This book does a fantastic job of demonstrating the synergies of working a 12 step program and buddhist practice. I think it would be valuable for anyone who is still uncomfortable with the Christian overtones of the 12 steps as it explains their origin and how to work them in relation to higher power of your own understanding.

I am a Zen Buddhist who has struggled in the past with alcohol. For personal and religious reasons, I wish to permanently quit alcohol use. I have tried in the past on my own unsuccesfully, and have recently sought help in this endeavor. I am participating in group counselling at this time. I have never really considered participating in a twelve step program as I have always been under the impression that they (AA) take a decidedly Judeo-Christian bent. This book does a fabulous job of explaining how a Buddhist can succesfully participate in such a program as well as how each of the steps can be interpreted and praciced from the Buddhist point of view. I have not joined a twelve step program as of yet, and may not, but I will definately be more open minded about the possibility after reading this book. Likewise, I have learned important techniques that I can use in my recovery now.

Highly recommended for all ,especially those on 12step programmes. A classic in explaining the 12 steps and right living. It is another form of the "BIG BOOK" written with great simplicity and affection.A great help along the road of recovery and living. A classic not to be missed.

An intriguing perspective on 12 Step programs. Having written a book about walking that fine line between compassion and codependence, I found this book insightful and inspiring. - Rita Schiano, author of Sweet Bitter Love

Nobody in today's A.A. should assume he is entitled to throw rocks at Christianity or atheism or Buddhism.A New Way Out: New Path - Familiar Road Signs - Our Creator's Guidance. A.A. was a Christian Fellowship when it began.The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous. It required acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. It required belief in God.The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality. And it emphasized Bible study, prayer meetings, and revelation from the Creator as well as reading Christian literature.The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible (Bridge Builders Edition).
But things have changed--dramatically. A.A. today is not Christian, nor is it a Christian Fellowship. Nor can its book or its steps or its fellowship be changed to say they embrace atheism, Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, humanism, or the unbelief and doubt of some members. It's there with all its universalism and secularism, and it's there to stay. And it calls for tolerance and love, not criticism and rejection.
However, it also calls for choice. He who puts Jesus in the Twelve Steps; he who thinks there is a "higher power" that is a light bulb; and he who worships some other deity is not speaking of the A.A. founded and developed by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron.Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous: His Excellent Training in the Good Book As a Youngster in Vermont, and The Conversion of Bill W.: More on the Creator's Role in Early A.A.. As a matter of fact, when Bill was working with the Jesuit priest Father John Ford and writing Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Ford suggested that there should be sanctions against those who didn't fit the A.A. mold. Bill Wilson rejected the suggestion; and, in correspondence with Ford that I personally saw and copied, Bill said he didn't much care what the Budhhists did with the Twelve Steps.New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.).
I really don't know any better answer, other than that embraced in this kind of tolerance. If someone wants to use prayer beads or chants, they're free to do so in the present Twelve Step fellowships. But I believe all, including this author, should be acquainted with the history of A.A., report it, respect it, and then choose the religious or nonreligious route he or she will pursue today.Introduction to the Sources and Founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am speaking as a recovered Christian member of A.A. who has lasted twenty-two years while counting Bill Wilson's secretary Nell Wing (a Bhuddist)as a good friend. Also counting as my very close AA friend, "Yosemite Tom," who set up our great campouts and then pitched his tent in the middle and did Buddhist chants all night long. Also counting as my good friend Seymour W., a devout Jew, who never failed to mention God and his own prayer life in our regular Wednesday meeting and elsewhere. None of these things offended me or converted me to Buddhism or Judaism. They let me see how broad the road is today.

This was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anybody involved with a 12 step program. Taken with the 12x12 it provides some perspective of the steps, discussing them in more contemporary language. I am not a Buddhist and have no wish to become one, but find there is quite a bit of useful content in the book for anyone in recovery. I've been at this for 25 years now, with countless big book and step studies over the years. I am not a joiner or in the market for a religion, but this book does provide intriguing references to concepts in Buddhism worth pursuing. You don't necessarily need the brand name to make use of something that works. I think one aspect of particular use will be working with a concept of a higher power outside the structure of the Christian traditions. I have to disagree with the earlier reviewer - the author does address his concept of a higher power.

Marvelous book. Especially of help to anyone in any Twelve Step program that struggles with the idea of GOD as their Higher Power. This book gave me a lot of insight into other ways of understanding the twelve steps. You don't need to know a lot about Buddhism to get a lot out of this book. And if you know just a little about Buddhism, your knowledge and your practice will strengthen. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be helpful - specifically the examples from the author's experiences with his attempts to "become spiritual" while avoiding dealing with his relationship to alcohol and drugs. They parallel my own journey. I find it to be a valuable addition to 12 step literature and am grateful that the author has the courage to own and correlate his buddhist practice with his membership in a 12 step fellowship. The only reason that I could not give it a full 5 stars is that despite his promise to deal with the Higher Power issue - specifically what does a buddhist look to as a HP within the 12 step context, I ended up feeling that he had side stepped it. That concept is something that this writer still struggles with and I wished that I had been able to learn more from this writer about that issue and his experience with it.

I would suggest this book to all who are seeking the path of recovery regardless of the spiritual journey you are on. Great guidance.

If you are new to the twelve-step programs, or new to Buddhism, or a master at both, you will find this book very informative and useful.

I first heard about Kevin's book from one of his dharma talks on the audiodharma.org podcast. At the time I was all ready in recovery, and I could see many similarities between Buddhism and twelve-step principles. Kevin's book clarified and corrected the intersections I saw, and introduced me to a new way at look at the Twelve Steps and the Universalist nature of the twelve-step movement.

From the beginning of recovery, I had hard time digesting what the Steps meant to me and how the could be useful in my life. Very simple clarifications for this book--like the difference between powerlessness and helplessness described in chapter one (e.g. powerless over desires, not powerless over behavior--I find myself coming back to time and time again.

I was also impressed by Kevin's understanding of Buddhist concepts, such as not-self (or no-self), that have been very difficult for me to understand. Kevin's stories and examples helped me to see the importance of metta (loveingkindness meditation) in practice and how useful it can be in dealing with resentments.

Perhaps the most important point Kevin makes in the book is about language, as Kevin puts it: "Language is always an issue in spiritual teachings... as I've talked about, these teachings try to explain something that goes beyond language; words are only an attempt to represent reality, that are not reality itself... Language always comes out of a particular time and place, a particular culture. Inevitably it becomes dated.... Finding our own Language for the Steps is a useful exercise as long as we don't forget the original intent."

It's true that Alcoholics Anonymous came from Protestant roots, and that much of the literature in twelve-step programs consequently retains much of that language and culture. It the same way that it's important to follow the "spirit of the law" rather than "the letter of the law," it's important to understand the intent or spirit of twelve-step language rather than to think it's necessary to align oneself with it's particular religious connotations.

One thing, however, that troubled me a little was that Kevin's decision to use his full name for the author attribution. I was reminded by a friend of mine about the controversy surrounding James Frey's books right around when I was finishing this one. In many cases, when writing about twelve-step related recovery stories, authors will elect to used the first name, last initial format for the attribution (e.g. see Afraid to Live, Afraid to Die and A Skeptic's Guide to the 12 Steps). I can understand the pluses and minuses of using the full name or following (maybe over-zealously) the anonymity principles of used in such programs. I thought it was worth mentioning here, not because I don't trust Kevin, but because it's an important issue worth considering.

This incredibly insightful book has deepened my understanding of both my meditation practice and the twelve steps. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone working the twelve step program who may be having difficulty with the "Higher Power" concept. Anyone with a meditation practice can benefit (as I did) from using the twelve step format to help gain better understanding of Buddhist concepts.

This is one of the finest books I've read linking the 12 Steps of AA with the practices of Buddhism. Kevin Griffin has a magnificent grasp of both and presents them so clearly that it truly is a thrill to read. Excellent writing as well, sometimes poetic. Well done!

I bought this book for my bf as he was coming out of rehab, and ended up reading it myself as well. It has lessons and guidance that even a non-addicted person can apply to their everyday life. I highly recommend this book, it is a quick read, and you'll leave knowing things about yourself you didn't before.

Kevin Griffin and friends put a lot of thought into integrating these two approaches. However, what makes the book a Five Star instead of a Four Star is the totally honest portrayal of his own life by Mr. Griffin as he tells of his misdeeds and how he hurt others in his bouts with alcohol and drugs. He offers hope and redemption to the rest of us and you will love his happy ending. Were we all so open, humble, and acknowledging of our faults and missteps. A great read for us recovering folks who also would like to focus on Step Eleven, especially through a Buddhist perspective.

The first question to come to my mind with this title was what is the relationship between Buddhism and the twelve step program? Author Kevin Griffin answers this question succinctly when he points out that the Buddha said the cause of suffering is desire and the twelve steps program tries to heal people from the most extreme of desires - addiction.

This book is about Mr. Griffin's personal path to addiction recovery and how integrating Buddhism and the twelve steps allowed him to become at peace with himself. He explains Buddhist meditation and the Buddhist eight-fold path as it parallels the twelve step path. While the twelve step program allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of the "Higher Power" you reach out to, many groups have a Christian focus. Kevin Griffin provides an alternative for those who are uncomfortable with a Christian focus but want to overcome alcoholism and co-dependency. "One Breath at a Time" is a deeply personal story of one man's journey and he invites you to travel his path from realization that he had a problem to freedom and shares how you can take the same path.