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Summary: the alchemist
Review: This book taught me that it takes a lot of places to go and a lot of experience to get you to reach your goal. This book taught me to strive for my goals even if you think it's far from reach it can possible if you try your best.
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Summary: The Quintessential Pilgrimmage
Review: Paulo Coelho once traveled the beaten path to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in the north-western corner of Spain. In medieval times, this pilgrimage was the third most sacred in all of Christendom, ranked only behind the ones to Jerusalem and Rome. Coelho recaptures that sense of purpose, of a mission, of holiness, in his tale of a young shepherd--aptly named Santiago--who sets out from Andalusia in search of his dream.The catalyst for Santiago's journey is a recurrent dream. If he did not believe in the significance of such occurrences, he never would have left his flock and travelled across the Mediterranean to an exotic continent. The entire book can be viewed as a series of coincidences to one who decides not to agree with Coelho's ongoing message. However, to one who becomes a proponent of his ideas, Santiago is led through the book by the need to find the treasure of his Personal Legend. The characters that Santiago encounters along the way each teach him something about what he is meant to do on this earth. The first is a Gypsy woman who interprets his dream and encourages him to seek his treasure near the Pyramids. Next, there is Melchizedek, an old man who calls himself king. This character is extremely reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez' character Melquiades, in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Santiago also meets a girl, and finally an Alchemist, who teaches him valuable secrets. No one knows what the treasure for which Santiago is searching really is, exactly. No one knows if Santiago will be able to surpass all the obstacles in his path. However, this parable keeps moving on, without a thought to these matters. What does the wind care what happens to a single feather, a single speck of dust, a grain of desert sand? Coelho's tale adopts a similar attitude. But the feather cares, the dust cares, the sand cares. One of the most important parts of Coelho's message is that each thing in the universe, and each creature, is obligated to fulfill its own Personal Legend--its own destiny and its own dreams. If I write much more, this review will end up longer than the book--it's only 165 pages (at least in my paperback edition)--so I should stop here, I guess. But please, if you have dreams, or if you did but have given up on them, read The Alchemist. It could inspire you to find your treasure, to fulfill your Personal Legend.
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Summary: When the student is ready, the guru appears.
Review: There is an old Yogic saying: When the student is ready, the guru will appear. I think that phrase can apply to this book. The simplicity of the language and the fantastic tone of the story gives a lot of room for personal interpretation -- and it's in your personal interpretations where you'll find the fruits of the book. This book is not for everyone, as the mixed reviews on this site has shown. But if you like to think about religion, life, the meaning of self-existence and God, you'll find that there is not a wasted word on these 167 pages. Personally, I think the beauty of this book is not in the story, but in your personal reading of the story. You are the lake in the Prologue -- beholding your own beauty in Narcissus' eyes. This is a Narcissistic book, a cool fable, and it may be just what you need.
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Summary: I hope my review is helpful.
Review: I read this book at 17 (two years ago) and its principles have been with me ever since. Its great for all ages. It's small and has a very large and lasting impact on a person's abmition. For anybody that is depressed, unhappy with their career decisions or just needs some form of stress release, this book is exactly what you're looking for. As well as for someone just looking for a good adventure story...i.e. young children. Read it to your kids if you have any, it will change their outlook on life for the better. The book is about a boy sheperd, that drops all his responsibilities to follow his dream. He follows omens and so forth to find his way. Truely the very best story I've ever come across, or ever will. (Realize last time I read this was 2 years ago, unlike most people that post a review once the book is fresh in their mind. I simply have never forgotten it.) Good Luck.
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Summary: Best booster (Muy estimulante)
Review: This book is simply first rate. Excellent. Author says he wrote it in 15 days. It was pure inspiration. Same as he wrote it you read it: it flows easily. If you are fed up with many things, if you are looking for something, if you don't want to stop your search, this is book is amust for you. Si estás buscando algo y no quieres renunciar a tus ilusiones: este es tu libro.
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Summary: Go for the books that make you use your brains
Review: Please, do not give me a "not-useful" vote just because I didn't like the book that your mom loved. I really think that this book has been shamefully publicized and acclaimed - it just isn't worth it. It's written like a book for (not very bright) children - but without the simple beauty that some books for children have - , trying to wring a best-seller out of the formula that makes books sell nowadays - seemingly miraculous revelations about the nature of life, that can make you "suddenly" discover the truth and go for it, thus giving your life a new significance. The truth is, revelations and life wisdom are not so easily achieved. This is basically a story about a boy who "follows a dream" (what dream?) and finds gold. No quest for art, no human relations, no warmth or beauty here - only gold. This has an almost embarrassing quality to me. Coelho's books (like the personal album with his picture and quotes from him - yes, no kidding) are commercial stuff. Nothing wrong with that - but maybe that's not what you're after. Maybe you really want the life teachings, or at least the sort of book that can make you meditate, mature, try to be a better person. My advice, then, is don't go for the commercial- don't buy the best-seller. Go for the real thing. No one is too uneducated or too slow not to be able to understand and profit from a really good book. People have been trying to explain the meaning of life since the beginning of the world. Don't try to find it in a money-making enterprise.
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Summary: the fable retold
Review: The Alchemist is a story in the tradition of the Arabian nights, woven from the same fabric of desert storms, brandished swords, and buried treasures. The protagonist, an Andalusian shepherd boy, sells his flock and travels to Africa to realize his dream of finding a great treasure. Along the way, he meets an old king named Melchitzedek, a wizened gypsy woman, a crystal merchant, and a sage alchemist, who teach him lessons about dreams and destiny drawn from the Hebrew Bible, Christian legend, and Muslim lore. If readers feel that they sensed the ending intuitively before turning the final page, then Coelho has achieved his aim, for the ultimate lesson of this book is about the intimate connections between what seems most distant and what lies deepest in our hearts. Even so, the aphoristic advice becomes tedious after a while and the injunction to "follow your dream" remains rooted in a mythical world where the sun speaks, the desert answers, and lead is converted, by magic, to gold.
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Summary: Do not miss the point
Review: One may believe that the world does not exist as a single organism, that everything is coincidental and unrelated. I don't! Man continues to search for common laws to explain all matter. Complexity is one of these studies, whereby all matter, living and non-living, organise into more complex structures to perform complicated tasks. From the complexity of the human eye, the stock exchange and our world to the single cell amoeba organism, all may combine to accomplish common outcomes. What am I going on about? Perhaps these common laws to achieve organisation from chaos will work faster for you with positive energy. Perhaps the unresolved solutions that you desire will be achieved as we organise to reach our personal and group goals. The book emphasises that the search towards your dreams and goals is a most fulfilling journey. If you just receive a simple message to believe in yourself and follow your dreams, the author has succeeded.
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Summary: The best...
Review: This book is simply the best book that I have ever read. It is simple and easy to read, but contains the most important of messages. If everyone read this book and learned to follow their heart I believe that their would be a much needed change in every person's life.
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Summary: truly inspiring
Review: this book, besides eloquently written and brilliantly constructed, is inspiring and life-affirming. it's little wisdoms and tidbits of life advice are enlightening. i have underlined bits, sentences and whole chapters as if it were a textbook. someimes i just open it up for a quick glimpse at one of these randomly chosen thoughts, and i am left smiling and reaffirmed that yes, my only true obligation is to realize my personal destiny, and to follow that dream in my heart. a neccesity for any artist struggling to carry out their seemingly impossible dreams in this world. i will cherish it forever.
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