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Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous
A fascinating, account of the discovery and program of Alcoholics Anonymous, Not God contains anecdotes and excerpts from the diaries, correspondence, and occasional memoirs of AA's early figures.
The most complete history of A.A. ever written. Not God contains anecdotes and excerpts from the diaries, correspondence, and occasional memoirs of A.A.'s early figures. A fascinating, fast-moving, and authoritative account of the discovery and development of the program and fellowship that we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous.
The most complete history of A.A. ever written. Not God contains anecdotes and excerpts from the diaries, correspondence, and occasional memoirs of A.A.'s early figures. A fascinating, fast-moving, and authoritative account of the discovery and development of the program and fellowship that we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous.
456 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 21, 2017
A thoroughly researched account of AA's origins, focusing on the founding fathers' personalities, key relationships, and growing pains. Detailed and informative, maybe to a fault. Due to the cumbersome academic style and syntax, I found myself constantly counting how many pages I had left. I'm glad to have learned about the characters and ideas that shaped AA, and equally glad to be done with this book.
Side note: This account leaves me struck, but not shocked, by the overwhelmingly middle-class WASP maleness of AA's origins. It confirms my sense that AA is a religious program at its core - and, accordingly, some will find genuine healing through it, while others will legitimately find it oppressive.
Side note: This account leaves me struck, but not shocked, by the overwhelmingly middle-class WASP maleness of AA's origins. It confirms my sense that AA is a religious program at its core - and, accordingly, some will find genuine healing through it, while others will legitimately find it oppressive.
June 25, 2008
This book is an exhaustive and accurate history of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is written as a scholarly dissertation with about a million footnotes. Nonetheless, it is THE book for anyone in AA or interested in AA.
August 13, 2011
Without doubt, the best historical treatment of Alcoholics Anonymous. Beyond the narrative, Kurtz situates AA within the history of ideas that have shaped Western civilization. I highly recommend it to everyone.
January 27, 2022
Lots of history about AA but also a very thoughtful dissertation on addiction, it's treatment and the psychology/sociology of a "spiritual" solution to the frailties of the human condition.
July 28, 2015
This authoritative and compelling book on the history of Alcoholics Anonymous was originally written as a dissertation for Ernest Kurtz' doctorate in history at Harvard University. This probably explains why I found Kurtz' writing style to be rather convoluted and was often frustrated by his run-on sentences. But the richly researched information and attention to detail was so compelling I did not give up. I highly recommend this book to any person who has been helped by any of the numerous 12 Step programs and to all mental health professional. It is the most comprehensive and well researched book on the subject. I decided this was the best book to start my own project of better understanding the history of A.A. and it has proven to provide a complete foundation and structure for all my other readings about AA's history.
January 13, 2025
Infinite Jest shares a similar endnote formatting and font style, but this book was published far before 1996.
If you can survive Saint Patrick's Day doing tech and sound for one gig and then go to an Irish Pub after and not drink a single drop of booze, you might not be such a bad recovering alcoholic.
The bartender may tell you she smells a skunk and some young kid will probably offer to sell you drugs outside, when all you really want to do is get away from the shrill Joan Baez impersonators from Quincy caked in more makeup than Kylie Jenner.
If you can survive Saint Patrick's Day doing tech and sound for one gig and then go to an Irish Pub after and not drink a single drop of booze, you might not be such a bad recovering alcoholic.
The bartender may tell you she smells a skunk and some young kid will probably offer to sell you drugs outside, when all you really want to do is get away from the shrill Joan Baez impersonators from Quincy caked in more makeup than Kylie Jenner.
May 21, 2019
This is Kurtz’s dissertation. Whatever his official doctorate is, the man has done incredible digging into both the history and the psyche of both Alcoholics Anonymous and the modern world.
There were several details about the young Bill Wilson’s life that make perfect sense. He tried to be the first American to successfully complete a boomerang, for example. I found I could relate to the young Bill in many ways. His parents separated and he found himself wanted to please both parents and everyone else he met.
In AA’s history is some fascinating moments of doubt that have a 21st century implication. In fact, one of the largest hurdles the group had to leap over early in its founding was the realization that AA has no monopoly on alcoholic treatment. It seems to me that today’s reputation of the group is tarnished by the notion that its members claim AA is the only way. History shows that this is not a new problem. The book also reveals that early members left a legacy of, above all, open-mindedness about themselves and their message, denying any absolutles or definitives in their search for a solution.
My favorite part of the book—the part of the book that I zerozed so I could hold on to forever, the book I read was a borrowed copy—is Kurtz’s summary of the modern American psyche. Namely, the four paradoxes that, stirred together, helped explain the necessity for a unique solution such as alcoholics anonymou. The Enlightenment gave mankind the notion of an endless freedom by debunking the notion that any mystery could lie beyond the grasp of human reason. The paradox being that to know everything is a fruitless endeavor, and the belief that humans could is an inherently hollow pursuit. THe second paradox concerned human identity. This gave rise to the notion that what a person does makes who the person is. The Smithy was named Smith, and we lost the ability to be without first doing. This paradox might be best explained in the 21st century backlash: “we are human beings not human doings.� Put these two—our endless reason and our actions prove worth—next to each other and you have an unfulfilling result. We must try to be all and perpetually come up short because what would make us all is unattainable. The third paradox gave rise from the second, and it concerned limitations. As humans were considered all-rational, inability in one thing marked a loss of self-worth. The fourth paradox he mentioned as foundational in AAs backdrop was the Progressive phenomenon—the American pursuit of more and more liberties, believing liberty was the key to equality. This description he provided was the most remarkable explanation of what it means to be modern I have ever heard and I plan on revisiting it often to know and understand it better.
The book concluded with a nice shout out to the miracle of the mundane—the idea of it anyway. It described the movement of AA as a return to the failed notions of temperance that predated the groups inception. Temperance is, Kurtz argues, a naturally healthy step for an American modern psyche duped into a modern stream of thinking that success is the incessant acquiring of more and better—as illustrated by his description of paradoxes. He framed the early members of AA as aiming to navigate the simplicities of the middle ground, a completely foreign territory to them. Whether the propensity for extremism—all-or-nothing instead of either-or—is unique to alcoholic or a symptom of modernity, discovering joys in simple living appears to be the answer.
There were several details about the young Bill Wilson’s life that make perfect sense. He tried to be the first American to successfully complete a boomerang, for example. I found I could relate to the young Bill in many ways. His parents separated and he found himself wanted to please both parents and everyone else he met.
In AA’s history is some fascinating moments of doubt that have a 21st century implication. In fact, one of the largest hurdles the group had to leap over early in its founding was the realization that AA has no monopoly on alcoholic treatment. It seems to me that today’s reputation of the group is tarnished by the notion that its members claim AA is the only way. History shows that this is not a new problem. The book also reveals that early members left a legacy of, above all, open-mindedness about themselves and their message, denying any absolutles or definitives in their search for a solution.
My favorite part of the book—the part of the book that I zerozed so I could hold on to forever, the book I read was a borrowed copy—is Kurtz’s summary of the modern American psyche. Namely, the four paradoxes that, stirred together, helped explain the necessity for a unique solution such as alcoholics anonymou. The Enlightenment gave mankind the notion of an endless freedom by debunking the notion that any mystery could lie beyond the grasp of human reason. The paradox being that to know everything is a fruitless endeavor, and the belief that humans could is an inherently hollow pursuit. THe second paradox concerned human identity. This gave rise to the notion that what a person does makes who the person is. The Smithy was named Smith, and we lost the ability to be without first doing. This paradox might be best explained in the 21st century backlash: “we are human beings not human doings.� Put these two—our endless reason and our actions prove worth—next to each other and you have an unfulfilling result. We must try to be all and perpetually come up short because what would make us all is unattainable. The third paradox gave rise from the second, and it concerned limitations. As humans were considered all-rational, inability in one thing marked a loss of self-worth. The fourth paradox he mentioned as foundational in AAs backdrop was the Progressive phenomenon—the American pursuit of more and more liberties, believing liberty was the key to equality. This description he provided was the most remarkable explanation of what it means to be modern I have ever heard and I plan on revisiting it often to know and understand it better.
The book concluded with a nice shout out to the miracle of the mundane—the idea of it anyway. It described the movement of AA as a return to the failed notions of temperance that predated the groups inception. Temperance is, Kurtz argues, a naturally healthy step for an American modern psyche duped into a modern stream of thinking that success is the incessant acquiring of more and better—as illustrated by his description of paradoxes. He framed the early members of AA as aiming to navigate the simplicities of the middle ground, a completely foreign territory to them. Whether the propensity for extremism—all-or-nothing instead of either-or—is unique to alcoholic or a symptom of modernity, discovering joys in simple living appears to be the answer.
May 27, 2019
A landmark. Excellent historical review of the origins of AA. Only reason I took off a star is the ornate writing style, and the extended interpretations/analysis at the end of the book--the latter of which is mostly great, but sometimes is too meandering for me. Somewhat selective, mostly balanced but a little hagiographic about Bill W and Dr Bob. Other biographies (eg Raphael [sp?]) are more direct and clear about the negative aspects of Bill W's life, which deserve some honest attention.
July 16, 2020
Fascinating Reading
This book was a fascinating read. It was a bit too much for me as I'm not a historian, but would be very useful to a historian.
This book was a fascinating read. It was a bit too much for me as I'm not a historian, but would be very useful to a historian.
December 10, 2018
This is a very comprehensive book concerning the history of Alcoholics Anonymous, its co-founders- Bill W. and Dr. Bob S. and others who played a role in the shaping of this unique concept. Ernest Kurtz outlines the program from beginning when Ebby T., a member of the Oxford Group presented Bill with a cure for alcoholism which had played havoc in his life.
The author outlines the criticisms and the thoughts of society that occurred and how eventually Bill W. and Dr. Bob utilized these criticisms and societal ideologies into a way of life which has saved countless alcoholics over the years.
As in other movements, it was not perfect, but then as Bill W. pointed out in the AA creed, we strive for spiritual progression, not spiritual perfection. This is where the breaking away from tbe Oxford Group and their four absolutes: work, love, play, and religion occurred. AA is a spiritual program, not a religious program. As for the other three absolutes: work, love, and play,
AA, as noted earlier in this review, strives for progression, unlike The Oxford Group who demanded of its members, perfection.
The AA program adopted the five concepts of the Oxford Group: Confidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion (as act),and Continuance which became the six steps of AA, later the Twelve Steps of AA.
How the Alcoholics Anonymous book, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It: The AA Way of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, the Grapevine and other aspects of the program and how they evolved are also treated in this classic tome.
The author outlines the criticisms and the thoughts of society that occurred and how eventually Bill W. and Dr. Bob utilized these criticisms and societal ideologies into a way of life which has saved countless alcoholics over the years.
As in other movements, it was not perfect, but then as Bill W. pointed out in the AA creed, we strive for spiritual progression, not spiritual perfection. This is where the breaking away from tbe Oxford Group and their four absolutes: work, love, play, and religion occurred. AA is a spiritual program, not a religious program. As for the other three absolutes: work, love, and play,
AA, as noted earlier in this review, strives for progression, unlike The Oxford Group who demanded of its members, perfection.
The AA program adopted the five concepts of the Oxford Group: Confidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion (as act),and Continuance which became the six steps of AA, later the Twelve Steps of AA.
How the Alcoholics Anonymous book, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, As Bill Sees It: The AA Way of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, the Grapevine and other aspects of the program and how they evolved are also treated in this classic tome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2017
I had this book on my shelf for 30 years and started it a few times before, always losing momentum because I found it dryer than I wanted. This time, I approached it again with renewed vigor to gain a deeper understanding of the roots of AA after watching the documentary, "Bill W," in which Kurtz is featured as a historian. I'm glad I did. Part I, the history portion, details a number of interesting phases of growth, with new problems and ramifications, such as the proliferation of AA in Cleveland, the first city that wasn't home to one of the co-founders. It was also interesting to see the different publicity pieces, beyond the well-known Jack Alexander article, with differing levels of friendliness and circulation. Part II, the Interpretation, was the piece de resistance, in my opinion, so it surprises me that one reviewer said this part could be skipped. I find it astounding to think what a need this filled at this exact moment in American History, and in the history of religious ideas. Alcoholism as metaphor is a fascinating idea. He emphasizes the non-acceptance of limitation, limitation of control and dependency, as hallmarks of alcoholism, and their acceptance as key to recovery. He also points out how this acceptance comes most readily through human connection with someone who is leading with his own limitation and vulnerability. The miracle of Alcoholics Anonymous, explained and validated through historical and philosophical analysis.
June 2, 2019
First of all - this was a dense and difficult read for me. Not surprising considering it was a PhD dissertation. But once I settled in to the academic style of writing, I found this book to be the best and most thorough accounting of AA I've ever read.
Beyond recounting the founding moments and early development of the program, Kurtz does a superb job of putting AA into the larger context of American history and the religious and intellectual climate of the early 20th century. He also offers keen insights into why and how the spirituality of the AA program flourished. Though the intention of the book is clearly not to explain why the program is effective for so many people, he manages to distill what is, in my opinion, the essence of what makes the program efficacious. And finally - I felt he approached AA with the perfect mixture of respect, awe, and critical distance.
Beyond recounting the founding moments and early development of the program, Kurtz does a superb job of putting AA into the larger context of American history and the religious and intellectual climate of the early 20th century. He also offers keen insights into why and how the spirituality of the AA program flourished. Though the intention of the book is clearly not to explain why the program is effective for so many people, he manages to distill what is, in my opinion, the essence of what makes the program efficacious. And finally - I felt he approached AA with the perfect mixture of respect, awe, and critical distance.
December 27, 2019
A treasure-trove of knowledge. The subject is well researched, clearly analyzed and the book is overall very well written.
My only complaint might be that there is an incredible amount of information contained in this book. It could probably be made into two or three smaller books and thereby made slightly less intimidating.
My only complaint might be that there is an incredible amount of information contained in this book. It could probably be made into two or three smaller books and thereby made slightly less intimidating.
January 5, 2019
The best history of Alcoholics Anonymous. Kurtz is a great friend of 12 step recovery and a very good writer. I got more out of this than the three 'canonical' histories of the program published by AAWS. I plan to read it again this year.
November 4, 2017
Highly recommended.
June 8, 2018
Though fascinating at times, this is one of the most tedious, hard-to-get-through books I've ever read.
January 4, 2019
Really interesting. The back story to the beginnings of AA,
January 2, 2021
Dense and sometimes-fascinating history of the early years of AA.
September 2, 2022
One of the first and most rigorous histories of AA by a well known member and historian
Read
August 20, 2023AKA "AA: The Story"
July 2, 2024
pretty boring, really
March 18, 2017
Interesting detailed history of aa beginnings.
June 10, 2021
Possibly the most comprehensive history of Alcoholics Anonymous ever written. It is obvious that Kurtz researched the origins, key figures, and inner-workings of AA to an unbelievably considerable degree. Anyone who is a member of AA (or possibly even it's sister organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous) would do well to read this book!
April 9, 2015
I The Limitations of the Drinking Alcoholic
II The Limitations of the Sober Alcoholic
III Finding Wholeness in Limitation
IV Needing Others
V The Limitations of Alcoholics Anonymous
VI Alcoholics Anonymous and the Wholeness of Limitation
March 13, 2010
THE definitive history of A.A.
February 4, 2021
Interesting history of AA. Links to VT as both founders were from here.
July 24, 2011
A thoughtful look at A.A. The classic introduction to the movement with a respectful, insightful analysis of its impact on recovery.
June 7, 2013
I could not comprehend some of the initial writing/discussion, but the author started to bring everything together towards the middle of the book.
April 25, 2013
History of the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous. Very detailed
November 1, 2014
This is a really good history of AA written as a dissertation. Once the author finishes the history, the 2nd part of the book is a bit dry. It could easily be skipped.
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