The book Alcoholics Anonymous was written, edited, and agreed upon by the first one hundred men and women who inadvertently formulated the first and only successful method of recovery. This process became the first pattern in history whereby an alcoholic could follow some simple actions and be sure to get and remain sober. Simply put, they noticed this process could be replicated. They also noticed it worked 100% of the time if people took a precise set of actions.
Though Bill Wilson penned the book all of those in the first one hundred had input and review of the textbook. The first one hundred wanted to be sure the book described in detail what had successfully worked for them. Remember the world had had religious, psychological, and medical men trying to solve the riddle of alcoholism for ages with very little success. In fact, there was no set model of treatment that had ever successfully worked. The methods those first one hundred discovered marked an epoch and shift in human history. This collection of people with recovery successes decided it would be wise to document the process. Therefore, what they found was a set method that worked every time when it was followed precisely. Our object here is to be sure the person wishing to be free of the craving and obsession of drugs or alcohol gets the same directions and precise set of actions that have proven to be the only sure method of permanent recovery.
On the topic of the first 100 and since there was no AA group at the time of the books writing some readers of the may ask, who were these first 100? The first 100 were comprised of 100 closely-knit people that had come together and recovered using this certain method. This occurred between 1935 to 1939. These 100 attended the Oxford Groups (a Christian fellowship). But, had also come to understand from Dr. Silkworth's findings that alcohol addiction and addiction, in general, was a disease. A few regular members of Oxford Group met specifically for alcohol problems at separate meetings in addition to their regular Oxford Group meetings.