Product Description
This is the definitive work on the Reverend Canon Samuel Moor Shoemaker, Jr., and his relationship with and contributions to Alcoholics Anonymous and its founder William Griffith Wilson. Prior to the writing of the first edition of this book, few in or out of A.A. had any idea what Bill Wilson really meant when a called Sam Shoemaker a “cofounder” of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this book, however, you will learn the details about Sam Shoemaker, about his participation in and leadership of the American activities of the Oxford Group, his activities in both Calvary Episcopal Church in New York and Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. The book reviews almost every one of Sam’s more than 30 published titles as well as many of his articles and sermons. It shows his towering stature as a life-changer, both in early A.A. and later in the Pittsburgh businessmen’s scene. Bill Wilson said that Shoemaker had taught Bill and Bob almost all the subjects encompassed in A.A.’s last of the ten Twelve Steps. This book reveals that Bill actually asked Shoemaker to write those steps, but that Shoemaker declined. The reader will see the great resemblance between A.A. Big Book language and the language which Shoemaker used so often in his writings. The personal friendship between Bill and Sam is covered at length. And, in connection with the Second Edition, author Dick B. and his son traveled to the home of one of Shoemaker’s daughters to view Sam’s personal journal entries about Bill and other early A.A. figures. They then traveled to the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas, and there searched through 58 boxes of papers that disclosed Shoemaker’s correspondence with Wilson, with Roman Catholic priests, with Oxford Group members, and with many others. The appendices in the book are wide-spread in detail and coverage. They include observations by Oxford Group people, by Lois Wilson, by Wilson, and others. And, in all, they enable the reader to see this clergyman who was named as one of the leading American preachers just as Bill Wilson and the many Shoemaker admirers saw the man. There are also the articles by Shoemaker about A.A. and the contents of his talks to AAs at their international conventions in St. Louis and Long Beach. Three notable people contributed Forewords to this book–Mrs. W. Irving Harris, wife of Shoemaker’s assistant minister, who was a resident of Calvary House where Shoemaker lived and was the steward of the Oxford Group and Shoemaker books sold there; Mrs. Nickie Shoemaker Haggart, Shoemaker’s younger daughter, who told of her father’s affection for AAs and for Bill; and the distinguished former professor of chemical dependency and counseling at Penn State University, Dr. Karen Plavan. There is simply nothing as important, as comprehensive, or as useful for the study of Bill Wilson’s formulation of the Big Book as this study of Wilson and Shoemaker.
#1 by Daxton Lyon on January 5, 2010 - 9:55 pm
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This book is so large, so comprehensive in the details it relates, and so thorough in its discussion of the relationship between Bill Wilson and his real spiritual teacher that many of its comments still seem to remain unnoticed. But the book, revised in the second edition, gives you some extremely useful spiritual history and tools. It reviews almost every book that Sam Shoemaker wrote. It covers the relationship between A.A. Cofounder Bill Wilson and the clergyman who taught him most of the Step material. It shows precisely the Shoemaker ideas and language that can be found in the Twelve Steps and the Big Book. It reports Shoemaker’s talks to AAs at two of their International Conventions–St. Louis and Long Beach. It reveals the extensive findings of the author and his son at the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas where the vast number of Shoemaker papers are lodged. In the second edition, it gives a great picture of Sam Shoemaker in action after he took his second major church rectorship–in Pittsburgh. Wade through it. Get informed. And see how much about A.A., Bill Wilson, and Sam Shoemaker you never knew. I recommend it highly.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by John Hill IV on January 5, 2010 - 10:05 pm
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Bill W. called Rev. Shoemaker a co-founder of A.A. He said most of the ideas in the 12 Steps came from Rev. Shoemaker, and he actually asked Shoemaker to write the 12 Steps, but Shoemaker declined, saying they should come from an alcoholic. Shoemaker’s books, articles, and talks from beginning to end were about faith, prayer, and the Bible. This book helps to bring the A.A. roots and the Bible into focus
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by John Albert Hill Jr. on January 5, 2010 - 11:39 pm
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This book is a tough chew because it covers so many items in such great depth. It details some of Rev.Sam Shoemaker’s life. It covers his personal relationship with A.A. and Bill Wilson. To make a knowledge of Shoemaker writings much easier, it specifically reviews almost every Shoemaker book written from 1921 through the year A.A.’s Big Book was published. And it touches on those published thereafter which commented on A.A. or contained repeat and relevant materials. It lists the dozens of words and phrases from Shoemaker writings that can be found in the Big Book, Twelve Steps, and A.A. materials. And, in its body and appendices, it covers the astonishing body of Shoemaker treasures Dick unearthed at the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas; at Shoemaker’s two Calvary churches in Pittsburgh and New York; in Shoemaker’s books and articles and sermons; in Sam’s personal journals–never before seen or reported; and in the minds and memories of those friends who knew and worked with Sam. The particular treasure was the Pittsburgh section. Dick went back to Pittsburgh and interviewed the “golf club crowd” which Sam had rounded up and put to work in the Pittsburgh Experiment, businessmen’s prayer meetings, and other unique outreach. These old-timers were alive and kicking and gave their reports on Sam and his methods with lots of enthusiams. There’s plenty more. But I wanted to report that I’ve learned much much more in the last few years about the Rev. Sam Shoemaker that every A.A. ought to know. For it was to Sam that Bill turned and asked if Sam would actually write the Twelve Steps–Sam humbly declining.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Richard L. Southworth on January 6, 2010 - 12:25 am
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During my high school and early college years, I was a member of The Rev. Sam Shoemaker’s congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I got to know him and his family quite well. He was, without doubt, the most dynamic and holy man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Since that time, I have spoken with many alcoholism counselors as well as A.A. members — all (who knew anything about the history of A.A.) had only positive things to say about the role “Sam” played in helping to develop the “12 step” program. Now, having said that, let’s get to the book itself.
I found this book to be a very extensive and, I believe, thorough account of the influence of this one Episcopal clergyman (and the God who obviously directed him) on the wording of the twelve steps. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who would like to know more about the early development of A.A. and the clergyman working behind the scenes during that development.
Rating: 5 / 5