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Hoping to demystify the miraculous, author John Gray (Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus) offers a handbook on creating "practical miracles." Having experienced a personal miracle when he recovered from near blindness, Gray began to realize that humans could actually participate in creating their own miracles. "Miracles don't just happen for some and not for others," he notes. "They occur when specific conditions are nurtured." In order to nurture these conditions, Gray suggests living by nine guiding principles, including "Love as if for the first time," "Work as if money didn't matter," and "Relax as if everything will be okay." Typical of Gray, he has narrowed his book down into concise formulas, following step-by-step, stage-by-stage plans and exercises. This compulsion to script his theories into neat little self-help packages is his downfall, limiting what could have been a meaningful and important discussion about miracle making in everyday life. Instead, we can't help feeling that he's simply holding up a bottle of his latest formula and saying, "Ladies from Venus, gentlemen from Mars, for just under $20 you too can be a miracle maker...." Nonetheless, his heart seems to be in the right place and there are passages of impressive wisdom. Even hardcore skeptics could live a better life (and may even encounter a miracle or two) by following his excellent list of guiding principles. --Gail Hudson
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