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Dr. William D. Silkworth was referred to as “our great medical benefactor” by the founders of A.A. His initial letter of endorsement and follow-up statement of support became a permanent part of the Big Book starting with the First Edition. Dr. Silkworth expressed “a sense of real satisfaction when I was asked to contribute a few words on a subject which is covered in such masterly detail in these pages.” The Doctor’s Opinion occupied its own section in the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, and remained unchanged in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions. But, the page numbering is significantly different. In the First Edition, The Doctor’s Opinion is page 1 and Bill’s Story starts on page 10. In the Second and subsequent editions, The Doctor’s Opinion was paginated using roman numerals, while Bill’s Story began Chapter One, page 1 of the Big Book. Thus, the first 164 pages that are, to this day, referred to and considered as the main section of the Big Book, commenced with the 2nd Edition published in 1955.
Howard L, sober since January 1988, presents an inspired reading of this story and encourages listeners to revisit earlier podcast episodes that feature the main chapters of the Big Book. Enjoy listening on our website, BigBookPodcast.com, or download and subscribe to the podcast for free at Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you have a minute, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.