An almost completely decomposable abelian (acd) group is an extension of a finite direct sum of subgroups of the additive group of rational numbers by a finite abelian group. Examples are easy to write and are frequently used but have been notoriously difficult to study and classify because of their computational nature. However, a general theory of acd groups has been developed and a suitable weakening of isomorphism, Lady's near-isomorphism, has been established as the rightconcept for studying acd groups. A number of important classes of acd groups has been successfully classified. Direct sum decompositions of acd groups are preserved under near-isomorphism and the well-known pathological decompositions can actually be surveyed in special cases.