Who might a plain language Big Book be for?
Someone who cannot read and understand ordinary written
English. There are a few archaisms, obscure references, and tortured passages, sure,
but most of it is quite plain already. Perhaps ninety-five per cent of the book
is quite accessible, and the key to the book will not lie in the obscure five
per cent.
Under what circumstances might a person who cannot read and
understand ordinary written English actually use such a plain language version,
however?
We have two possible constituencies: alcoholics who are not
AA members and alcoholics who are.
Let’s first look at those who are not AA members.
Such a potential candidate for AA is still drinking, and his
ability to think is still likely to be impaired.
Such a person might want help from AA and might come across
a physical or electronic version of the Big Book and decide to read it.
However, how many people who cannot read and understand ordinary
written English will opt to read a five- or six-hundred-page book as their
primary means of learning about something? The book is competing with Google, the
AA website, agencies and people in the community, YouTube, social media, and
pamphlets. Non-readers don’t read books. That’s the whole point.
Let’s say such a non-reading, solitary, mentally impaired, still-drinking
alcohol does decide to go down the book-reading route to solve his problem. Let’s
say he comes across an obscure passage. What might he do? He might Google it. Try
Googling, ‘what does shivering denizens mean’ or ‘what does boiled as an own
mean’ and the AI Overview gives perfect answers. Only someone without Internet
access or who is averse to using the Internet will need the plain language Big
Book to explain words and phrases he does not understand.
The plain language Big Book is also positioned as ‘A Tool
for Reading Alcoholics Anonymous’. Our imaginary still-suffering alcoholic, who
has trouble reading one book, is apparently expected to undertake the unusual
exercise of reading two books in parallel, side-by-side. This is hardly
plausible.
We have thus now narrowed down our first constituency:
Non-reading, solitary, mentally impaired, still-drinking
alcoholics who, despite not being readers, are drawn exclusively to the project
of reading two books in parallel and cannot or will not use the Internet.
The second possible constituency is the same category of person
but now as an AA member.
This is our second constituency, therefore:
Non-reading, newly sober, still mentally impaired alcoholics
who, despite not being readers, are drawn exclusively to the project of reading
two books in parallel and cannot or will not use the Internet and who reject the
option of talking to other AA members to ask about obscure words, phrases,
ideas, or passages in the Big Book.
Even if such a person exists (believe me, they do not), they
will not get very far unless they form relationships with other people in AA. If
they have such relationships: problem solved, and far more effectively and
efficiently than reading two books in parallel.
The plain language Big Book is trying to solve a problem
that does not exist.
What might an alternative be?
Publish an edition of the Big Book with footnotes on each
page explaining difficult words, phrases, and references. This will eliminate ninety-nine
per cent of the obstacles encountered by readers.