The Return of the Ragpicker

In the first of his bestsellers, The Greatest Miracle in the World (1975), Mandino wrote about the mystic and inspiring figure of Simon Potter the Ragpicker, who rescued drunks and others from life's dumping grounds with the help of a credo he called God's Memorandum. Here he reappears, bringing a new set of principles--basically the Golden Rule plus added strictures against destroying the earth, humanity's only home. Fans of the author's earlier self-help guides will find all they seek here, and will presumably overlook the elaborately melodramatic close and contrived narrative device. Others may balk at Simon's lengthy recitation of Mandino's numerous achievements: million-plus book sales, awards, crowded lectures, guest spots on national TV, etc. All impressive and true, but focused on the author instead of the message. (Feb.)