The phrase “beating a dead horse” came to mind the other day while reading the review of a particular book that is overtly antagonistic toward Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The saying has been around for ages and basically means continuing upon the same course of action or reasoning even after the issue has become moot or resolved. When used in relation to those that seemingly have a grudge against AA, the phrase works on two levels.
The first is the original reason it popped into mind; when beating a dead horse, you are obviously going to get no response or feedback. The same goes for attacking an organization that is based on anonymity, because obviously a spirited reply or retort will not be forthcoming.
The second reason is redundancy. 
Knock, knock, knock…hello? They are already reading your book doofus, so stop kicking this animal and let’s get to talking about recovery already! The reason these guys continue to harp on the “failures” of AA is because it garners a lot of attention (abusing a dead horse definitely attracts attention!). AA has over 100,000 groups and millions of members, so that makes any news about AA coverage worthy.
Want some free press on your new recovery book or method? Call a press conference and call AA a cult, expound about how miserable their success rate is, or better yet talk about how one of the founders admired Hitler!
I’ll follow up on this tomorrow as I reveal my reading list of recovery books written by authors with views on AA that range from clinically indifferent to borderline hatred. But they all have one thing in common, unlike AA, they are out to make money and they have found that beating up on AA is a good for business!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you on this. There is no reason for a book claiming to aid in recovery to put down any other method of recovery.
If you have tried AA and it’s not for you…try something different. It doesn’t mean that AA doesn’t work, it just wasn’t a good fit for you.
To me, putting down a form of recovery because you didn’t find it beneficial fits into the addictive thinking pattern that people are in recovery to try and overcome. What sense does it make?
erinsav
http://www.whatwinnersdo.com
whether or not I could objectively review the books, AA bashing and all, without being super critical myself.
We will see shortly.
I have been having troubles leaving comments at your blog, hopefully this works.
I had an ad for this book on my site. I was very excited to show my husband as it is a book, that he says, saved his life. This is the book he read while in prison that made him put the heroin down. He had been in and running NA meetings in the prison for years, but using at the same time. It was this book, or his understanding of it, that got him out of prison. I am interested in what you think as it is a heavy aa/na basher
up the comments so that non-account members can post. It seems to be helping. Of the four books I have agreed to review,Trimpey is by far the author who is most vehemently opposed to AA.
If you have the opportunity, I would love to find out what your husband got out of the book- then and now.