Hello, my name is Thumper and I'm a compulsive overeater. I've been given the special honor of leading the first Big Book study in the year 2000. I can think of no better way to begin this Millennium than to open the Big Book and study it chapter by chapter, page by page, paragraph by paragraph, and even word by word.

For those of you new to OA, the "Big Book" is the book entitled "Alcoholics Anonymous" written in 1939 and forms the foundation for our 12-Step program of recovery. We find it helpful to change the word "alcohol" to "food" and "alcoholic" t o "compulsive overeater." This book can be found through bookstores, through your local AA and OA offices, on the Internet, and at most public libraries.

The format for January will be a little different from what we have done in the past. I will be sending a short excerpt from the book every day through the month, will comment briefly on those things that have either had a special impact on my recovery or that I find particularly interesting.

A question or two will follow for those who have gotten into the habit of having a specific question to answer. In the month of January we will attempt to cover the Forwards to the 1st and 2nd Editions, The Doctor's Opinion, and Spiritual Experience.

The opinions I give will be just that - my opinions. I suggest you read the text and formulate your own opinions. You are encouraged to write to the loop with your thoughts and experiences as we go through this. No one opinion is any more correct or valid than another and the sharing of your own interpretation of the text will benefit us all.

An online copy of the Big Book can be found at:

http://www.recovery.org/aa/bigbook/ww/index.html

Happy studying!

Love,
Thumper