A Course in Miracles, sometimes called an Acumen of Miracles, is a personal written work by Helen Schucman. The basic premise underlying the book is that the best "miracle" is the simple act of getting a full awareness of the presence of God in one's life. Christ said that if we go to our Lord, He will show us the things that we need to do to gain this awareness. Schucman claimed in her book that she received this message directly from Christ. This may seem unlikely, but it is possible to receive messages directly from Jesus.

To understand this book, you will need to look at it as a three parts process. First, you will need to read the introductory chapters, which cover the history and motivation behind the book. Next, you will need to examine the different ways in which miracles are related to the person's life and personal situation. The third section looks at the application of these ideas to the person's life and situation. Each of these three sections is important, so look for a good introduction to the material that includes each of these parts.

After reading these introductions and examining the historical and motivational background of the book, you will need to examine the various miracles that are related to each chapter. There are nine major miracles that are told in the text. Look for a description of each one, and see if each describes a different part of life or a different aspect of the person's situation in some way. For instance, if a miracle is related to being fully present in the moment, you can imagine what it might be like to have the mind of Christ being fully present in each one of your daily actions. If there is a miracle related to being your best friend, how can you be sure that you will always be that way?

The final step is to use these miracles to apply the theories and the thoughts outlined in the introduction to your personal thought system. The nine miracles described in the text all relate to three sections of life. You can think about how the relationship between you and your friends in the present may change if you adopted some of the tips outlined in Part One. You can also imagine how changing the way you think about money will affect the way you live your life in the future.

Each chapter ends with a reflection on the ways in which you can best make use of the knowledge and power of miracles. Helen Schucman does an excellent job of integrating her research with a clear and simple style of writing. I liked her conclusions and recommendations. Although there were a few points that were a little problematic (namely regarding time-space and the three sections of life), overall the workbook was a very good one.

While this is a great book as a whole, it could be shortened and made more effective by being divided into two books. I would have enjoyed a shorter workbook that just concentrated on the three sections of miracles and their application to the new age. However, that particular flaw does mar the overall effectiveness of the book. As is generally the case with Schucmann's works, there are too many miracles to fit neatly into a short book. A course in miracles does a good job of introducing the concepts and bringing them out into the light of the reader.