BOOK REVIEW: The Alchemist
“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.
“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.
“It’s this: that a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
The book follows Santiago, a young boy who is a shepherd living in his homeland in Spain. At the start of the book, Santiago has a recurring dream of finding treasure near the pyramids of Egypt.
The shepherd decides to pursue his dream and on the way meets a Gypsy woman, and a king, who both tell him to follow his dream.
10 Favorite Quotes
1. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it
2. “You must always know what it is that you want,” the old king has said
3. As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief or as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. “I’m an adventurer looking for treasure,” he said to himself
4. “Never stop dreaming” the old king had said. “Follow the omens”
5. The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend (Dream), the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being, thought the boy
6. “We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
7. If you can concentrate always on the present you will be a happy man. If you pay attention to the present you can improve it. And if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.
8. In the pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to test his persistence and courage
9. “There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action”
10. “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it”
I think this book will appeal to everyone who has had a dream at some point in their lives, and sometimes, we just want someone to tell us that our dreams can come true.
Are you trying to figure out your life purpose or chasing your dreams? This book is a must read.
As you face challenges on your journey, you will recall the book’s statement that “the universe conspires to help any individual trying to achieve their personal legend.”