The Alchemist is the best book that I have read in my short 21 years. Yes I have read books that have made me wonder, I have read books that have made me think. But this book gave me hope. I cannot say that this is my favorite book. No. That honor is to "The Mists of Avalon". But the beauty of this book lies in its simplisity. I really cannot articulate my admiration for this book, in that it changed my life. I started believing in myself again, and really what else could you ask from a collection of wood pulp? Read it, if you do not like it, re-think