The Golden Book of Resentments

by John Doe, Ralph Pfau

Book annotation not available for this title.The Golden Book of ResentmentsPfau, RalphHazeldenPublication 1955/07/01Number ofBinding PAPERBACKLibrary of

55 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1955

About the author

Father Ralph S. Pfau, also known as Father John Doe (10 November 1904 - 19 February 1967) was the author of Sobriety Without End, Sobriety and Beyond and the Golden Book series. He is believed to have been the first Roman Catholic priest to enter Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Reviews

[Kelly Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I kind of stumbled into the Spiritual Experience of this program. And reluctantly reading, I began to develop an understanding of the message that was being Outlined. Its target is AA, and dealing with these hopeless stories and the destruction to the person whos afflicted. I began to see the direct relation to Family suffering and sadness, spouses lost, kids mis-directed, Mom's and Dad's broken homes and hearts. This book deals directly with Resentments, talks about how they can and do control our spirits and actions. Their the #1 offender that plagues the plight of an individual, and the relation to Families, Employers, Spouses, Institutions, every aspect of their life. Tells a person how to identify, understand and basically manage grudges towards ourselves and others. Dr. Phau is simple in his illustrations and explains how to maneuver and manage these conditions.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't understand the significance of AA until I read Infinite Jest. I knew what the acronym meant, and I knew people who had been in it, but for me, it was one of those vaguely defined cultural terms that float around in the air, like "Hedge Funds" or "Corrugated Metal." I understood, but I didn't know. I still don't know, fortunately, but I think I better understand.

AA represents a process of mandatory virtue development. As an addict, you get sober, or go insane, or die. The literature, then, in order to be effective, has to appeal to this mindset. That means it needs to be firm, but gentle, and quick, and, perhaps most importantly, a little eccentric.

Firm in that it does not give equivocal advice. Gentle in that it doesn't beat you over the head with it. Quick, not meaning it is simple, but 'quick' meaning you don't have to keep a reading journal to understand it. And eccentric in that the advice does not necessarily fly in the face of common wisdom or social norms, but also does not go along with mainstream wisdom, either.

This book helped me get over myself. The core thesis is that resentment is a result of us continuously replaying perceived slights in our imagination, not forgiving, not letting go, not moving on. This hurts our pride, and instead of healing, we pick at it. Fr. Pfau had no delusions about "eliminating one's pride." He just offered solid advice and slogans for getting over a little trick of human nature that, if unattended, can tear us apart from the inside.

I would like to read Fr. Pfau's other golden books.