This story was printed only in the Second Editions,  so it has remained largely unseen by those AAs who’ve otherwise been raised on the Third and Fourth Editions. As with the last story, the author of this story is unknown.

Unlike many stories in the First and Second Editions of the Big Book, the author of this story is unknown. We know from the story that he got sober in 1950 and was still sober four years later when he wrote the story for the Second Edition.

This story's author, Esther E., got sober in Texas in 1941 and was inspired to seek help from AA’s relatively new General Service Office in New York after reading Jack Alexander’s seminal article about Alcoholics Anonymous published in the Saturday Eve...

This short, but powerful, story was written by John P. and appeared only in the Second Edition, which is why most AA’s have never seen it. John enumerated four paradoxes of the AA program and why they are so important: 1) We surrender to win; 2) We giv...

This relatively short story was authored by Ceil M., who got sober in New York City in 1949. As with other authors of Personal Stories in the Big Book who achieved long-term sobriety in AA, Ceil M. provided an update to her story some 18 years after sh...

The first of 12 stories in Part 2 of the Big Book presents a compelling case to stop drinking sooner than later and save years of infinite suffering. It was written by Pete W., who got sober in 1945. It was published only in the Second and Third Editio...

Most readers of the Big Book will recognize “The Keys of the Kingdom”, as it was published in the Second, Third, and Fourth Editions. Its author, Sylvia K, traveled from Chicago to Akron and Cleveland, Ohio in early 1939,

This was one of only five of the original 29 stories in the First Edition to make it into the Second Edition. Its author, Clarence S., got sober in early 1938. Along with a dozen other sober alcoholics from Cleveland,

Earl T., got sober in 1938 with the help of Dr. Bob and a number of original members of the fledgling Akron group. He then took his newfound sobriety and program knowledge back to his hometown, Chicago. For more than a year, he attempted,

“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.