About the Author

Paulo Coelho is an international bestselling author whose books--The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept and The Fifth Mountain-have sold more than 23 million copies in 117 countries and have been translated into 41 languages.

Reviews

"It's a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons. [...] A remarkable tome." - Neil Patrick Harris, actor
"It changed my whole life. I realized of all of the people who had conspired to get me to this place." - Pharrell Williams, musician and songwriter
"I love The Alchemist. It absolutely shows you that, if you have the desire, the universe will rise up to meet you exactly where you are. One of my favorite all time quotes." - Oprah Winfrey
"If you pick up a copy of The Alchemist, I promise you, you are going to be so inspired by this story, but more importantly you are going to feel so excited, and hopeful, and encouraged about the treasure that exists within you, that is uniquely for you, that can only be discovered by you. And that is when the journey to go find it will actually begin." - Mel Robbins, podcast host and bestselling author of The Let Them Theory
"An adventure story full of magic and wisdom." - Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima
"A touching, inspiring fable." - Indianapolis Star
"A magical little volume." - San Francisco Chronicle
"[His] books have had a life-enchanting effect on millions of people." - London Times
"Rarely do I come across a story with the drectness and simplicity of Coelho's The Alchemist. It lifts the reader out of time and focuses through a believably unlikely story on a young dreamer looking for himself. A beautiful story with a pointed message for every reader." - Joseph Girzone, author of Joshua
"A beautiful story with a pointed message for every reader." - Joseph Girzone, author of Joshua
"As memorable and meaningful as Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince." - Austin American-Statesman
"A sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike." - Publishers Weekly
"A most tender and gentle story. It is a rare gem of a book, and will most certainly touch the very core of every heart earnestly seeking its own destiny on the journey of life." - Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., co-author of Change Our Mind, Change Your Life
"A most tender and gentle story. It is a rare gem of a book." - Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., co-author of Change Our Mind, Change Your Life
"An entrepreneurial tale of universal wisdom we can apply to the business of our own lives." - Spencer Johnson, M.D., co-author of The One-Minute Manager
"A remarkable tale about the most magical of all journeys: the quest to fulfill one's destiny." - Anthony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within
"The Alchemist is a story about the endless search of finding out who you truly are. On the road for most of our lives, sometimes it's difficult to find something to grasp onto, to define who you are and where you belong - and reading The Alchemist truly made me appreciate my family and band and those close to and around me. It brought some stability into our wild ride of a life." - Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers, in Time Out New York

"It's a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons. [...] A remarkable tome." -- NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, ACTOR"it changed my whole life. I realized of all of the people who had conspired to get me to this place." -- PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MUSICIAN AND SONG-WRITER"A wise and inspiring fable about the pilgrimage that life should be." -- M. Scott Peck"An adventure story full of magic and wisdom." -- Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima"A touching, inspiring fable." -- Indianapolis Star"A magical little volume." -- San Francisco Chronicle"[This] Brazilian wizard makes books disappear from stores." -- New York Times"[His] books have had a life-enchanting effect on millions of people." -- London Times"A beautiful story with a pointed message for every reader." -- Joseph Girzone, author of Joshua"As memorable and meaningful as Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince." -- Austin American-Statesman"A sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike." -- Publishers Weekly"A most tender and gentle story. It is a rare gem of a book." -- Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., co-author of Change Our Mind, Change Your Life"An entrepreneurial tale of universal wisdom we can apply to the business of our own lives." -- Spencer Johnson, M.D., co-author of The One-Minute Manager"A remarkable tale about the most magical of all journeys: the quest to fulfill one's destiny." -- Anthony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within

Brazilian writer Coelho has published five titles in 45 languages in 120 countries, and has sold 23 million books. It's easy to see why. This charming, simple and well-written allegory tells of a boy, Santiago, who has the imagination and courage to follow his "Personal Legend." Santiago finds fairy godfathers at many turns who help him learn to keep up his courage, and to read omens and his own heart. The book's inspirational message follow your heart and do your own thing is oblique enough, to allow readers to interpret it in any way they choose, with whatever degree and form of spirituality one adheres to: "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation." But apparently only men need apply; a woman's destiny is to wait for her hero to find his treasure and return home to her. The real treasure here is Jeremy Irons. His intriguing, subtle and powerful performance carries us along on the boy's adventures, into his confusions and insights, through discussions with kings and animals, through the desert and the sun and even through the philosophical passages. Based on the Harper San Francisco hardcover. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

YA-- This simple, yet eloquent parable celebrates the richness of the human spirit. A young Spanish shepherd seeking his destiny travels to Egypt where he learns many lessons, particularly from a wise old alchemist. The real alchemy here, however, is the transmuting of youthful idealism into mature wisdom. The blending of conventional ideas with an exotic setting makes old truths seem new again. This shepherd takes the advice Hamlet did not heed, learning to trust his heart and commune with it as a treasured friend. Enjoyable and easy to read, this timeless fantasy validates the aspirations and dreams of youth.-- Sabrina Fraunfelter, Fairfax County Public Library, VA