[nandm]

What does the story of a man in the 1930's have to do with me? I'm nothing like this fellow and his situation is different than mine. How will reading about Bill's experiences help me?

Bill's Story illustrates the progression of alcholism in a person's life. Bill's story is actually our story, to see this all we have to do is take a closer look. Initially we have fun and are exhilarated when we drink, (1:3, 3:12-16) however, it begins to take a progressively more important role in our life (3:17). We adjust our activites to allow for more drinking (3:21-25). Although we can see our drinking is beginning to interfere with our lives we feel that we are still in control (5:7). The trouble our drinking causes gets worse and we start taking actions in an attempt to regain control (5:8), quit or cut down (5:19-21), we switch drinks or brands, and try swearing off drinking time and time again with the utmost sincerity (5:15-21, 5:30-6:6). When we repeatedly fail despite our best eforts our hope of recovery is destroyed (7:22-8:11). Bill, in his story, tells us how it was for him, how he found the solution and what his life was like after applying the solution.

Bill's alcoholism progressed much the same as it does for all alcoholics. What happened for Bill is that an old friend approached him with a solution to the drinking problem (9:31). It was hard for Bill to accept the solution at first as his prejudices hindered him (10:18-19). However, he saw that even though his old friend had once been just as powerless over alcohol as himiself, he had obviously recovered (11:8-12:2). His friend suggested a new way of looking at the spiritual solution that answered all Bill's objections. His friend suggested, "Why don't you choose your own conception of God?" (12:20) Bill became willing to believe that a Power greater than himself could restore him to sanity (12:20-21). The application of the principles presented in this book produced in Bill a spiritual awakening (13:5-14:8). He next describes how he began to carry this solution to other alcoholics (14:19-20). Bill ends his story with a message of hope for all of us suffering from alcoholism---there is a solution.

All of the personal stories in this book are an attempt to help us identify with the authors. Hopefull, after reading Bill's Story we can say to ourselves "I'm very much like Bill. My alcohol use has followed a similiar pattern. I have also tried many ways to control my drinking with simlar results. Perhaps the program of action that Bill followed will work for me also."