AA meeting readings and literature

Meeting readings

The readings often read aloud at AA meetings, on the fellowship's own site.

• The A.A. Preamble(PDF document, opens in a new tab)The preamble read at the start of most A.A. meetings.PDFaa.org
• How It Works (Big Book, Chapter 5)(PDF document, opens in a new tab)Chapter 5 of Alcoholics Anonymous. Its opening pages are the "How It Works" reading.PDFaa.org
• The Twelve Steps(opens in a new tab)The Twelve Steps in full, as read from the opening of "How It Works".aa.org
• More About Alcoholism (Big Book, Chapter 3)(PDF document, opens in a new tab)Another Big Book chapter that some groups open with instead of How It Works.PDFaa.org
• The Twelve Traditions(opens in a new tab)The Twelve Traditions, often read at meetings.aa.org
• The Promises (Big Book, Chapter 6)(PDF document, opens in a new tab)Chapter 6, "Into Action". The Promises are on pages 83 and 84.PDFaa.org
• Daily Reflections(opens in a new tab)A.A.'s Daily Reflections, which many groups use to set a topic. The page opens on 1 January; search by date for the day's reading.aa.org

New to AA?

• New to A.A.?(opens in a new tab)What A.A. is, and what to expect if you think you have a drinking problem.aa.org
• AA meeting finder (opens in a new tab) The fellowship's own meeting search. aa.org

Get the literature

Where a fellowship runs its own shop, buying there supports its work. These are plain links: we take no commission and add no tracking.

• A.A. Great Britain shop (opens in a new tab)UKalcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
• A.A. World Services literature store (opens in a new tab)Worldonlineliterature.aa.org

Many groups also sell A.A. literature at meetings.