Thanks a lot, Dennett. That’s always been kind of a mystery to me. I first read this book in 1984, when I had finally found a group of recovered addicts. I had been clean for 4 years by then, but it took that long to find anyone in N.A. who had actually experienced all 12 Steps.

This group had an abundance of members who had. This book was being passed around the group, and we would discuss it late into the nights. It’s such a great example of someone whose entire life changed, once they surrendered and stopped fighting the addiction, and just latched onto the program.

I suspect it’s because some of his ideas aren’t perfectly in line with what the program preaches — they are simply what worked for him. But, the book had a profound impact on members of that group, and is having quite an impact in the AA circles I now spend time in, as I’m passing it around to others to read. Some people just have a good way of conveying their experience, and Chuck C. was one of them. I try to be.