Big Book Chapter 11 — A Vision for You and the Fellowship of AA – Kevin S.

About This Speaker Tape

AA Big Book 4th Edition Audio - 2011

Kevin S. reads the final chapter of the Big Book mapping out the transition from the 'hideous four horsemen'—terror bewilderment frustration and despair—to a life of purpose. He traces the early days of the fellowship recounting how a few desperate men in a western city found each other through a church directory and a hospital bed eventually building a sanctuary where social distinctions and petty rivalries are laughed out of countenance. The narrative moves from the isolation of 'king alcohol's mad realm' to the concrete reality of a fellowship that helps members settle family differences secure jobs and clear away the wreckage of the past promising that the age of miracles is still active for any alcoholic willing to make use of the experience.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Description of the 'hideous four horsemen' and the late-stage drinking experience.
• 2:15 Discussion on the 'whistling in the dark' phase of the dry drinker.
• 4:00 The promise of a substitute for alcohol: the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
• 6:10 The hotel lobby incident: choosing the church directory over the bar.
• 8:30 The story of the man who took the 'bull by the horns' to make amends to those he feared.
• 10:15 Laughter: The 'corker' in the hospital and the interaction with the lawyer.
• 13:40 The description of the 'devil may care' young fellow who entered the fellowship.
• 15:50 Hospitals and homes as havens for the sick alcoholic.
• 18:20 The practical side of recovery: settling family differences and securing jobs.
• 20:10 The role of professional cooperation with psychiatrists and doctors.
• 22:30 Encouragement for the alone and jittery newcomer to tap into a Higher Power.
• 24:10 The final call to clear away the wreckage of the past and 'trudge the road of happy destiny'.