Synopses & Reviews
The definitive biography of Bill Wilson, the man who established Alcoholics Anonymous, and the first to be written with access to documents in that organization's archives, by a noted author who is herself a recovering alcoholic.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In this definitive and groundbreaking biography, acclaimed author Susan Cheever offers a remarkably human portrait of a man whose life and work both influenced and saved the lives of millions of people. Drawing from personal letters, diaries, AA archives, interviewsand#8212;and Cheever's own experiences with alcoholismandlt;iandgt;and#8212;My Name Is Billandlt;/iandgt; is the first fully documented, deeply felt account of Bill Wilson and Alcoholics Anonymous.
Review
"[A] wise, well-reported life story of the man who changed the way the world deals with addiction." andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;Iandgt;Chicago Sun-Timesandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"Susan Cheever...decants the ups and downs of a remarkable man [and] does so in her distinctive style: succinct chapters, pithy profiles and telling detail...even more important are the insights and empathy so credibly her own as a reformed drinker who attended meetings of AA with her father, novelist John Cheever." andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"As the biography of one of the most humane and beneficial Americans who ever lived, it is a national treasure." andlt;BRandgt; -- Kurt Vonnegut
Review
"Distinctive...and telling." andlt;BRandgt; -- andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt;
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Susan Cheeverandlt;/Bandgt; is the bestselling author of thirteen previous books, including five novels and the memoirs andlt;iandgt;Note Found in a Bottleandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Home Before Dark.andlt;/iandgt; Her work has been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the andlt;iandgt;Boston Globeandlt;/iandgt; Winship Medal. She is a Guggenheim Fellow, a member of the Corporation of Yaddo, and a member of the Author's Guild Council. She teaches in the Bennington College M.F.A. program. She lives in New York City with her family.