Just to echo Carol's sentiments, the first couple pages of Chapter 5 in AA's Big Book contain two key sentences for those seeking recovery in AA.
1) Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.
2) Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery.
There is a very simple approach to AA for the newcomer. Here is what we did (the 12 Steps), and here is the result we got (lasting, contented sobriety).