My name is Bill: Bill Wilson: his life and the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous.My Name Is Bill Bill Wilson: His Life And The Creation Of Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), worldwide organization dedicated to the treatment of alcoholics; founded 1935 by two alcoholics, one a New York broker, the other an Ohio physician. Susan Cheerer, Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. : New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , 2004 In the drug/alcohol treatment field, no one has greater recognition and adulation than Bill Wilson, originally identified as Bill W. Even though he died more than three decades ago, you may still come upon a bumper sticker with the statement: "I am a friend of Bill W." More than any other person, Bill W. created and implemented a humane approach to treat the person with an alcohol problem. He did so largely through his own acknowledgement of what he needed to become sober, his understanding of William James' psychology of spirituality, empathy for another, and of course, his own 'spiritual' conversion. Following the spiritual experience when detoxifying from alcohol addiction in the 1930s, he learned that his sobriety was enhanced, and ultimately more sustainable when talking to and seeking to convert another person from continuing to drink excessively. Ultimately, his personal efforts along with Robert Holbrook, "Dr. Bob" would lead to the development of the twelve-step tradition. Over the years several biographies have appeared describing Bill W.'s life and contribution to Alcoholics Anonymous. To my knowledge followers of AA have written all the biographies. The latest by Susan Cheever is no exception. A biography has its own parameters, basically a story of one's life from beginning to end. Susan Cheever begins with Bill's mother, Emily Griffith Wilson, preparing for Thanksgiving and experiencing the last stages of pregnancy. It is a telling beginning for Bill will become a 'mother's boy' even though knowingly he never satisfies her throughout his life. And in turn, his wife Lois can often be seen as his surrogate mother surrogate mother, a woman who agrees, usually by contract and for a fee, to bear a child for a couple who are childless because the wife is infertile or physically incapable of carrying a developing fetus. . The author brings Bill's relationships to life but does not analyze their impact on his creative ideas for the development of A.A. Nor does she address the mental and emotional pain that may have contributed to his excessive use of alcohol. Although such analysis is not present, the author sets Bill's life in the culture of Vermont, carrying it back to revolutionary founders. Bill grew up in a Yankee tradition of temperance, pride, discomfort, and to parents who were divided in aspirations. Bill's mother expected more from herself and others, whereas his father seemed to have enjoyed a good drink and its related pleasures with others. The family legacy also included Bill's paternal grandfather, a troubled drinker, who on a mountaintop moun·tain·top n. The summit of a mountain. beseeched and encountered God as a 'blinding light' and 'great wind' causing him never to touch alcohol for the remaining eight years of his life. The grandson Bill heard this story repeatedly from his mother. One can interpret such a family heritage and Bill's alcohol problems in today's medical parlance in terms of a genetic predisposition genetic predisposition Molecular medicine The tendency to suffer from certain genetic diseases–eg, Huntington's disease, or inherit certain skills–eg, musical talent , as a son's defiant actions, or as following a spiritual tradition. The influence of the 'spirit' takes on many forms for him. For instance, one entire chapter entitled "The Spook Room" describes the numerous attempts Bill W.., his wife Lois and others sought to communicate with 'spirits'. Such practices cry out for interpretation, but the author leaves that task for others. The story of Bill Wilson's life is so interwoven in·ter·weave v. in·ter·wove , in·ter·wo·ven , inter·weav·ing, inter·weaves v.tr. 1. To weave together. 2. To blend together; intermix. v.intr. with the development of AA that even toward the end of his life he worked to separate the two. In this account the reader learns to empathize em·pa·thize v. To feel empathy in relation to another person. with Bill's struggles for love, for acceptance by others, for financial success and for gaining control over his alcohol consumption. The darker side of Bill is noted but not examined. Part of the problem rests in the absence of clear evidence, particularly in reference to his sexual desires. In addition to sexual infidelities, many of their friends thought Lois should have left him during his years of excessive drinking. Cheerer makes no effort to analyze these actions. Instead she concludes: "Bill was human, extraordinarily human." She added, his ongoing struggles "with sex, with smoking, [and] with depression helped to make him a great teacher...." Such a genernlized judgment appears to follow the premise that empathizing and teaching another can best be done through drawing from one's own experience. Hopefully, such a criterion must not be expected of all "great" teachers. Yet it has often been the byword by·word also by-word n. 1. a. A proverbial expression; a proverb. b. An often-used word or phrase. 2. of AA that one must have experienced 'alcoholism' to help the 'alcoholic.' That very claim has been one of the most divisive elements between the drug/alcohol counselor and the mental health professional. In an era of 'disorders' surely one cannot be expected to have experienced all of them to be able to help another, so argue the academically trained to the person who helps another by having once been a drunk. Sadly for Bill he lived the belief that one never entirely overcomes the power of alcohol. Even in his dying days Bill struggled with the desire for drink, for in the end he complained of marital difficulties and "was asking for whiskey again." One comes away from this book with the conclusion that Cheerer believes Bill W. provided a great contribution to humanity. To her, his ideas are comparable to the impact of such figures as Sigmund Freud and Thomas Jefferson. Such a comparison borders on hyperbole. Freud and Jefferson's ideas flow into the realm of all members of a society. The impact of AA addresses the person with a substance abuse disorder substance abuse disorder n. Any of a category of disorders in which pathological behavioral changes are associated with the regular use of substances that affect the central nervous system. and/or other people who suffer with mental/emotional disorders as a source for treatment. Bill Wilson must be understood as the primary creator for the 12-step traditions but the completed writings were subjected to committee revision and editing. As with the biography of Bill W., Cheever treats the A.A movement chronologically but not analytically. The author identifies the major intellectual precedents to the creations of the AA phenomenon, specifically the psychology of William James and the Oxford group, which was modeled on "first-century Christians" with the four absolutes of "Purity, Honesty, Unselfishness, and Love." She notes that one of the reasons for its success in comparison to its predecessors, i.e. the Washington Temperance Movement temperance movement International social movement dedicated to the control of alcohol consumption through the promotion of moderation and abstinence. It began as a church-sponsored movement in the U.S. in the early 19th century. , was Bill W.'s recognition that alcoholics needed latitude and compassion, not rules. Another inclusion was identifying the importance of each alcoholic being able to tell one's story for sobriety. It took some time before the 'Traditions' were formally approved by the early members and the spread of this treatment approach. The establishment of an organization required structure and money. Ultimately organizational necessities would come through the selling of Bill's writing and through the practice of volunteerism. AA has remained a totally voluntary organization with the only criterion for membership to be a desire to stop drinking. This organization based on volunteerism, a democratic committee structure and the general aim of being available to the person striving to stay sober is a model for anyone who wishes to overcome a human foible through the support--especially within a society that too often follows a path of extreme isolation and individualism. Susan Cheever helps us appreciate it. Still outsiders now need to further our understanding of what "Dr. Bob" described as primarily a practice of 'love' and 'service'--two ideals essential to any human service. Reading Cheever's biography prompts me to pose several topics to social scientists and historians who study mood-altering substances and the practices of drug/alcohol treatment. First, surely enough time has passed for the historian of ideas to write an intellectual biography of Bill W. as well as an effort to examine his life through current psychological theories. Such a study would also place the movement of AA, particularly the expansion of the twelve-step tradition, into the historical period that allowed for its successes and dissemination. Second, even though character analysis has descended in interest (disorders have replaced such analytical approaches), a study of psychological profiles of those who succeeded or failed within the AA community would be of great value to the consumer of such treatment services. Third, the influence of socio-economic classes and the change from the rejection of AA by the medical community to total acceptance need closer examination historically and scientifically. And fourth, the recurring debate whether the AA claim that one accepts "God as we understood him" is sufficient to assume that it should not be judged as a religion calls for more study. These topics merit exploration by the academician to aid in the comprehension of the appeal of AA, as well as the continued expansion of its methodology as treatment for many human actions deemed unhealthy. By urging scholars to explore these topics, I do not wish to take away the value of Susan Cheever's My Name is Bill. It deserves a wide readership for those who wish to know Bill's story beyond that which he described in the "Big Book." The author's ability as a storyteller, her descriptions of the movement and its early founders provide a valuable account for those wanting to be part of a major social force for more than one half of a century and that shows continued appeal. Still, the causes for the particular sequence of events to the AA movement and its resulting successes call for greater analysis for understanding. REVIEWERS Michael Ballard, Ed.D. Western Kentucky University Student Body Profile WKU had a total enrollment in the Fall Semester of 2002 (the latest published figures) of 17,818 students. Out of this total, 73% were full-time and 85% were undergraduates. Ethnic and racial minority enrollment was just under 13% at 2,097. Leslie Beale, Ed.D. Springfield College Stephen Bohnenblust, Ed.D. Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato is a four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of nearly 14,000 students and 600 full-time faculty members. MSU is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU). W. William Chen, Ph.D. University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. Andrew L. Cherry, DSW DSW - penis war Barry University Marvin Clifford, DSW Oschner Clinic, New Orleans Robert Cloud, Ed.D. Baylor University Joe L. David, Ed.D. University of Nebraska, Omaha Jerry Davoli, Ph.D. California State University, Fresno The campus sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno County is the sixth largest metropolitan area in California. The university is within an hour's drive of many mountain and lake resorts and within a three- or four-hour drive of both Los Richard Deivert, Ph.D. The Lipscomb Clinic Foundation for Research & Education, Inc. Nashville Lynne Duran, Ph.D. University of Utah The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. Philip Duryea, Ph.D. University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM) is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was founded in 1889. It also offers multiple bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in all areas of the arts, sciences, and engineering. Jennifer Epstein, Ph.D. Cornell University Medical College Carl Fertman, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh Eugene Fitzhugh, Ph.D. University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee public university system in the American state of Tennessee. , Knoxville Elbert Glover West Virginia University West Virginia University, mainly at Morgantown; coeducational; land-grant and state supported; est. and opened 1867 as an agricultural college, renamed 1868. School of Medicine Penny Glover West Virginia University School of Medicine Ray Goldberg, Ph.D. State University of New York (body) State University of New York - (SUNY) The public university system of New York State, USA, with campuses throughout the state. College at Cortland Esther Hellman, Ph.D. Creighton University Adnan Hyder, M.D., Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University, mainly at Baltimore, Md. Johns Hopkins in 1867 had a group of his associates incorporated as the trustees of a university and a hospital, endowing each with $3.5 million. Daniel C. Deborah Iron, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, Omaha Fred Isberner, Ph.D. Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University, main campus at Carbondale; state supported; coeducational; est. 1869, opened 1874 as a normal school, renamed 1947. It has a center for archaeological investigation and a fisheries research laboratory. There is also a campus at Edwardsville. Rhonda Jones-Webb, Dr. P.H. University of Minnesota (body, education) University of Minnesota - The home of Gopher. http://umn.edu/. Address: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. R. Mark Kelley, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Donald Lackey, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, Kearney Randy Love, Ph.D. Ohio State University Ohio State University, main campus at Columbus; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1870, opened 1873 as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, renamed 1878. There are also campuses at Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark. Linda Marshall, Ph.D., L.P. Minnesota State University, Mankato Elaine McIntosh, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Green Bay Marion Micke, Ph.D. Illinois State University ISU is recognized in the prestigious US News rankings as a "National University", that is, a university which grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research. Correspondence concerning this review can be E-mailed to the reviewer, Doug Wagner, Ph.D., at sabdhw@hotmail.com |
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