Is this the most influential book of the 20th century? IF not, what is?

Is this the most influential book of the 20th century? IF not, what is?

Its certainly one of them if it isnt. It began the paradigm shift to seeing alcoholics/addicts as being mentally unwell instead of intrinsically flawed and had massive ripple effects across therapeutic community because of it. And thatd not even mentioning the millions of sober alcoholics its left in its wake.

Who's the author?

Is this any good or is it mainly self help mumbo jumbo?

No it isn't.

I'm an AA guy also.

One, it's not a very well written book, It's self important and grandiose philosophic, yet totally amateurish style really gets on my nerves at times.

Two....It's got some good ideas in it, but it's also got some dumb ones that don't make any sense. Most modern AA people are completely fine with throwing out about half of what the book says.

Three, you can quit alcohol without it, the book even admits that.

Bill wilson.

Even though, most of the ideas in it weren't his, he just compiled them from a few different sober groups he was in. He was just the first to put it down on paper.

AA btw, isn't anonymous. That's one of the weird things they always say in AA, even announcing at the beginning of each meeting the key philosophy of it is anonymity, but nobody actually practices it. Most AA people all know each other, socialize outside the meetings, and will want to know everything about new people, unless you tell them basically to mind their own business.

Google?
Are you an alcoholic? It is said that it can apply to any aspect of life. It suggests one needs a higher power first and foremost. Not God per se, just one of your own understanding.
Aside from you, the book has helped many people, has it not? Also I am in AA, and I do not doubt that you can quit without alcohol, I think it is more about fellowship than anything; believing in something greater than yourself.
I think most AA's never read the book in the first place, at least not in its entirety.

Im
Im also in the program. Got clean in NA but its based on AA. No it isn't well written but thay isnt what OP asked. He asked about influence. Besides the book is for those who cant control their drinking not problemayic drinkers, which is a differentiation it makes.

>Aside from you, the book has helped many people, has it not? Also I am in AA, and I do not doubt that you can quit without alcohol, I think it is more about fellowship than anything; believing in something greater than yourself.

I didn't say the book didn't help, but you also have to be able to sort the trash out with the good stuff, at least what works for you. Some people in AA get the mindset that the book is basically the bible, and you need to follow it to a T to stay sober, but in fairness there's a lot more people who don't feel that way, and the modern saying in AA is, "Take what helps, throw out the rest."

>I think most AA's never read the book in the first place, at least not in its entirety.

That's another problem too, and I know for a fact it isn't true. People who actually read the book tend to be pretty laid back, non-dogmatic, philosophic types about it all. People who haven't even read the book and don't know what they're talking about tend to be pretty militaristic about following things exactly.

In all cases with AA, you're right when you say it's mainly about the fellowship. More than anything, it becomes a shitty, dysfunctional country club for most people. You hang around people with the same problems as you, and that helps. Most of these people, and the old timers, just throw the rules out the window and treat it like their weekly card game.

If you want to talk pure influence, I'd say hell no. Addicts are pretty much always only about 10% of the population, maybe 1 out of 10 addicts actually get clean, using the book.

So...you're not talking a lot of numbers.

It's shit.
It basically denies human nature.

No....I'm not a huge fan of the book, but it does work right into human nature pretty well. Explores your basic motivations, like why am I here, what am I looking for as a human?

The answer isn't booze or drugs, however, that's just what you're substituting for lack of answers.

I am on of the fortunate ones its true. Well one percent of the total population is still a lot of people. But I get what youre saying. But this is a solution that does truly work and was unavailable before. So whoever is getting it wouldnt have had that option before. Besides as I said above it initiated a massive paradigm shift in the therapeutic and public opinion of addicts/alcoholics.

Yeah, I'd say it's great for what it's done. The growth and change that is has offered to our society is fairly large over the last 70 years.

Well in general I think AA helps, but it's not the cure (there is no cure btw, just bandaids). For me, getting into rehab and therapy and examining my behavior and my motivations and my past, and all that was way more helpful to me than AA.

AA is nice and all, I still go to it, but I wouldn't recommend people ONLY do it, or even take it too seriously. And also realize there's quite a bit of bullshit involved with it too.

Then read fucking existentialism for fuck sakes.
As Cioran said, paraphrasing "If life had any meaning it'll be boring to be alive"
As for the intoxication of the self, Huxley said it's pretty normal for humans to seek inebriation. The Greeks even had a God that encouraged drinking, there was a festival to celebrate him, wine and inteligentia gave us the Tragedies. It was a part of spirituality.

>Then read fucking existentialism for fuck sakes.

What makes you think I haven't, dickface?

>As Cioran said, paraphrasing "If life had any meaning it'll be boring to be alive"
Make your own meaning.

>As for the intoxication of the self, Huxley said it's pretty normal for humans to seek inebriation

There's a huge difference between seeking inebriation, and doing it all the time, even when you don't want to.

>The Greeks even had a God that encouraged drinking

Once again, there's a huge difference between drinking, and being addicted to it. Protip: being addicted to something isn't actually enjoyable.

Hey bud, whatever works! Yes there is bs, and yes some of the people are crazy. However, Ive met the best people I know from the program and not all of its bs. I just did the program, no rehab or therapy, and there isnt one aspect of my life yhay hasnt been profoundly transformed. And no I dont believe in God now.

Im just glad for us both. Its a human endeavor that has human problems. But it saved and changed my life for the better. So... different strokes I guess. I certainly dont get up in arms about people disagreeing with me. Its there for people who want it.

Yeah, I mean in fairness, I'm not a big AA cheerleader, but I've had way more positive experiences with it than negative.

I just don't think it's the only help you should be seeking if you're an addict.

The organisation itself has a terrible success rate.

my diary desu

Addiction in general has a terrible success rate.

Rehabs, therapy, aa, all that has terrible success rates.

Probably 1 in 10 addicts will quit for good, no matter what means they use to do it. That's just the nature of it.

It's a highly complex problem, that's has completely different causes for each addict. There's no easy answer to fix it.

If you didn't want to you wouldn't do it, of course the craving for it it's really horrible, but you still have a choice, pleasure is what we seek. Or do we have a choice?

>but you still have a choice,

That's what most people don't understand about addiction, no you don't have a choice.

There's tons of reasons flying around in your head as to why you no longer have a choice, your job as an addict is to figure out what those are, what are causing all of it.

It's a shitty book that espouses an even shittier philosophy

I used to be a big time dope fiend then I quit and I was miserable when I was trying to do the whole """" recovery"""" thing. Finally I realized the whole thing is a fucking joke and I haven't even had a desire to shoot up since

The studies looking at this are poorly done. One followed anyone who made 3 meetings in their first month. Thats like saying someone who made 3 therapy appointments in a month wasnt better. Well no shit! It has a comperable success rate now to other treatments. The truth is that rates of recovery are low acroaa the board. But back in the day, before people were court ordered there or it was seen as offering something to anyone whos ever had a bad hangover, it had much higher rates of success. One long term study from the 50s done of people who wanted to be there and followed the program entirely showed a 70% success rate. Thats astronomical in comparison to anything else

wow, congrats on your two weeks

Why is it you don't have a choice, that's something nobody has been able to explain to me.
It's somewhat of a quack-science, the AA.

Court ordering people into it is the dumbest shit ever.

For one you get tons of people there who really aren't addicts, they just had one dui or whatever and will never do it again.

For another, you can't force anyone to recover if they're an addict. It will never work. The only way someone recovers is if they finally get that urge where they're completely fed up with it, and want to. That's it.

Year and a half fag