Considering a Book or Study Discussion: A Simple Guide

A Marriage that Changed the World: Lois and Bill Wilson and the Addiction Recovery Movement

Reasons and Benefits

1. Broaden your perspective on addiction, recovery, and the role of the movement’s co-
   founders.
2. Refresh your gratitude for recovery and your own journey.
3. Deepen your appreciation for the origins and growth of A.A. and Al-Anon and the people bwho helped build them.
4. Discover new ways to carry the message of recovery.
5. Gain unexpected insights that may enrich your life.

Suggested Discussion Topics

1. Marriages and partnerships that changed the world – The Wilsons, the Smiths, and other
   early leaders.
2. How A.A. and Al-Anon were founded and grew – Lessons from the past for today.
3. Love and service as paths to emotional and spiritual growth – Lessons from the co-founders.
4. The beginnings of family recovery – How attention to families evolved within the recovery movement.
5. Practicing the Twelve Steps – Lessons from Bill and Lois, Dr. Bob and Anne, and other pioneers:
   • Powerlessness, surrender, and the First Step
   • Guidance and the Eleventh Step
   • Emotional sobriety and detachment with love
   • Carrying the message to individuals and families

Options for Holding a Discussion

1. Single Session – A one-time meeting and discussion session.
2. Book Club Selection – Choose the book for an existing book club or study group.
3. Small Discussion Group – Gather friends for 3–8 weekly or monthly sessions.
4. Step Study Topic – Use the book to explore recovery themes in an existing Step Study group.
5. Create Your Own Format – Adapt any of these ideas to fit your interests and schedule.

Summary Guide for Each Option

Single Session

Conduct the session like a Twelve Step or club meeting. Ask participants to read the book—or
selected chapters or excerpts (see recommended excerpts below)—in advance.

Suggested opening questions:

• What was new or interesting?
• What surprised you?
• What did you like—or dislike—about the book?

After everyone shares without interruption or cross-talk, open the discussion for additional
comments and questions.

(This approach worked well in Tyler, Texas.)

Book Club or Study Group

Use the discussion format your group normally follows. Consider selecting a few questions or
themes in advance from the list provided below or your own questions.

Small Discussion Group

Invite 5–9 friends (and friends of friends) to join you.

Begin with an organizing meeting to:

• Get acquainted
• Decide on meeting dates and frequency
• Choose discussion topics
• Assign readings
• Decide who will facilitate

Possible themes include:

• The Wilson marriage and its legacy
• The founding and growth of A.A. and Al-Anon
• Carrying the message to individuals and families
• Love, service, and spiritual growth

Step Study Group

Select a recovery topic and explore it through the experiences of Bill and Lois Wilson, Dr. Bob
and Anne Smith, and other pioneers.
Possible topics include:

Surrender and the First Step
Guidance and the Eleventh Step
Emotional sobriety and detachment with love
Carrying the message to individuals and families

Create Your Own

Review the options above and design an approach that fits your group’s interests and needs.

Options for Reading the Book (See recommended excerpts for reading aloud or discussion below)

1. Read selected chapters or excerpts related to your topic.
2. Read or skim the entire book.
3. Read the opening and closing sections of each chapter, plus the first few paragraphs of
   each major section.
4. Read selected excerpts from throughout the book.

(The excerpt approach was used successfully by several discussion groups in Spring 2026.)

Suggested Excerpts for Reading Aloud

Preface and forewords p. xv-xxv
p. xv and first par. of xvi – From Foreword by Claire Ricewasser;
p. xvii -xviii thru first full paragraph – From foreword by William B. Stauffer;
p. xxi (1 st par.) p. xxii – top of xxiii – From preface by co-authors

Part One: Bill and Lois Wilson: Early Life and Early Marriage 1891-1934 – p.5 -95
CH 1 p. 5-6 Lois’ Roots and Childhood
p. 9 Lois and Swedenborgian beliefs

CH 2 p. 13 -14 (first Paragraph) Bill’s Roots and Early Years
p.15-16 (first par.) Bill’s Early Life
p. 18 -19 to bottom of page

CH 3 p. 27 (2 nd par.) to p.29 Falling in Love
p. 38 2 nd and 3 rd par. Drinking begins
p. 41 2 nd par – war separation

CH 4 p. 45 Struggles with Pregnancy
p. 51-52 Temperance Pledge p. 60 (1 st Par) to end of 61, Hirshorn party

CH 5 p. 63 (last Par.) to p.64 Next to Last Paragraph
CH 5 p.66 (2 nd par.) to end of p. 66 (Broken Dream)
CH 5 p. 68- (2nd par.) Lois Reflections to end of p. 69

CH 6 p. 71 (2 nd par.) to p.72 (end of 4 th par.) (Wall Street Collapse)
CH 6 p. 75 (2 nd par.) to last par. P. 75 (Lois’s mother dies)
CH 6 p. 76 (2 nd par.) to top of p. 77 (Lois’s mother dies)
CH 6 p. 79 (1st par to bottom of page) Lois and pharmacist

CH 7 p. 85 to top of p. 88 – Ebby, Rowland and Oxford Group
CH 7 p. 89 to p.90 (end of 3 rd par.) (Ebby and Bill)
CH 7 p. 93 (2 nd to last par. “Yet, on Dec. 11, 1934) to end of p.95 – Bill’s spiritual awakening

Part Two – Staying Sober, Launching Alcoholics Anonymous – 1935 – p. 99-131
CH 8 p. 99 (1 st par.)
CH 8 p. 100 (2 nd par.) to p.101 (1 st par.),
CH 8 p. 102 (last par.) to top of p. 103
CH 8 103 (last par.) to p.104,(1 st par.)
CH 8 p. 105 (4 th par.) to end of p.107 Bill Goes Back to Work

CH 9 p. 109 (1 st par.)
CH 9p. 110 Dr Bob Smith (near bottom of page) to p.111 (1 st par.)
CH 9 p. 112 Dr Bob Struggles with Drinking to top of p. 114,
CH 9 p. 114 Drinking Hell (bottom of page) to p.115 (2 nd par.)
CH 9 p. 116, (par 3, 4 and 5) thru Annie and the Oxford Group to p.118 (2 nd par.)
CH 9 p.120 Dr Bob Admits (middle of page) to end of p. 121

CH 10 p. 123 (1 st par.)
CH 10 p. 124 (par 1 & 2), to p.125 (par 1-3 to Fate Intervenes)
CH 10 p. 126 (par 1 & 2) to p.128 (last par.)
CH 10 p. 129 (par. 1-3)
CH 10 p. 131 (par 1-4)

CH 14 p. 187 – top of p. 189
CH 14 p. 190, par 1
CH 14 p. 191 The Smiths Visit thru top of 192
CH 14 p. 192, last par thru par 2 on p. 193
CH 14 p. 194 par 1 thru par 4
CH 14 p. 196 par. 2 thru p. 198, par 3.
CH 14 p. 198 Visiting AA Groups thru p. 199 bottom of page
CH 14 p.200, par 1-2
CH 14 p. 201-202, par 2
CH 14 p. 203, par 2 thru p. 206, par. 1
CH 14 p. 206, par 3 thru p. 207, par 4
CH 14 p. 208, par 1 thru end of chapter.

Part Four Expanding the Recovery Movement 1951- Today p. 213- 305
CH 15 Lois Brings Faily Groups Together to Form Al-Anon – Whole chapter p. 213-224.

CH 16 p.225 – bottom of 226
CH 16 p. 227, 2 nd par – p. 230, 2 nd par
CH 16 p. 230, par 4 – top of 233
CH 16 p. 233-middle of 237; p. 238-243.

CH 17 p. 245- 246, par. 3
CH 17 p. 247, last par – top of p. 251, 2 nd par
CH 17 p. 252, Growing Attention – 255

CH 18 p.257 -266 2 nd par
CH 18 p. 267 2 nd par-268
CH 19 p. 269- 272 1 st par.

CH 19 p. 272 Lois as World Ambassador – p. 273 next to last par
CH 19 p. 274 par 4 (In Johannesburg – p. 275 3 rd par
CH 19 p. 276 1 st 3 paragraphs
CH 19 p. 277 Lois’ Leadership – end of 279
CH 19 p. 280 Lois’ Health Decline – p. 281 2 nd par
CH 19 p. 283 last par (In 1987…) – end of p.287

CH 20 p. 289 – p. 290 2 nd par
CH 20 p. 291 2 nd par. – p. 292 2 nd par
CH 20 p. 293 last par – p. 294 next to last par
CH 20 p. 295 2 nd par (Lois played) – p. 296 next to last par
CH 20 p. 297 3 rd par (As AA grew) – end of p.302

Afterword – p. 303-305

Resources and Back Matter p. 307-393
Back Matter – p. 310-327 Timelines and Recovery Resources
Back Matter p. 363- 369 Bibliography