No names or addresses in my address book

When I opened "mail" and opened my address book there were no names or addresses there any longer. How do I restore my address book? Where did everything go and why?

This sometimes helps:
Quit Address Book.
In folder ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook drag file AddressBook.data to the desktop. Rename AddressBook.data.previous to AddressBook.data and restart AB. If your contacts are not back quit AB again and repeat the drag/rename process, this time with AddressBook.data.beforesave.
If you get your contacts back, now is probably a good time to use the AB menu item File/Back up Address Book.
Where? The bit bucket. Why? I have never seen a satisfactory answer posted, but in many cases synchonisation is involved.
AK

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