Writing & Printing of the Big Book (Q&A)

Why is a portion of Chapter 5 (How It Works) read at the beginning of meetings?
In 1939, a drunk named Mort J. got sober after reading the book Alcoholics Anonymous. He moved to Los Angeles in 1940 and rented a meeting room in the Cecil Hotel with his own money. He insisted on a reading from Chapter 5 of the Big Book at the beginning of every meeting held there.

Where does the name Alcoholics Anonymous come from?
In the book Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill states that "Alcoholics Anonymous" was one of the first suggestions for a title for the book, appearing as early as October 1938: "After we New Yorkers had left the Oxford Groups in 1937 we often, described ourselves as a 'nameless bunch of alcoholics.' From this phrase it was only a step to the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous."

Were other names thought of for the book?
Yes. Another popular title was The Way Out. Bill confessed that he began to be tempted: "If we gave the book this name, then I could add my signature...I began to forget that this was everybody's book and that I had been mostly the umpire of the discussions that had created it. In one dark moment I even considered calling the book The B.W. Movement.

Why does AA publish its own literature?
The founding members' decision to publish the book on their own, instead of going with an establish publishing company, has enabled AA to keep the message intact and use the income from book sales to carry the message. AA need never publish any piece of literature simply because "it will sell." New material is developed only in response to an expressed need from a substantial portion of the Fellowship.