Paulo Coelho's fable The Alchemist is about an Andalusian shepherd named Santiago, who sells his sheep to follow a dream about where his treasure in life lies. In the course of the story, Santiago is tricked out of his money, crosses the desert in a caravan, falls in love at an oasis, encounters warring tribes, and ultimately realizes his destiny.

   Along the way, his omens (intuition) give him a glimpse of his future, if he will but pay attention to them. Santiago learns those who fail to follow their omens, in time, cease even to feel their presence. These people feel empty, even if they achieve material success.

   The book has been a bestseller in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Some people find it trite, while most find it inspirational. Perhaps that is only another way of saying that the most profound lessons of our lives can be reduced to a simple lesson.

   The Alchemist may be a book which speaks to you. It is the first entry on the BBC's list of 100 Most Popular Books of the 20th Century.

From The Alchemist:

--"It's the possibility of a dream come true that makes life interesting…"

--"Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is."

--"Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him," his heart said. "We, people's hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go search for them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them--the path to their destinies, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place."