I am still a newbie at PR also. I have the Home Study Course (Standard Edition) and on my second go through on the course.
I like it a lot and think it is a very valuable tool to get more ouf of whatever one reads, and can help get through material faster, and with better value for your time.
I also have to agree that one needs at least the book, if not the course, to really appreciate how this system works. It is easy to learn, but not to explain in a short message,
