I have had a copy of Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Miracle in The World” sitting on my shelf next to his “The Gift of Acabar” and “The Greatest Salesman in The World” for a long time now. I really enjoyed the Greatest Salesman, but I wasn’t very impressed with The Gift, so I didn’t know quite what to expect.

As with his other books, Og houses his message within a story. I’m a big fan of this way of writing, and I’m not sure why. It doesn’t even have to be a particularly good story, either. And it’s a good thing, because this story is plenty cheesy.

The story here involves Og’s friendship with an old man named Simon who spends his retirement helping folks who have given up on themselves. Simon is very well read, and has had the opportunity to help many folks. By the time he has met Og, he has developed a method to help anybody regain their self esteem. Once they have that back, they’re able to pull themselves out of the gutter and move on with life.

The principles he teaches are not complex. I suppose many folks would find fault with the simplicity of the final message, but I think it’s a good thing. I believe that principles should come first, and individual techniques later.

The old man’s secret technique is a paper he calls the “Memorandum From God” which a person is supposed to read 100 nights is a row. It would take about 20 minutes to read aloud. I doubt very much that many people would actually do that, but it does say some good things.

The Four main points are

1. Count your blessings - Grateful people tend to be happier. Even the poorest financially usually have a lot to be thankful for.
2. Proclaim your rarity - Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There is no need to do things just because someone else is doing it.
3. Go the extra mile - doing this will lead to success in any endeavor.
4. Use wisely your power of choice - The quality of your life depends on the quality of the choices you make.

I believe these are all excellent principles and if embraced, they can definitely make a difference in one’s life. I did find myself considering how I could implement those four ideas in my life.

I enjoyed the book even though it was a little long winded (especially for such a short book) and a lot cheesy. In the end, I don’t think it will find a permanent place on my “classics” bookshelf.

If you’re interested in a copy, Amazon showed used ones for $0.01 + shipping.

The Greatest Miracle in the World