Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition

FOREWORD TO SECOND EDITION

Figures given in this foreword describe the
Fellowship as it was in 1955.

SINCE the original Foreword to this book was
written in 1939, a wholesale miracle has taken
place. Our earliest printing voiced the hope "that
every alcoholic who journeys will find the Fellowship
of Alcoholics Anonymous at his destination. Already,"
continues the early text "twos and threes and fives of
us have sprung up in other communities."

Sixteen years have elapsed between our first printing
of this book and the presentation in 1955 of our second
edition. In that brief space, Alcoholics Anonymous
has mushroomed into nearly 6,000 groups whose mem-
bership is far above 150,000 recovered alcoholics.
Groups are to be found in each of the United States
and all of the provinces of Canada. A.A. has flourish-
ing communities in the British Isles, the Scandinavian
countries, South Africa, South America, Mexico,
Alaska, Australia and Hawaii. All told, promising
beginnings have been made in some 50 foreign coun-
tries and U. S. possessions. Some are just now taking
shape in Asia. Many of our friends encourage us by
saying that this is but a beginning, only the augury of
a much larger future ahead.

The spark that was to flare into the first A.A. group
was struck at Akron, Ohio, in June 1935, during a talk
between a New York stockbroker and an Akron
physician. Six months earlier, the broker had been
relieved of his drink obsession by a sudden spiritual