NEWS FLASH - My Book Released!

As one of the best-selling books in world history, The Alchemist, written by famed author Paulo Coelho, has been translated in over 60 languages and been purchased by more than 60 million people. First penned in Portuguese and printed in paperback, the book is now available in hardcover and on iTunes as an executable file. The Alchemist expands on a plot from a short-story entitled Tale of Two Dreamers by Jorge Luis Borges. The tale is about a Spanish shepherd who sets out on a journey to fulfill his destiny.

Although the book is purely a fantastic adventure, the morality rings true for the many millions who’ve read the classic tale. Santiago, the young boy with a dream, sees signs he recognizes as fated symbols and goes on a journey for the ages in an attempt to seek out a hidden treasure near the Egyptian Pyramids, and along the way finds out much about himself. Santiago displays courage throughout the tale, even when his self-discovery reveals things he’d rather not know.

After deciding to leave on this journey, his father offers advice, telling Santiago to “travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest.” People relate well to Santiago and his father’s insistence that home is the place your heart belongs. Many have rebelled against this notion and found themselves fighting to return, yet only straying farther away.

Santiago’s journey takes him into a world that’s unlike anything he’s ever imagined. The people he meets and the places he sees; it’s all new and exciting. However, after his long and eye-opening journey, he finds his father’s words to be true and realizes that the only treasure needed was the actual journey taken and the realization that his heart belonged where he left it.

The Alchemist is a riveting, optimistic story that’s exciting to read from the start to finish. At its core, the book is extremely motivational. It teaches that everything is possible in life as long as you believe in yourself and push toward a goal. And while the simple message might come across as trite, it’s really what most discovered to be the actual meaning of life: believing in yourself, surrounding yourself with people you love, and making your home there. Coelho, the author, states, “Simple things are the most valuable” but it’s only the wise person who appreciates them.

The title of the book, The Alchemist, is given due to an actual alchemist that Santiago meets during his journey. Santiago learns many valuable lessons from the alchemist, including the famous line, “when you really want something, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.” The entire novel revolves around that notion, and expands to include various bits of wisdom and advice about self-control and perseverance.

This book offers up a cleverly-written tale of simple truths that are laid out in a fantastic, Herculean journey of self-discovery. The Alchemist is a great read for people of all ages and can serve as motivation for some in their most dire time of need.