Marianne Williamson was in her mid-twenties, a laid-back product of the hippie generation, when she made a discovery that changed her life . In 1965, Helen Schucman, a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University, had started transcribing a 'voice'. The result was the massive A Course in Miracles, a self-study psycho-spiritual philosophy based on love and forgiveness that gave birth to discussion groups around the world. Williamson's full embrace of the Course led her to give talks and lectures on it, which eventually resulted in the publication of A Return To Love.

As a masterful summation of the Course the book is worth reading, but it is the passionate baring of the author's soul and spiritual awakening that pulls in readers. Initially, it was Oprah Winfrey's liking of the book that helped project it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, where it spent over six months. A recent revised addition notes sales of over a million copies.

In Chapter 1 Williamson tells of the nervous breakdown which brought a total re-orientation of her life. She had always considered herself a fighter - for causes or against injustice - and even liberation from her demons was seen as a forceful 'breaking free'. But as her breakdown progressed and then slowly lifted, she discovered that freedom is more like a melting into one's real nature and personality. This part of her story is captivating, given her previous scepticism and unwillingness to give up anything of herself. Yet that struggle between the ego and purer, real self gives the book its pull. Only in getting as low as she did was she willing to try anything, in this case a spiritual surrender.

A major part of A Return To Love is devoted to relationships. You may find yourself going back to this section again and again, if only to remember the person you could be. It should strike chords in anyone, particularly the fine distinctions made about 'special' or ego relationships, and 'holy' ones. The ego is characterised as 'the great fault-finder'. But criticism only increases the insecurity of the other person, making them even less likely to change. Unconditional love may be a hard thing to cultivate, but it brings rich rewards, being the only way we stay at peace with ourselves.

According to the Course , relationships are assignments, each one providing us with the maximum opportunity for growth. This means that the romantic idea we have of a soul mate is incorrect, as our true soul mate may be the person who pushes all our buttons and makes us grow by learning how to be patient and humble, and to love more. The ego may just lead us to people who will give us the least problems and the most obvious pleasure, seductively pulling us away from the possibility of holy relationships.

A Return To Love is equally interesting about work. We always talk about our career, our job, our pay. By our own efforts, we carve out a working life according to what interests us or how much we'd like to earn. The book says this is not the route to real success. By offering our working life to God, God will reveal to us precisely that which will best suit our talents and temperament, and the way in which we can help the world the most. What we create by own will might be good, but genius only happens when we become cleaner instruments for divine expression. With this mentality, we can no longer be slaves for the money.

While at first glance A Return To Love may seem like a baby boomer's indulgent search for the self, it is for the most part a beautiful summarisation of the Course, carrying its authority and timelessness.