Over the years that I’ve been sober, I’ve started and stopped working on several books.  In true alcoholic fashion, I’ll get a brainstorm, do some work on one of them, then get bored and move on! 🙂   This section of the site will house the books I have finally got up off my butt (read: did enough inventory to let God take from me the defect of sloth (procrastination)) and finished!  I am making them available free to view/print/download.  I hope you get as much joy from reading them as God gave me in writing them. May God bless you as you trudge the “Road of Happy Destiny.”

Helpful Hints:

    3D FlipBooks in this library WILL work on mobile devices, but are best read on a laptop/desktop computer.  Any book in this library can be downloaded as a PDF or printed by using the appropriate icon in the FlipBook panel at the bottom of each book.

“The Crux of the Problem”

[62 Pages]

[Releasing Soon]  Book Synopsis: What if alcohol was never the real problem? In a single, often-overlooked paragraph on page 35 of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill W. identifies “the mental states that precede a relapse into drinking” as the crux of the problem. This book begins where that sentence leaves off.

The Crux of the Problem: Learning What the Real Problem Is invites readers to reconsider a foundational assumption in recovery—that alcohol itself is the illness. Drawing directly from the wisdom of the Big Book and the lived experience of long-term recovery, this book argues that alcohol was the symptom, not the illness. The real danger has always been distorted thinking rooted in fear, resentment, and self-reliance.

Through a clear, thoughtful exploration of the Twelve Steps, the author reveals why abstinence alone is never enough, why knowledge and willpower fail alcoholics, and how sanity is restored through humility, surrender, and connection. Written for newcomers, sponsors, and those with years of sobriety alike, this book offers language for what many alcoholics feel but struggle to articulate.

This is not a replacement for the Big Book—it is a companion to it. A guide for anyone who wants to move beyond simply not drinking and begin living truly recovered. – Rick W.

“The Prep Steps”

[32 Pages]

[Released Monday, January 26, 2026]  Book Synopsis: “I didn’t set out to write this book because I thought something was missing from Alcoholics Anonymous. I wrote it because, after many years of living inside the Steps, something became impossible not to see. Over time, it became clear to me that there are movements within the Twelve Steps that function as preparation; quiet, internal shifts that make the outward actions possible. They aren’t labeled. They aren’t formally named. And they are never called “Prep Steps” anywhere in our Conference approved literature. Still, they are there.

This book is not an attempt to reinterpret, revise, or improve the Twelve Steps. It is simply an attempt to describe from one recovered alcoholic’s POV what many of us have already lived. The language of “Prep Steps” is not official, and it is not meant to be. It is merely a way of pointing to something that already exists, something that reveals itself slowly, over time, through practice rather than theory.”  – Rick W.

In this episode of The Deep Dive, we explore The Prep Steps – Setting Up Action in A.A., a fresh look at why the Twelve Steps are in the order they are and how preparation makes action powerful, honest, and lasting. Join us as we unpack how readiness, willingness, and humility quietly shape real transformation in recovery.

“Under The Hood”

[38 Pages]

[Released Monday, July 25, 2022] “By the grace of God, I’m excited to release my second ebook to the world, Under The Hood – which is a 38-page reflection on Steps 6 & 7.  I believe that while all 12 Steps are important to my recovery, for me, a personal and daily relationship with these two Steps are the meat and substance of my program today.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.” – Rick W.

“The Last 161 Words”

[20 Pages]

[Released Tuesday, May 26, 2020] “By the grace of God, I’m excited to release my first book to the world, The Last 161 Words–which is a reflection on the last three (3) paragraphs of “A Vision For You” found on page 164 of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous (our Big Book).  The last three paragraphs contain all twelve (12) of our steps, and they are filled with some of the most beautiful promises, prayers, actions, and warnings I’ve ever seen, heard, or read.  It is my hope that this quick read (20 pages) will open your eyes to a whole new experience of the last 161 words that Bill W. wrote in our basic text.” – Rick W.