"Courage to Change" deals with the influence of Sam Shoemaker on the early years of Alcoholics Anonymous, the writing of the Twelve Steps, and the book, "Alcoholics Anonymous. " Bill Wilson proclaimed at the 1955 International AA Convention, "The early AA got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker. " The writings of the Reverend Sam Shoemaker, Episcopal minister, are examined in this volume in the light of their contribution to the principles of Twelve Step recovery.