The Big Book was written by William G. "Bill W." Wilson, one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA or A.A.), with the help of various editors.

Drafts of sections were sent back and forth between Bill W.'s group in New York and Robert Holbrook Smith (Dr. Bob), the other AA founder, in Akron, Ohio.

[5] In 1934 he was invited by his friend and drinking buddy Ebby T. to join the Oxford Group, a spiritual movement based on the “Four Absolutes” of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love.

The idea for the book developed when Bill W. and Dr. Bob realized their system had helped over 40 men stay sober for more than 2 years.

[7][8] Much of the book was written in 1938 at the Calumet Building in Newark, New Jersey (the site of first 'headquarters' of Alcoholics Anonymous), using the secretarial services provided by Ruth Hock.

U.S. President Richard Nixon received the millionth copy of the book,[13] The 25-millionth copy of the Big Book was presented to Jill Brown, the warden of San Quentin State Prison, at the International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous in Toronto, Ontario to commemorate the first prison meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous taking place at San Quentin in 1941.

Bill W.'s Story and Dr. Bob's Nightmare and the personal experiences of some alcoholics are detailed as well as the series of solutions which evolved to become the twelve-step program.

Frequently mentioned sections are: The main goal of the book is to make it possible for the reader to find a power greater than himself to solve his problem.

By way of anecdotal evidence, the example is provided of a man who, after 25 years sobriety, began to drink moderately and within two months landed in hospital.

An example of a man named Fred is given, who had no control over his drinking, but finally leads an "infinitely more satisfying life" than before thanks to the previously unexplained principles of AA.

[17] At the time of the publication of the first edition, The Big Book was typically well received by most critics, referred to by one reviewer as "the greatest redemptive force of the 20th century.

Some of his reasons for distrusting these steps included the contention that millions had overcome alcohol while remaining agnostic or atheist and that the necessity to accept belief in a Higher Power likely pushed more people away from the program than it drew in.

"[26] G. Alan Marlatt also questioned the necessity of a need for a Higher Power but concluded that he was "impressed with the amazing success of A.A. over the past 50 years of its existence.

"[26] Abraham Twerski was the most positive of the three experts, claiming that "the continuing relevance of the Big Book to today's alcoholic is precisely due to the fact that it does not seek to treat nor teach by its contents.

Twerski also praised the ability of the 12-step program to treat other addictions as well "because the 12-steps are a protocol for personality, for growth, and for self-realization, a process of value to even the non-alcoholic or non-addicted individual."