Originally Posted by
Joe Nerv 
I was never crazy about the idea of the Big Book being the be all and end all of step work. While I feel it has all the necessary ingredients to set people on their path, the steps go much deeper than the few pages the BB and step book have to offer. That's why I'm a fan of BB and step meetings. Ya get to hear thousands of others share THEIR experience. And we get so much more than the limited experience the founders had to offer. And the experience that the limited amount of space in the books allow.
I too do not think the Big Book is the total answer to explaining/teaching the steps. Frankly, it's incomplete in various spots (e.g., steps 6 and 7) compared to the 12 & 12.
Step meetings and especially the 12 & 12 were crucial in my doing the steps. The 12 &12 has been around for 50 years now. Without that AA textbook, I woudn't have persevered with the steps.