Book reviews

Review of Higher Power: Seeking God in 12 Step Recovery

Posted on January 21, 2026, tagged as

I ordered this book because of its very similar title to my Seeking a Higher Power: A Guide to the Second Step. Although the titles are similar, there is an obvious difference. Himes’ book’s title talks about “seeking God,” whereas mine talks about “seeking a higher power.” I’m glad I did because although it is very different from mine, it is a good recovery book. Himes identifies himself as a recovering alcoholic, and as the chaplain for a prominent treatment program. He is knowledgeable about both the book Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book) and about the Bible, probably in equal measure. As in the Big Book, the Bible, and other classic texts, he makes good use of storytelling to illustrate his points. He is well-read, and quotes many of the same authors that I did, including Thomas Merton, Dag Hammarskjold, Albert Einstein, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Elie Wiesel. He even uses my favorite quote, which he attributes to AA wisdom: “Only you can do it, but you can’t do it alone.”

Hines stresses the importance of leaving the past in the past, forgiveness of self and others, and prayer. The book is well written. He expresses his thoughts clearly in readable prose. It has what I see as a particular strength, which may also be its main weakness. That is, it is written from a Christian perspective. For Christians, I believe this to be helpful in demonstrating the Biblical principles that are found in the twelve steps and explaining how these two perspectives support each other. For those who are not Christians, or who are agnostic, this may be more of a problem. Such people will have to approach the book with an open mind and try to get what they can from its pages. I don’t see how atheists would get much out of the book. But I don’t want to talk anyone out of reading it.

Higher Power: Seeking God in 12-Step Recovery is a strong recovery book that most any reader of recovery literature would like to keep handy on their bookshelf. I got my copy (used) on Amazon, but I’m sure it is still widely available. Happy reading!