Alcoholics Anonymousﾀ is a fellowship of problem drinkers, both men and women, who voluntarily join because they want to stop drinking and remain sober. It was started in the United States in the 1930s. Since then, it has been maintained by alcohol-troubled people who had themselves "hit bottom" and discovered that the troubles associated with their drinking far outweighed any pleasures it might provide. AA does not offer professional guidance such as counseling or therapy. The key to AA is the support members give each other.

ﾀSee Organizations of Interest at the back of Volume 1 for address, telephone, and URL.

AA is not the only hope for alcoholics; nor is it everything they need. Even so, thousands of alcoholics in the United States and many other countries have become abstinent by following its program and attending meetings. AA has never attempted to keep formal...