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Preface
From its earliest beginnings, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been preoccupied with a particular type of talk—the subject of this book. Part I explores the fact that AA first came about through the need for alcoholics to talk to each other and then became a far-flung organisation primarily because it was able to maintain and perpetuate a particular form of talk. In talking to one another about their problems, first informally and then in sharing sessions with the Oxford Group, alcoholics institutionalised a form of interaction between themselves that was personal, cathartic, and based on equality and openness. Most importantly and uniquely, they also explored the principles that underpinned the spirit in which they gathered and the principles on which their talk was based. These were formalised in the Twelve Traditions of AA, thus establishing a principled means of maintaining and institutionalising a unique form of interaction, which has persisted for over 70 years and influenced self-help and 12-step groups throughout the world.