The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth (Seventh Edition)

There have been a number of limited publications of books believed to be those that early AAs read. However, the first question is whether a listing of books will be helpful today to those who want to recover and be cured of alcoholism. The fact is that early A.A. had a documented 75% to 93% success rate among seemingly hopeless medically incurable real alcoholics who went to any lengths to establish a relationship and fellowship with their Creator. One of their major spiritual tools consisted of the large number of specific Christian books and articles they read in their effort to learn about God, about His son Jesus Christ, about the Bible, and about how to pray and lead a life based on cardinal Christian teachings. Several different people were advising them as to books to be studied. First, of course, was Dr. Bob Smith. And this title covers the books he read, studied, recommended, and circulated. Second, his wife Anne Ripley Smith kept a journal of the books read and those she recommended. These also are covered. Then there were the lay leaders of the early Christian fellowship--Henrietta Seiberling and T. Henry Williams and his wife Clarace. The books they read, discussed, and recommended are listed. So too those studied by Clarence Snyder, who had such great success helping alcoholics in Cleveland and then for many years thereafter. Also, there were the daily devotionals in common use--the Upper Room, The Runner's Bible, Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest, the E. Stanley Jones devotionals--Abundant Living and Victorious Living. Glenn Clark produced devotionals that were used, as did Emmet Fox, Harry Emerson Fosdick, and many others. This title covers them all. It offers many choices to those who want to acquire and study the religious literature that was so much a part of the early pioneer prayer, Bible study, quiet time, and reading life. You will find the book, now in its 7th edition, a real guide to what you can read today for recovery, following the same path the highly successful early pioneers followed in Akron.