Review of Higher Power: Seeking God in 12 Step Recovery By Douglas D. Himes

Posted on May 19, 2026, tagged as

Review of Higher Power:  Seeking God in 12 Step Recovery
By Douglas D. Himes
Abington Press, 2012

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. Hines’ book’s title talks about “seeking God,” whereas mine talks about “seeking a higher power.”  I’m glad I read it because although it is very different from mine, it is a good recovery book. Hines identifies himself as a recovering alcoholic, and also 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 found 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 Hammerskjold, Albert Einstein, Thich Nhat Hahn, 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 believe that atheists would get as 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, and I’m sure it is still widely available. Happy reading!