Today over two million people partake of the storytelling, the good humor, the words of wisdom and the gallons and gallons of free coffee made available to attenders of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. AA’s basic text has been translated into more than 60 languages and has sold over 35 million English copies. We consider the history of the “12 Steps” of recovery, how this free-of-charge fellowship spread worldwide, as well as recent scientific confirmation of AA’s effectiveness.