Take What You Can Use and Leave the Rest at the Door: A Daily 12-Step Reader for Secular Recovery

According to the Pew Research Center, the rise of the religiously unaffiliated has increased significantly in recent decades. At the same time, A.A. membership has suffered a decline both in the U.S. and internationally. Part of the reason may be due to an increase in alternative treatments to alcohol addiction. However, there is often a perceived disconnect between those that are non-religious and A.A.’s talk of “God, as we understand him” and the concept of a “Higher Power.”The author wrote this book to try to address that need and to help other people, non-religious such as himself, have an easier time navigating Alcoholics Anonymous, particularly as newcomers. This work uses a pull quote from A.A. Conference approved literature, familiar phrases heard at meetings, and Bill W.’s Grapevine writings, followed by an entry on a topic and self-reflection questions. The idea of the work, which is mentioned in the very first entry, is for the reader to take what they can use and leave the rest. This work, as part of a daily routine, can help an individual focus on their recovery one day at a time. Read more