impact on families, particularly spouses, and the nuances of emotional stability in the early stages of recovery. Examine the evolution in defining alcoholism, shifting from drinker types to the pivotal emphasis on willingness to stop—a cornerstone in the AA recovery program, reiterated in the appendix's essentiality of willingness for recovery.

Despite the dated tone and perceived gender roles in "Two Wives," unpack the two significant points that emerged—Bill's defining of alcoholism and the focus on willingness as central to recovery. Understand the belief that the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, remained the sole solution for those afflicted and their partners in the absence of other options in 1938. Join us as we explore the intricate layers of history and biases within the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous in this enlightening episode.

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