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.