The 23rd and 24th stories appeared only in the Personal Stories section of the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 1939. These lost gems, entitled “The Car Smasher” and “Hindsight”, highlight the cunning, baffling, and powerful aspects of alcoholism that linger even during periods of sobriety. And the slips they can cause when complacency, overconfidence, or self-will take the place of action, humility, and the will of a power greater than ourselves. These stories also demonstrate the critical link between helping other alcoholics and maintaining sobriety upon which the AA founders established our Program of recovery.

Howard L, sober since 1988, presents an inspired reading of this story and encourages listeners to revisit earlier podcast episodes that feature the main chapters of the Big Book. Enjoy listening on our website, BigBookPodcast.com, or download and subscribe to the podcast for free at Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you have a minute, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.