“The Man Who Mastered Fear” was printed in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. It’s actually is an expanded version of a story printed in the First Edition of the Big Book titled “The Fearful One” by Archie T. from Detroit which was less than four pages long. “The Man Who Mastered Fear” was nearly twelve pages in length and written shortly before the publication of the Second Edition when Archie T. had over 16 years of sobriety.

Archie got sober in Akron in 1938 and, as a matter of fact, lived with Dr. Bob and his wife Anne for nearly a year during which he was active in Akron AA. In 1939, Archie returned to Detroit to make amends to those he had harmed and establish AA in that city using the simple model created by Bill W. and Dr. Bob of making contact with doctors, ministers, lawyers, and others to identify alcoholics with whom he could work. Though a struggle at the time, Archie’s efforts eventually resulted in the formation of Detroit’s first AA group in late 1939 and the saving of many lives in the process.

If you go back and listen to the earlier episode of “The Fearful One”, I think you’ll agree that the additional details Archie provided in “The Man Who Mastered Fear” make for a richer and more colorful story everyone  can enjoy.

Howard L, sober since January 1, 1988, presents this inspired reading of the Big Book and encourages listeners to revisit earlier podcast episodes that feature the main chapters and stories in the First Edition 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. If you have a minute, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Also join our facebook group, Big Book Podcast Listeners, where you can share your thoughts and experiences with fellow listeners.