Anatomy and Physiology Term ProjectBook ReviewFrancesca KorteAlcoholism is a dominant disease in my family. When I was in college, my grandmother broke her sobriety after many years and had to be hospitalized. The events between his sobriety break and his hospitalization made me angry. I was totally exposed to alcoholism. As I was relatively young at the time, I had difficulty understanding how alcoholism was considered an illness. I just assumed that if you liked drinking a little more than average, you should stop drinking. As simple as that. I didn't understand the dependence, both mental and physical, that could develop. Eventually, I accepted alcoholism. I learned about Alcoholics Anonymous – I even attended a few meetings – and my grandmother regained her sobriety. As I got older, I understood what alcoholism really meant and how serious this disease was. A few years ago, I was going through my grandmother's books to try to help her organize them. I came across My Name Is Bill. I vaguely remembered my mother giving him the book for Christmas one year and became intrigued. I picked up the book and only until this project did I allow myself the time to read it. My Name Is Bill was written by Susan Cheever and was published in 2004 by Washington Square Press. The biography tells the story of Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. It includes personal letters, journal entries, AA archives, and interviews to provide greater insight into “the life…of a man who changed the way the world treated addiction.” (Chicago Sun-Times). The story is divided into four parts: his childhood in rural Vermont, his period...... middle of paper..., sought a spiritual cure for his alcoholism. They began working together to help other alcoholics. By 1938, about 100 alcoholics had become sober. To promote their recovery program, the Oxford group decided to publish a book and chose Bill as lead author. It was called Alcoholics Anonymous and included the Twelve Steps, a list of suggested activities for spiritual growth. From there, the Alcoholics Anonymous group grew exponentially. As Cheever's writes on page 38, "In hindsight, it appears that [Bill's] experience...[was] systematic preparation for his role as co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and its principal author." » He was and still is considered "the chosen one" by AA members. They truly believe he is a vessel of God, and the impact he has had on the lives of millions of addicts around the world is proof of that..