Author: Tony Harte

Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers is an important contribution to the historical literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.). While its focus is on Dr. Robert Smith’s contributions as co-founder of A.A., the book provides a picture of how a foundling fellowship grew and prospered. It highlights the challenges, triumphs, and personal struggles of the individuals who shaped this remarkable program.  One of the book’s strengths is its in-depth portrayal of Dr. Bob, a man whom the more flamboyant Bill W. often overshadowed. Dr. Bob and Bill W were a perfect match as co-founders. While Bill took a clear leadership role in…

J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is a moving and personal story about growing up in a struggling working-class family. The book follows Vance’s childhood in the Appalachian region of Ohio and Kentucky, showing both the hardships and strong traditions of the people he calls “hillbillies.”  Vance’s family experienced both love and problems. Growing up in a broken home where his father left when he was a toddler and his mother had a substance use disorder, J.D.’s maternal grandparents primarily raised him. He details his mother’s struggles with addiction, multiple relationships and marriages,…

How did Step 2 go? (Read Step 2 Here) For some, especially agnostics and atheists, it can be a significant challenge. As we will continue to see in Step 3, 12-step programs provide a broad doorway for us to enter when it comes to the form that power greater than ourselves takes. It allows anyone with a desire to stop drinking and an open mind to take this critical Step.  Step 3 reads, “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”  Like innumerable people with substance abuse…

Sam Lansky’s Broken People explores a young man’s search for healing from self-induced anxieties driven by a constant, judging inner dialogue. This semi-autobiographical novel shines a light on human vulnerability—an honest and often humorous look at self-discovery’s messy, complicated process. Doing the math, the real-life Sam would have been around seven years sober when this book was published. The story centers around Sam, a young writer trying to navigate a history of addiction, heartbreak, deep emptiness, and self-loathing. At a party, he overhears about a mysterious shaman who claims to perform “open-soul surgery”—a healing technique that promises to erase emotional…

I bought my copy of The Varieties of Religious Experience when I read that Ebby Thacher had recommended it to Bill W. Bill went on to reference it as a key resource in forming the spiritual aspect of AA’s 12-step program. It is a significant exploration of human encounters with the divine. James was a philosopher and psychologist who had a long tenure at Harvard. His approach to the topic blends viewpoints from these two perspectives well. A couple of things to keep in mind: first, the book was published in 1902. It is from a series of lectures he…

Rewired by Erica Spiegelman challenges traditional addiction recovery paradigms and offers a fresh perspective tailored to the modern age. Spiegelman is a licensed substance abuse counselor and is recovering from substance abuse herself. The book purports to provide a new, holistic way to navigate recovery. She has a thriving counseling practice and seems to have helped many recover.   One of the things I liked about the book was the conversational tone and honesty about her journey. The writing is clever and relatable. Spiegelman acknowledges that recovery is not one size fits all. I find that true for this book as…

Welcome to Step 2 of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.).  In  Step 1, we admitted our powerlessness over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. The focus of Step 1 was to be honest with ourselves and surrender. Step 2 reads, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Working on this step offers us a path from hopelessness to hope.  This involves removing our ego and believing that a power greater than ourselves will help us achieve and maintain sobriety. A paragraph in Chapter 5 of the A.A. Big Book describes our…

Eliot Taintor’s September Remember is a moving and often humorous exploration of alcoholism and recovery set in 1940s America. The novel was first published in 1945 and then republished in 2015. This long-lost novel provides insight into the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the struggles faced by alcoholics of the time period. The story follows Avery Rickham, a man whose love for adventure and “the bottle” leads him down a destructive path. After a particularly devastating bender lands him in a police station, Avery is forced to take a hard look at his life. He reluctantly attends an…

Carl Erik Fisher’s The Urge: Our History of Addiction is a remarkable exploration of addiction, using his personal experience, historical insights, and a call for greater understanding. Fisher, both a psychiatrist specializing in addiction and someone in recovery himself, is well-positioned to publish a work of this nature. Retelling his addiction and recovery story makes this book informative and profoundly human. Fisher begins with his journey—a medical student grappling with substance use while working in a system ill-equipped to offer real support. From there, he takes us back in time, uncovering the roots of addiction in ancient cultures, religious practices,…

Discover how the timeless wisdom of Stoicism can enhance your journey through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. This monthly series dives deep into each step, exploring practical tools for self-reflection, emotional resilience, and lasting recovery. By integrating Stoic principles like courage, discipline, and acceptance, you’ll gain fresh insights into the transformative power of AA while building a foundation for inner peace and personal growth. Whether you’re new to recovery or seeking to deepen your understanding, these articles offer a roadmap for a stronger, more meaningful sobriety. Don’t miss the opportunity to redefine your recovery journey—step by step, month by…

Attending meetings is crucial when practicing a 12-step program. These meetings provide support, guidance, and a sense of community. Whether you’re struggling with something recovery-related or dealing with another issue, meetings can be a lifeline. Practicing Stoic principles while engaging with others and participating in meetings can significantly enhance the value you get from 12-step meetings and, by extension, your sobriety. A core theme throughout stoicism is what they termed the “Dichotomy of Control.” It is the idea that we can only control our thoughts, actions, and attitudes, while external events and other people’s actions are beyond our control. This…