Narcotics Anonymous White Booklet
Narcotics Anonymous White Booklet
he N.A. White Booklet / “Little White Booklet”
World Service Office, Inc. · Van Nuys, California · Copyright 1983
Approved N.A. Literature
Description
Offered here is an excellent later printing of the Narcotics Anonymous White Booklet, often referred to as the “Little White Booklet.” This small booklet is one of the most important pieces of Narcotics Anonymous literature and served for many years as the basic written message of the Fellowship before the publication of the full N.A. Basic Text.
The booklet opens with a foreword describing it as “an introduction to the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous,” written for men and women suffering from addiction to narcotics and sedation. It presents the essentials of the N.A. program, including the Serenity Prayer, “Who Is An Addict?”, “What Is the Narcotics Anonymous Program?”, “Why Are We Here?”, “How It Works,” “What Can I Do?”, the Twelve Traditions of N.A., “Just for Today,” and several early personal recovery stories.
This copy is especially interesting because it is a 1983 World Service Office printing, produced at the end of the White Booklet era, just as the full Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text was being published. For collectors, this places it at an important transition point in N.A. literature: the closing chapter of the small “hip pocket” booklet tradition and the beginning of the Basic Text period.
Historical Significance
The N.A. White Booklet has deep roots in the survival and development of Narcotics Anonymous. In the late 1950s, N.A. nearly collapsed, with a period in 1959 when meetings ceased for several months. Jimmy K. and others helped restart the Fellowship, placing renewed emphasis on the Twelve Traditions and the need for unity, service, and a clear written message.
The White Booklet was first developed in the early 1960s and became the heart of N.A. meetings. It carried the essential message of Narcotics Anonymous in a simple, pocket-sized format. For years, N.A. was sometimes described as a “hip pocket program” because its entire core literature could be carried in a member’s pocket.
Republished and revised through the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, the White Booklet remained foundational until the full N.A. Basic Text was published in 1983. Many collectors and members view the Basic Text as the moment when N.A. became fully established in book form as its own distinct fellowship, while the White Booklet preserves the earlier, compact message that helped keep N.A. alive and growing.
Contents Include
Serenity Prayer
Who Is An Addict?
What Is the Narcotics Anonymous Program?
Why Are We Here?
How It Works
What Can I Do?
The Twelve Traditions of N.A.
Just for Today
Early personal recovery stories, including “One Third of My Life,” “I Can’t Do Any More Time,” and “Fat Addict”
Edition Details
Title: Narcotics Anonymous
Common Name: The N.A. White Booklet / Little White Booklet
Publisher: World Service Office, Inc.
Place: Van Nuys, California
Copyright: 1983
Format: Stapled softcover booklet
Status: Approved N.A. Literature
Note: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions reprinted for adaptation by permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
Condition
This booklet is in excellent condition for its age.
The cover presents very nicely with light age toning and minimal handling wear. Interior pages are clean and well-preserved. The stapled binding remains intact, and the booklet displays beautifully.
Please view all photos carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.
Collector’s Note
The N.A. White Booklet is one of the cornerstone pieces of Narcotics Anonymous literature. Before the Basic Text, this booklet carried the essential N.A. message into meetings, institutions, and the pockets of recovering addicts.
This 1983 World Service Office printing is especially desirable because it represents one of the final White Booklet-era printings before the Basic Text became the primary book of Narcotics Anonymous. Very few copies survive in this level of condition.
A meaningful addition for collectors of Narcotics Anonymous history, early N.A. literature, Twelve Step pamphlets, and recovery fellowship publications.
